Where apps hide your files

Raycast's data folder and export route

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Raycast keeps its working data in hidden folders in ~/Library and ~/.config, but its supported backup is an encrypted .rayconfig export, not the folders themselves. Here are both.

Where the data lives

Raycast's manual does not list its folders, so these come from the app itself. Raycast 2.0.6, the version checked for this guide, has the bundle identifier com.raycast.macos, and its bundled code builds these locations:

~/.config/raycast/extensions/                              (installed extensions)
~/Library/Application Support/com.raycast.macos/           (data, indexes, extension storage)
~/Library/Application Support/.com.raycast.macos.backups/  (backups made during upgrades)

The paths were read from the app's code, not from a running install: Raycast had never been opened on the Mac used for this guide, so none of the folders existed yet. To see what is on your Mac, list names only with:

find ~/Library ~/.config -maxdepth 3 -iname "*raycast*" 2>/dev/null

That prints names and changes nothing.

Opening the folders

In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) and paste a path. Both ~/Library and ~/.config are hidden, so this is the easiest way in. From Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.raycast.macos
open ~/.config/raycast

If a folder is missing, Raycast has not been opened on this Mac yet, or your version uses different names. Use the find command above rather than guessing.

Extensions

Store extensions are downloaded and updated by Raycast, one folder per extension under ~/.config/raycast/extensions, named by the extension's identifier. Data an extension saves for itself goes into a matching folder under extensions in the Application Support folder, which is what Raycast's developer documentation calls the extension's support path. Treat both as internal: editing them by hand rarely helps and can break an extension. To remove one, use Raycast's own extension settings, not Finder.

Extensions you develop yourself are different. Their source stays in the project folder where you created it, and Raycast runs it from there in development mode.

Raycast 1 and Raycast 2

Raycast 2 moved some things around and migrates Raycast 1 data on first launch. The manual says that moving from v1 to v2 on a Mac needs no export file. The app's code also shows that Raycast 1 kept its main database as an encrypted file, raycast-enc.sqlite, which is one more reason not to try reading the folder yourself.

The supported way to back up: Export Settings & Data

Raycast's manual describes an Export Settings & Data command that bundles eleven categories into one .rayconfig file:

• AI chats, commands and agents
• Clipboard history
• Quicklinks
• Snippets
• Notes
• Emoji and symbol history
• MCP servers
• Extensions installed from the Store
• Settings, aliases and hotkeys
• Raycast Wrapped
• Window management layouts

The file is encrypted and needs a passphrase of at least 8 characters. Raycast asks for one the first time you export, or you can set it in Settings > Advanced > Export. The manual does not name a default folder, so check the save dialog. A .rayconfig file works on both Mac and Windows.

Export Snippets and Export Quicklinks save those two on their own as JSON files, which are not encrypted, and the matching import commands read them back.

Scheduled backups

In Settings > Advanced > Export you can choose a frequency (None, Daily, Weekly or Monthly) and an output folder. The manual lists this as a Pro feature, and scheduled exports are skipped if no valid passphrase is set. Auto-Delete Old Exports keeps only the latest one, five or ten, and Skip on Battery holds exports while the Mac runs on battery.

To get a copy off the Mac, point the output folder at a synced location such as iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive, as the manual suggests.

What the export does not cover

The export is for Raycast's own data. Files that extensions create elsewhere, such as notes saved by a script or screenshots from a capture command, go wherever that extension was told to save them. Those are ordinary files and need your normal backup. A snippet that expands to text is exported, but a file it merely points to is not.

If you rely on one extension heavily, note any folder path it asks for in its preferences before you move Macs.

Moving to a new Mac

1. On the old Mac, run Export Settings & Data and save the .rayconfig file somewhere you can reach.
2. Install and open Raycast on the new Mac.
3. Run Import Settings & Data and select the file. Enter the passphrase you set.
4. Check your hotkey and a few extensions.

Raycast documents the export, not a folder copy, as the way to move. Copying the Library folders across is unsupported, and the encrypted data inside may not open on another Mac.

Space and cleanup

Clipboard history, search indexes and extension data are what grow over time. Clear clipboard history from within Raycast. To judge the folders, measure them first:

du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.raycast.macos ~/.config/raycast

Never delete either folder without a .rayconfig export saved first. Removing extensions from inside Raycast is the safe way to shrink ~/.config/raycast.

Why search does not find it

Spotlight does not show results from ~/Library, and it skips hidden folders such as ~/.config. A .rayconfig you saved to a cloud folder is only found if you remember its name.

Finding the files again

Type com.raycast into Everywhere to list the app's folders in Application Support and ~/.config, which it covers without extra permissions, or rayconfig to find every export you have made; exports saved to iCloud Drive, Documents or Downloads appear once it has Full Disk Access. ⌘↵ reveals the one you want in Finder. Searching is by file name only, so it will not show what an export contains.

Common questions

Where does Raycast store its data on a Mac?

Raycast 2's own code puts its data in ~/Library/Application Support/com.raycast.macos and installed extensions in ~/.config/raycast/extensions. Raycast does not document these paths, so confirm them with find ~/Library ~/.config -maxdepth 3 -iname "*raycast*".

How do I export my Raycast settings?

Run Export Settings & Data from Raycast. It creates an encrypted .rayconfig file protected by a passphrase of at least 8 characters, and Import Settings & Data reads it back.

Can Raycast back up automatically?

Yes. Under Settings > Advanced > Export you can set a daily, weekly or monthly export to a folder of your choice. The manual lists scheduled exports as a Pro feature.

Can I export only my snippets?

Yes. Export Snippets and Export Quicklinks save unencrypted JSON files.