diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-quality-checker.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-quality-checker.yml
index 45cf1dafe3..2150c4ee6a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-quality-checker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-quality-checker.yml
@@ -14,5 +14,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
       - name: documentation quality check
         uses: errata-ai/vale-action@v1.3.0
+        # Whitelist excluding ADOPTERS, CHANGELOG and OWNERS (no exclude flag exists)
+        with:
+          files: '[".changeset", ".github", "contrib", "docs", "microsite", "packages", "plugins", "CONTRIBUTING.md", "CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md", "GOVERNANCE.md", "README.md"]'
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/scripts/check-docs-quality.js b/scripts/check-docs-quality.js
index 8db1ca4c65..c06618d5e6 100755
--- a/scripts/check-docs-quality.js
+++ b/scripts/check-docs-quality.js
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const getFilesToLint = () => {
     command = `git ls-files | .\\node_modules\\.bin\\shx grep ".md"`;
   }
 
+  // Note this ignore list only applies locally, CI runs `.github/workflows/docs-quality-checker.yml`
   const ignored = ['', 'ADOPTERS.md', 'OWNERS.md'];
   return execSync(command, {
     stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'inherit'],