Where apps hide your files

Alfred's preferences folder, explained

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Alfred keeps everything you configure, including workflows, in one bundle called Alfred.alfredpreferences. Where that bundle sits depends on whether you have set a sync folder.

Where to look

Alfred's own files live here:

~/Library/Application Support/Alfred/

Your settings and workflows are in a bundle called Alfred.alfredpreferences. If you never set a sync folder, it should be in the folder above. If you did, it sits in the folder you chose instead, for example ~/Dropbox/Alfred/Alfred.alfredpreferences, the example Alfred's sync guide uses.

The surest way to know is to ask Alfred: open Alfred Preferences, go to Advanced, and look at the syncing settings in the bottom right. The Set preferences folder... button there is the same control used to move it.

Alfred's help pages do not print the default path of the bundle itself, and Alfred was not installed on the Mac used to check this guide, so confirm it on yours with a names-only listing:

ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/Alfred

How Alfred remembers a custom location

Alfred's troubleshooting guide places a prefs.json file in ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred/ and treats it as the record of your sync folder: if you are happy to go back to the non-synced location, it says to delete that file. That makes prefs.json the one file you must keep track of. It is the pointer, not the data. If Alfred reports that synced preferences are missing, the guide's first suggestions are to wait for a cloud or network volume to connect, or to put the preferences back where they were, rather than deleting anything.

What is inside the bundle

A .alfredpreferences bundle is a folder that Finder presents as one item. Control-click it and choose Show Package Contents to browse. In recent versions you will find a workflows folder with one subfolder per workflow, named like user.workflow. followed by a long identifier (the same identifier Alfred passes to workflow scripts), plus files for themes, snippets and general settings. The layout is internal to Alfred, so treat it as read-only and manage workflows from within Alfred.

Workflows you download come as a single .alfredworkflow file. Double-clicking one adds it to your workflows.

Data that is not in the bundle

Alfred's workflow documentation names two more folders that workflows use, both keyed by the workflow's bundle ID:

~/Library/Application Support/Alfred/Workflow Data/
~/Library/Caches/com.runningwithcrayons.Alfred/Workflow Data/

The first is for data a workflow wants to keep, the second for temporary data it can regenerate. Neither travels with a synced preferences bundle, so a workflow that stores logins or downloaded data there starts fresh on a second Mac.

The supported ways to copy settings

• Sync folder: in Advanced, click Set preferences folder..., choose a location and confirm with Set folder and restart Alfred. This is the official route between Macs.
• Export a single workflow: right-click the workflow in the sidebar of the Workflows tab and choose Export... to get an .alfredworkflow file you can share or archive.
• File copy: quit Alfred, copy the bundle, and keep the copy somewhere outside the Mac. Alfred's sync guide recommends a regular local backup even when syncing, because sync conflicts can happen.

Choosing a good sync location

Alfred's sync guide says the service must have your preferences ready the moment Alfred starts, stored locally rather than as virtual cloud files. Its per-service advice:

• iCloud Drive: choose Keep Downloaded on the folder; on macOS Sonoma and earlier, turn off Optimize Mac Storage instead.
• Dropbox: right-click and choose Make available offline.
• Google Drive: choose Offline access, then Available offline.
• OneDrive: choose Always Keep on This Device.

The guide also warns against third-party sync clients that cannot sync file permissions: they can leave workflow scripts unable to run, which breaks them quietly. Use the service's official app.

Moving to a new Mac

1. On the old Mac, set a sync folder (or copy the bundle somewhere you can reach).
2. On the new Mac, wait for the sync service to finish, check that Alfred.alfredpreferences has arrived, and make it available offline.
3. In Alfred's Advanced preferences, choose Set preferences folder..., select the folder that contains the bundle, and let Alfred restart.
4. Finish the setup. Some settings, including the main hotkey, are individual to each Mac.

Alfred's guide notes that the Powerpack must be activated on both Macs; the licence is not carried by the preferences folder.

Space and cleanup

The bundle itself is normally small unless you have installed many workflows. The Workflow Data folders above are where workflows keep their own files, and the Caches copy is the one designed to be disposable. To clear clipboard history, Alfred's help says to type clear in Alfred's search box and choose how much to erase, rather than deleting files. Quit Alfred before removing anything by hand.

Why Spotlight cannot show any of this

Application Support and Caches are inside ~/Library, and Spotlight does not show results from there. A .alfredpreferences bundle in a Dropbox folder is visible as one item, but the workflow folders inside the package are not shown in ordinary search.

Searching for it later

If you cannot remember whether you synced Alfred, type alfredpreferences into Everywhere. The local folder in Application Support shows up straight away, and with Full Disk Access so do copies in cloud folders and on an external drive that is currently unplugged. It only matches file names, so check the modified date in Finder to tell which copy is newer.

Common questions

Where does Alfred store its preferences on a Mac?

In an Alfred.alfredpreferences bundle, either in ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred or in the sync folder you chose under Advanced > Set preferences folder. Alfred's Advanced pane shows which.

Where are Alfred workflows stored?

Inside the Alfred.alfredpreferences bundle, in a workflows folder with one subfolder per workflow. Data that workflows save for themselves lives separately in ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred/Workflow Data.

How do I move Alfred settings to a new Mac?

Set a sync folder on the old Mac, then on the new Mac choose the same folder with Set preferences folder in Advanced once the bundle has fully downloaded. Activate the Powerpack on the new Mac too.

What is prefs.json in Alfred's folder?

It sits in ~/Library/Application Support/Alfred and records the synced preferences location. Alfred's help says deleting it returns Alfred to its non-synced settings.