diff --git a/.github/sync.yml b/.github/sync.yml
index bc05965a..da2d0b7b 100755
--- a/.github/sync.yml
+++ b/.github/sync.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,14 @@ group:
         dest: .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/course-problem-report.md
       - source: .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/course-content-add.md
         dest: .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/course-content-add.md
+      - source: .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/url-error.md
+        dest: .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/url-error.md
       - source: style-sets
         dest: style-sets
       - source: assets/box_images/
         dest: assets/box_images/
+      - source: resources/exclude_files.txt
+        dest: resources/exclude_files.txt
   # Repositories to receive changes
     repos: |
       jhudsl/Documentation_and_Usability
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-url.yml b/.github/workflows/check-url.yml
index 9ee7fe9a..e3f26451 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-url.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-url.yml
@@ -84,9 +84,8 @@ jobs:
       env:
         GH_PAT: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
       run: |
-        echo "$GH_PAT"
         echo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY"
-        curl -o find_issue.R https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jhudsl/ottr-reports/main/scripts/find-issue.R
+        curl -o find_issue.R https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jhudsl/ottr-reports/main/scripts/find_issue.R
         issue_exists=$(Rscript --vanilla find_issue.R --repo $GITHUB_REPOSITORY --git_pat $GH_PAT)
         echo URL issue exists: $issue_exists
         echo "issue_existence=$issue_exists" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
diff --git a/resources/exclude_files.txt b/resources/exclude_files.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc77feed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/exclude_files.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+About.Rmd
+docs/*
+style-sets/*
+manuscript/*