diff --git a/hack/lib/util.sh b/hack/lib/util.sh
index cd6db72bfb5..08f873f3cc6 100755
--- a/hack/lib/util.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/util.sh
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ kube::util::gen-analytics() {
   mdfiles=($( find "${dir}" -name "*.md" -type f \
               -not -path '*/\.*' \
               -not -path "${path}/vendor/*" \
+              -not -path "${path}/staging/*" \
               -not -path "${path}/third_party/*" \
               -not -path "${path}/_gopath/*" \
               -not -path "${path}/_output/*" \
diff --git a/hack/verify-flags-underscore.py b/hack/verify-flags-underscore.py
index 1e8b4f8fa26..9c9d5ceb74d 100755
--- a/hack/verify-flags-underscore.py
+++ b/hack/verify-flags-underscore.py
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ def get_all_files(rootdir):
         # don't visit certain dirs
         if 'vendor' in dirs:
             dirs.remove('vendor')
+        if 'staging' in dirs:
+            dirs.remove('staging')
         if '_output' in dirs:
             dirs.remove('_output')
         if '_gopath' in dirs:
diff --git a/hack/verify-gofmt.sh b/hack/verify-gofmt.sh
index cd86c826570..573c95cc229 100755
--- a/hack/verify-gofmt.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-gofmt.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ find_files() {
         -o -wholename './target' \
         -o -wholename '*/third_party/*' \
         -o -wholename '*/vendor/*' \
+        -o -wholename './staging' \
       \) -prune \
     \) -name '*.go'
 }