diff --git a/src/settings.ts b/src/settings.ts
index 86bae1c..65c930c 100644
--- a/src/settings.ts
+++ b/src/settings.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ interface ExtendedTaskListsSettings {
 	todoFilename: string;
 	excludeFilePattern: string;
 	excludeFolderFilename: string;
+	excludeRegionBegin: string;
+	excludeRegionEnd: string;
 	useFullFilepath: boolean;
 	includeNotStarted: boolean;
 	includeInProgress: boolean;
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ const DEFAULT_SETTINGS: ExtendedTaskListsSettings = {
 	todoFilename: "TODO.md",
 	excludeFilePattern: "<!-- exclude TODO -->",
 	excludeFolderFilename: ".exclude_todos",
+	excludeRegionBegin: "%% exclude: start %%",
+	excludeRegionEnd: "%% exclude: end %%",
 	useFullFilepath: false,
 	includeNotStarted: true,
 	includeInProgress: true,
@@ -95,6 +99,34 @@ class ExtendedTaskListsSettingTab extends PluginSettingTab {
 					}),
 			);
 
+		new Setting(containerEl)
+			.setName("Exclude region begin")
+			.setDesc(
+				"A line matching this pattern marks the start of a region whose task items are excluded from the generated TODO file.",
+			)
+			.addText((text) =>
+				text
+					.setValue(this.plugin.settings.excludeRegionBegin)
+					.onChange(async (value) => {
+						this.plugin.settings.excludeRegionBegin = value;
+						await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+					}),
+			);
+
+		new Setting(containerEl)
+			.setName("Exclude region end")
+			.setDesc(
+				"A line matching this pattern marks the end of an excluded region.",
+			)
+			.addText((text) =>
+				text
+					.setValue(this.plugin.settings.excludeRegionEnd)
+					.onChange(async (value) => {
+						this.plugin.settings.excludeRegionEnd = value;
+						await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+					}),
+			);
+
 		new Setting(containerEl).setName("Includes").setHeading();
 
 		new Setting(containerEl)
diff --git a/src/todoService.test.ts b/src/todoService.test.ts
index 289cd45..c1d6d32 100644
--- a/src/todoService.test.ts
+++ b/src/todoService.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ const MOCK_SETTINGS = {
 	todoFilename: "TODO.md",
 	excludeFilePattern: "<!-- exclude TODO -->",
 	excludeFolderFilename: ".exclude_todos",
+	excludeRegionBegin: "%% exclude: start %%",
+	excludeRegionEnd: "%% exclude: end %%",
 	useFullFilepath: false,
 	includeNotStarted: true,
 	includeInProgress: true,
@@ -380,6 +382,76 @@ describe("TodoService", () => {
 		expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
 	});
 
+	test("parseTodos excludes task items inside exclude regions", () => {
+		// Arrange
+		const content = `- [ ] Included
+%% exclude: start %%
+- [ ] Excluded
+- [.] Also excluded
+%% exclude: end %%
+- [ ] Also included`;
+
+		const mockFileService = new MockFileService([]);
+
+		// Act
+		const todoService = new TodoService(mockFileService, MOCK_SETTINGS);
+		const actual = todoService.parseTodos(content);
+
+		// Assert
+		expect(actual).toEqual([
+			{
+				task: TaskType.NotStarted,
+				text: "Included",
+				indentation: "",
+				lineno: 0,
+			} as Todo,
+			{
+				task: TaskType.NotStarted,
+				text: "Also included",
+				indentation: "",
+				lineno: 5,
+			} as Todo,
+		]);
+	});
+
+	test("parseTodos handles multiple exclude regions", () => {
+		// Arrange
+		const content = `- [ ] First
+%% exclude: start %%
+- [ ] Excluded 1
+%% exclude: end %%
+- [ ] Second
+%% exclude: start %%
+- [ ] Excluded 2
+%% exclude: end %%
+- [ ] Third`;
+
+		const mockFileService = new MockFileService([]);
+
+		// Act
+		const todoService = new TodoService(mockFileService, MOCK_SETTINGS);
+		const actual = todoService.parseTodos(content);
+
+		// Assert
+		expect(actual.map((t) => t.text)).toEqual(["First", "Second", "Third"]);
+	});
+
+	test("parseTodos excludes to end of file when region is not closed", () => {
+		// Arrange
+		const content = `- [ ] Included
+%% exclude: start %%
+- [ ] Excluded`;
+
+		const mockFileService = new MockFileService([]);
+
+		// Act
+		const todoService = new TodoService(mockFileService, MOCK_SETTINGS);
+		const actual = todoService.parseTodos(content);
+
+		// Assert
+		expect(actual.map((t) => t.text)).toEqual(["Included"]);
+	});
+
 	test("Whole shebang formats TODO.md correctly with task items nested under normal lists", async () => {
 		// Arrange
 		const taskFile = createMockFile(
diff --git a/src/todoService.ts b/src/todoService.ts
index b4dccbe..beb3b93 100644
--- a/src/todoService.ts
+++ b/src/todoService.ts
@@ -114,8 +114,23 @@ class TodoService {
 	 */
 	parseTodos(contents: string): Todo[] {
 		const lines = contents.split(/[\r]?[\n]/);
+		const beginPattern = this.settings.excludeRegionBegin;
+		const endPattern = this.settings.excludeRegionEnd;
+		let inExcludedRegion = false;
 		const matchesAndIndices = lines
 			.map((line, index) => {
+				if (beginPattern && line.trim() === beginPattern) {
+					inExcludedRegion = true;
+				}
+				if (inExcludedRegion) {
+					if (endPattern && line.trim() === endPattern) {
+						inExcludedRegion = false;
+					}
+					return {
+						match: null as unknown as RegExpMatchArray,
+						index,
+					} as IndexMatch;
+				}
 				const match = line.match(TODO_PATTERN);
 				return { match, index } as IndexMatch;
 			})