diff --git a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
index a98e6e36..36a02478 100644
--- a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
+++ b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf
@@ -30,19 +30,21 @@ topdirs = ~
 
 # <var name="skippedNames" type="string">
 #
-# <brief>Files and directories which should be ignored.</brief> <descr>
-# White space separated list of wildcard patterns (simple ones, not paths,
-# must contain no / ), which will be tested against file and directory
-# names.  The list in the default configuration does not exclude hidden
-# directories (names beginning with a dot), which means that it may index
-# quite a few things that you do not want. On the other hand, email user
-# agents like Thunderbird usually store messages in hidden directories, and
-# you probably want this indexed. One possible solution is to have ".*" in
-# "skippedNames", and add things like "~/.thunderbird" "~/.evolution" to
-# "topdirs".  Not even the file names are indexed for patterns in this
-# list, see the "noContentSuffixes" variable for an alternative approach
-# which indexes the file names. Can be redefined for any
-# subtree.</descr></var>
+# <brief>Files and directories which should be ignored.</brief>
+# 
+# <descr> White space separated list of wildcard patterns (simple ones, not paths, must contain no
+# '/' characters), which will be tested against file and directory names. Have a look at the default
+# configuration for the initial value, some entries may not suit your situation. The easiest way to
+# see it is through the GUI Index configuration "local parameters" panel. The list in the default
+# configuration does not exclude hidden directories (names beginning with a dot), which means that
+# it may index quite a few things that you do not want. On the other hand, email user agents like
+# Thunderbird usually store messages in hidden directories, and you probably want this indexed. One
+# possible solution is to have ".*" in "skippedNames", and add things like "~/.thunderbird"
+# "~/.evolution" to "topdirs".  Not even the file names are indexed for patterns in this list, see
+# the "noContentSuffixes" variable for an alternative approach which indexes the file names. Can be
+# redefined for any subtree.</descr>
+#
+#</var>
 skippedNames = #* CVS  Cache cache* .cache caughtspam tmp \
      .thumbnails .svn *.rclwe \
      *~ .beagle .git .hg .bzr loop.ps .xsession-errors \
@@ -673,13 +675,14 @@ logfilename = stderr
 
 # <var name="helperlogfilename" type="fn">
 #
-# <brief>Destination file for external helpers standard error
-# output.</brief>
+# <brief>Destination file for external helpers standard error output.</brief>
 #
 # <descr>The external program error output is left alone by default,
 # e.g. going to the terminal when the recoll[index] program is executed
 # from the command line. Use /dev/null or a file inside a non-existent
-# directory to completely suppress the output.</brief></var>
+# directory to completely suppress the output.</descr>
+#
+# </var>
 #helperlogfilename=
 
 # <var name="daemloglevel" type="int">