Where Is My Lightroom Catalog (.lrcat) File?
Where Lightroom Classic keeps Lightroom Catalog.lrcat and its previews, plus how to confirm the path from inside the app in seconds.
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The catalog is a database, not a folder of photos. It records where every image lives, plus every edit, keyword and rating you have ever applied, and it ships as a single file with the .lrcat extension. On a fresh install Lightroom Classic drops it in the Pictures folder with the previews beside it.
Finding the one your copy is actually using takes a few seconds from inside the app, and it is worth doing before you move or back up anything. Lightroom, the cloud app that used to be called Lightroom CC, works nothing like this, which is why searches for the catalog turn up contradictory answers.
Where Adobe Lightroom Classic stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Lightroom\Lightroom Catalog.lrcat
Beside it sit Lightroom Catalog.lrcat-data, Previews.lrdata, Smart Previews.lrdata and a Backups folder. Windows folder backup often redirects Pictures into OneDrive, which puts a live database inside a syncing folder and has corrupted plenty of catalogs; move the catalog out and relaunch while holding Alt. Edit > Catalog Settings > General shows the current location.
~/Pictures/Lightroom/Lightroom Catalog.lrcat
Same companion files as Windows: Lightroom Catalog.lrcat-data, Previews.lrdata, Smart Previews.lrdata and the Backups folder. Open Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings > General to see the path and click Show to reveal it in Finder, or hold Option at launch for the Select Catalog dialog. Keep the folder out of anything iCloud syncs, since the catalog is open and changing while you work.
Frequently asked questions
where is my lightroom catalog file
Check Edit > Catalog Settings on Windows or Lightroom Classic > Catalog Settings on macOS. The General tab lists the file name and its folder, and the Show button opens that folder for you. On an untouched install the path is Pictures\Lightroom\Lightroom Catalog.lrcat on both platforms.
how do i see which catalog lightroom is using
Hold Alt on Windows or Option on macOS the moment you launch Lightroom Classic. The Select Catalog dialog lists recent catalogs with their full paths and lets you pick another one or create a new catalog. Uncheck Always load this catalog at startup if you want that prompt every time.
does lightroom cc use a lrcat file
No. The cloud Lightroom keeps originals, edits and albums in Adobe's cloud and only caches locally, in a Lightroom Library.lrlibrary package on macOS. The .lrcat file belongs to Lightroom Classic, so hunting for .lrcat will never find the cloud app's data.
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