For a PCB antenna module like ESP-WROOM-02D, the practical rule is to reserve a dedicated antenna keep-out region and, ideally, place that antenna section at the board edge with some overhang. The placement guidance in the retrieved Flux docs explicitly says WiFi/BT modules with PCB antennas need an edge-placement hint so the antenna can extend past the board boundary, otherwise the module gets clamped inside the board and antenna performance is degraded .
Short answer
Yes, keep clearance around the antenna area
Yes, avoid copper in that zone
Yes, avoid placing other components there
Best practice: put the antenna end at the PCB edge, or slightly overhanging it
What clearance means here
For the antenna keep-out area, you generally want to keep it free of:
copper pours
traces
vias
ground plane
metal shields
tall or dense components nearby
The placement guidance doesn’t spell out every forbidden object individually, but it is clear that the antenna region must be treated as a protected overhang/keep-out area for RF performance .
For your module
Using the datasheet-derived antenna zone you asked about earlier, the safe planning number is:
Keep-out rectangle: 18 mm wide × 6 mm deep
So yes, you should preserve that 18 mm × 6 mm region around the antenna end as a clearance zone.
Practical recommendation
If possible, place the module so the antenna end sits on the board edge
Keep the 6 mm antenna zone free of copper and components
Do not run traces or pours under that antenna section
Do not place the antenna facing inward toward the rest of the layout if you can avoid it
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