Where Does SketchUp Store Preferences and Plugins?
Where SketchUp keeps PrivatePreferences.json, SharedPreferences.json and Plugins per version on Windows and Mac.
Last updated
SketchUp stores preferences as versioned JSON since 2018: PrivatePreferences.json in LocalAppData and SharedPreferences.json plus Plugins in Roaming AppData, each under SketchUp\SketchUp 20XX. Extension settings written through the API land in the same JSON files.
Never edit them while SketchUp runs: the app overwrites external changes on exit. The Mac layout collapses both files into ~/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 20XX/SketchUp. Version numbers in the paths mean every major release starts with a clean, separate slate.
Where SketchUp stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\SketchUp\SketchUp 20XX\SketchUp\PrivatePreferences.json
Replace 20XX with your major version. Plugins live in %APPDATA%\SketchUp\SketchUp 20XX\SketchUp\Plugins. Quit SketchUp before touching either JSON: edits made while running get overwritten.
~/Library/Application Support/SketchUp 20XX/SketchUp/SharedPreferences.json
Both JSON files plus Plugins sit under the versioned Application Support folder. Reach it in Finder with Go > Go to Folder.
Frequently asked questions
SketchUp crashes on start. How do I reset preferences?
Quit SketchUp, delete PrivatePreferences.json, and relaunch: it regenerates factory defaults while extensions reinstall separately. Extension settings written into the same file reset too, so export extension configs first where the extension offers it.
How do I migrate extensions to a new PC?
Copy the Plugins folder plus both preferences JSONs to the same versioned paths on the new machine before first launch. Major versions keep separate folders, so 2024 extensions do not migrate into 2025 automatically: reinstall through Extension Manager per version.
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