diff --git a/internal/file/finder.go b/internal/file/finder.go
index 982decef..0b168aae 100644
--- a/internal/file/finder.go
+++ b/internal/file/finder.go
@@ -77,29 +77,20 @@ func (finder *Finder) GetConfigPath(rootPath string, exclusions []string, inclus
 	return configPath
 }
 
-// GetGroups return all file groups in specified path recursively.
-func (finder *Finder) GetGroups(options DebrickedOptions) (Groups, error) {
+func (finder *Finder) GetIncludedGroups(formats []*CompiledFormat, options DebrickedOptions) (Groups, error) {
+	// NOTE: inefficient because it walks into excluded directories
 	var groups Groups
-
-	formats, err := finder.GetSupportedFormats()
-	if err != nil {
-		return groups, err
-	}
-	if len(options.RootPath) == 0 {
-		options.RootPath = filepath.Base("")
-	}
-
-	// Traverse files to find dependency file groups
-	err = filepath.Walk(
+	err := filepath.Walk(
 		options.RootPath,
 		func(path string, fileInfo os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if !fileInfo.IsDir() && !Excluded(options.Exclusions, options.Inclusions, path) {
+			var excluded = Excluded(options.Exclusions, options.Inclusions, path)
+
+			if !fileInfo.IsDir() && !excluded {
 				for _, format := range formats {
 					if groups.Match(format, path, options.LockFileOnly) {
-
 						break
 					}
 				}
@@ -108,6 +99,66 @@ func (finder *Finder) GetGroups(options DebrickedOptions) (Groups, error) {
 			return nil
 		},
 	)
+	return groups, err
+}
+
+func (finder *Finder) GetExcludedGroups(formats []*CompiledFormat, options DebrickedOptions) (Groups, []string, error) {
+	var excludedGroups Groups
+	var excludedFiles []string
+	err := filepath.Walk(
+		options.RootPath,
+		func(path string, fileInfo os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if !fileInfo.IsDir() {
+				for _, format := range formats {
+					if excludedGroups.Match(format, path, options.LockFileOnly) {
+						excludedFiles = append(excludedFiles, path)
+						break
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			return nil
+		},
+	)
+	return excludedGroups, excludedFiles, err
+}
+
+// GetGroups return all file groups in specified path recursively.
+func (finder *Finder) GetGroups(options DebrickedOptions) (Groups, error) {
+	var groups Groups
+	var noGroupsFound bool
+
+	formats, err := finder.GetSupportedFormats()
+	if err != nil {
+		return groups, err
+	}
+	if len(options.RootPath) == 0 {
+		options.RootPath = filepath.Base("")
+	}
+
+	// Traverse files to find dependency file groups
+	groups, err = finder.GetIncludedGroups(formats, options)
+	noGroupsFound = len(groups.groups) == 0
+	if noGroupsFound {
+		// No dependencies found. (should rarely happen)
+		// Traverse again to see if dependency files were excluded.
+		_, excludedFiles, excludedErr := finder.GetExcludedGroups(formats, options)
+		if len(excludedFiles) > 0 {
+			fmt.Println("The following files were excluded, resulting in no dependency files found.")
+			for _, file := range excludedFiles {
+				fmt.Println(file)
+			}
+			fmt.Println("Please change the inclusion and exclusion options if an important file or directory was missed.")
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println("No dependency file matches found with current configuration.")
+			fmt.Println("Please change the inclusion and exclusion options if an important file or directory was missed.")
+		}
+		if excludedErr != nil {
+			return groups, err
+		}
+	}
 
 	groups.FilterGroupsByStrictness(options.Strictness)
 
diff --git a/internal/file/finder_test.go b/internal/file/finder_test.go
index d61e8c58..86630baa 100644
--- a/internal/file/finder_test.go
+++ b/internal/file/finder_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
+	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
@@ -185,6 +186,92 @@ func TestGetGroupsPIP(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestGetGroupsAllExcluded(t *testing.T) {
+	setUp(true)
+	path := "testdata/misc"
+	const nbrOfGroups = 0
+
+	oldStdout := os.Stdout
+	read, write, _ := os.Pipe()
+	os.Stdout = write
+
+	fileGroups, err := finder.GetGroups(
+		DebrickedOptions{
+			RootPath:     path,
+			Exclusions:   []string{"**/**"},
+			Inclusions:   []string{},
+			LockFileOnly: false,
+			Strictness:   StrictAll,
+		},
+	)
+
+	write.Close()
+	os.Stdout = oldStdout
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	io.Copy(&buf, read)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equalf(t, nbrOfGroups, fileGroups.Size(), "failed to assert that %d groups were created. %d was found", nbrOfGroups, fileGroups.Size())
+
+	// Define the expected output
+	expectedStart := "The following files were excluded, resulting in no dependency files found."
+	expectedEnd := "Please change the inclusion and exclusion options if an important file or directory was missed."
+	expectedExcludedFile := "requirements.txt"
+
+	// Compare the actual output to the expected output
+	actualString := buf.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(actualString, expectedStart) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q but got %q", expectedStart, actualString)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(actualString, expectedEnd) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q but got %q", expectedEnd, actualString)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(actualString, expectedExcludedFile) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q but got %q", expectedExcludedFile, actualString)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGetGroupsAllExcludedByStrictness(t *testing.T) {
+	setUp(true)
+	path := "testdata/misc"
+	const nbrOfGroups = 0
+
+	oldStdout := os.Stdout
+	read, write, _ := os.Pipe()
+	os.Stdout = write
+
+	fileGroups, err := finder.GetGroups(
+		DebrickedOptions{
+			RootPath:     path,
+			Exclusions:   []string{"**/composer.**"}, //the only manifest+lock pair in testdata/misc
+			Inclusions:   []string{},
+			LockFileOnly: false,
+			Strictness:   StrictPairs,
+		},
+	)
+
+	write.Close()
+	os.Stdout = oldStdout
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	io.Copy(&buf, read)
+
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equalf(t, nbrOfGroups, fileGroups.Size(), "failed to assert that %d groups were created. %d was found", nbrOfGroups, fileGroups.Size())
+
+	// Define the expected output
+	expectedStart := "The following files and directories were filtered out by strictness flag, resulting in no file matches."
+	expectedEnd := "Please change the inclusion and exclusion options if an important file or directory was missed."
+
+	// Compare the actual output to the expected output
+	actualString := buf.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(actualString, expectedStart) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q but got %q", expectedStart, actualString)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(actualString, expectedEnd) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected %q but got %q", expectedEnd, actualString)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetGroupsWithOnlyLockFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	setUp(true)
 	path := "testdata/misc"
diff --git a/internal/file/groups.go b/internal/file/groups.go
index 328fa4be..0686e041 100644
--- a/internal/file/groups.go
+++ b/internal/file/groups.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package file
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 )
 
@@ -79,6 +80,14 @@ func (gs *Groups) FilterGroupsByStrictness(strictness int) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if len(groups) == 0 && len(gs.groups) > 0 {
+		fmt.Println("The following files and directories were filtered out by strictness flag, resulting in no file matches.")
+		for _, group := range gs.groups {
+			fmt.Println(group.GetAllFiles())
+		}
+		fmt.Println("Please change the inclusion and exclusion options if an important file or directory was missed.")
+	}
+
 	gs.groups = groups
 }