Where Is the Jellyfin Data Directory?
Jellyfin data and config directories on Windows, macOS and Linux, and which folders to back up before an upgrade.
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Jellyfin splits its files by install type. Service installs on Windows use ProgramData, portable installs use LocalAppData, Linux packages use /var/lib/jellyfin with config in /etc/jellyfin. The data tree holds the library database, metadata and the backups folder.
Media itself stays where you put it and is never moved into these trees. For upgrades, stop the server and copy the data plus config directories together. Docker users map /config to a host path, which becomes the backup source instead.
Where Jellyfin stores this, by platform
C:\ProgramData\Jellyfin\Server
Service installs use this path. Portable and tray installs use %localappdata%\jellyfin instead. The data/backups subfolder holds scheduled backups.
~/Library/Application Support/Jellyfin
Portable Mac builds may also use ~/.config/jellyfin or ~/.local/share/jellyfin. Back up whichever of the three exists on your machine.
/var/lib/jellyfin
Package installs pair this with /etc/jellyfin for config, defined in /etc/default/jellyfin. Portable installs use ~/.local/share/jellyfin for both instead.
Frequently asked questions
What must I back up before upgrading Jellyfin?
Stop the server, then copy the data directory plus the config directory together. On package installs that means /var/lib/jellyfin and /etc/jellyfin. Test the restore on matching versions.
Where are Jellyfin scheduled backups?
In a backups folder inside the data directory. Copy them off the machine regularly, since they share fate with the disk they describe.
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