Where Does Cherrytree Store Notes and Settings?
Cherrytree notes are portable .ctb or .ctd files you place yourself. Config paths on Windows and Linux, and which format to pick.
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A Cherrytree document is a single file that lives wherever you saved it. There is no library folder to discover. Pick SQLite format (.ctb, password-protected .ctx) for big trees, since only changed nodes rewrite on save. Pick XML (.ctd, encrypted .ctz) for smaller ones where search speed matters more than save time.
The app settings are separate, in a config.cfg plus styles and icons under a per-OS config dir. Back up the document files for your notes. Copy the config dir too if you customized styles, and move the whole document file as one piece, never its internals.
Where Cherrytree stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\cherrytree
config.cfg with styles, icons and language-specs subfolders. Your .ctb or .ctd documents are plain files wherever you saved them. Old installs may still have a copy under the Roaming variant of this path.
~/.config/cherrytree
Same config.cfg layout as Windows. Cherrytree runs on Linux and Windows only, so there is no macOS path to list. Keep documents outside this folder for simpler backups.
Frequently asked questions
Should I save Cherrytree notes as SQLite or XML?
Use SQLite (.ctb) for large documents. It loads the tree first and reads nodes on demand, with faster saves. Use XML (.ctd) for small ones where full-text search speed matters. Either way the document stays one portable file.
How do I move Cherrytree to a new computer?
Copy your .ctb or .ctd files wherever you want them, then copy the config folder above while Cherrytree is closed. That carries preferences, custom styles and icons. Reopen documents with File > Open.
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