Where apps hide your files

CapCut drafts, cache and export folders

Updated 2026-10-28 · 6 min read

CapCut's desktop editor stores its drafts and cache in a folder inside Movies, not in a project file you chose. Here is the path to check, what each part holds, and how to clear the cache without touching your edits.

The location

CapCut's help does not publish its Mac folder paths. Third-party guides agree on this default layout inside your Movies folder:

~/Movies/CapCut/User Data/Projects/com.lveditor.draft
~/Movies/CapCut/User Data/Cache

com.lveditor.draft holds your drafts (CapCut's word for projects), one folder per draft. Cache holds preview and effect data. Treat these as the likely defaults, not guarantees: guides say the draft location can be changed in CapCut, and the Mac App Store build is sandboxed. This lists names only:

ls ~/Movies/CapCut/User\ Data

If that folder does not exist, look for the drafts folder wherever it is. This read-only search covers Movies and the App Store build's container:

find ~/Movies ~/Library/Containers/com.lemon.lvoverseas -maxdepth 7 -type d -name "com.lveditor.draft" 2>/dev/null

The App Store build's container is named after its bundle identifier, com.lemon.lvoverseas, not "CapCut", so searching ~/Library/Containers for the word capcut misses it. Terminal may ask for permission to read Movies or other apps' data the first time.

To open a folder in Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G), paste the path and press Return, or run open ~/Movies/CapCut. Movies is a visible folder. ~/Library is hidden; hold ⌥ while the Go menu is open to see it.

What is in each folder

Place	What it holds
Projects/com.lveditor.draft	One folder per draft: your timeline, edits and references to your media
Cache	Generated previews and effect data

A draft stores edit decisions and references to the clips you imported. Do not assume a draft folder contains your source footage, and keep your original clips somewhere you control.

Find where one project lives

Ask CapCut rather than guess. Third-party guides say the Details panel on the right side of an open project shows its path, and that CapCut's settings show the current draft folder. Panel names change between releases, so if you do not see them, open CapCut's settings and look in the Draft section.

Clear the cache from inside the app

CapCut's help centre gives the supported way for the desktop app: Settings > Draft > Clear Cache, the small bin icon next to the Cache Size readout. Its help says corrupted cache files often cause previews that do not match your edit, so this is the first fix for glitchy playback.

CapCut's help describes this as resetting the render cache, and the button sits next to a separate cache readout rather than your draft list. Use it instead of deleting folders by hand, because CapCut decides what counts as cache. If a draft matters, export it first.

Change where things are saved

Third-party guides say CapCut's settings have save locations for drafts and downloads, and exports go wherever you choose in the export dialog. The names differ between builds, so read the entries in the Draft section of Settings. If you want drafts on another drive, change the setting there rather than moving folders by hand while CapCut is open.

The default export folder is not documented by CapCut, and guides disagree (some say ~/Movies/CapCut, others Downloads). Check both, and note that the export dialog usually remembers your last choice.

Free up space

Video editors fill drives quickly. Work from the safest step up:

1. Use Settings > Draft > Clear Cache and watch the Cache Size readout.
2. See what is big. This prints sizes only:

du -sh ~/Movies/CapCut/User\ Data/* 2>/dev/null

1. Export finished videos, then delete old drafts from CapCut's own project list, not from the folder.

Never delete the Projects folder to save space: it holds your edits. Quit CapCut before touching anything in Finder, and move a folder to the Trash instead of removing it permanently, so you can put it back.

If a draft goes missing

A draft that no longer appears in CapCut's list may still be on disk. Before assuming it is gone, look for a recently modified folder inside com.lveditor.draft:

ls -lt ~/Movies/CapCut/User\ Data/Projects/com.lveditor.draft | head

That prints names and dates only. If the folder is there, quit CapCut and copy it somewhere safe so you have a spare before trying anything else. Do not edit the files inside by hand; they are CapCut's own format, and CapCut documents no way to work on them outside the app.

Backing up and moving to a new Mac

To keep a draft, copy its folder from com.lveditor.draft with CapCut quit, plus the original media it uses. A draft copied to another Mac without its clips points at files that are not there. Time Machine includes Movies unless you excluded it. CapCut's cloud features, if you use them, are a separate route that CapCut's help covers; this guide did not check how a cloud project maps to local folders.

Why a normal search misses these

Drafts sit in Movies, which Finder searches cover, but their folders are named by ID, not after your project, and cache files carry generated names. An App Store build keeps its data under ~/Library/Containers, which Spotlight and Finder searches leave out.

Finding them again

When you cannot remember which draft was which, type part of a media file's name into Everywhere, or com.lveditor.draft to jump to the drafts folder in whichever location your build uses. Movies and ~/Library/Containers are protected, so Everywhere lists them once it has Full Disk Access. It matches file and folder names only, not what is inside a draft, and ⌘↵ reveals the match in Finder.

Common questions

Where does CapCut save projects on a Mac?

Third-party guides place drafts in ~/Movies/CapCut/User Data/Projects/com.lveditor.draft by default. CapCut does not document the path, and you can change it, so confirm with ls ~/Movies/CapCut or the project's Details panel.

How do I clear the CapCut cache on a Mac?

Open Settings, go to Draft and click the bin icon next to Cache Size, as CapCut's help centre describes. Use that instead of deleting folders by hand, and quit CapCut before touching anything in Finder.

Where do CapCut exports go on a Mac?

Wherever you pick in the export dialog. CapCut does not document a default and guides disagree (Movies/CapCut or Downloads), so check both if you cannot find a finished video.

Can I change the CapCut draft location?

Guides say CapCut's settings have save locations for drafts and downloads, in the Draft area. Use that setting rather than moving folders yourself, and quit CapCut first.