Where apps hide your files

Finding Scrivener's backup folder

Updated 2026-10-28 · 5 min read

Scrivener quietly zips a copy of your project into a folder inside ~/Library, which Finder hides. Here is where that folder is, how to open it from Scrivener itself, and how to restore without making things worse.

The default folder

On a Mac, Scrivener sends automatic backups to this folder unless you have changed it:

~/Library/Application Support/Scrivener/Backups

Literature & Latte gives that as the location on a fresh install. The ~/Library folder is hidden in Finder, so the quickest route is Scrivener itself: open Scrivener > Settings, choose the Backup pane and click Open backup folder.... The current path is also shown near the bottom of that pane, and the Choose... button next to it changes it. Using the button rather than a typed path also covers you if the location was changed years ago.

If you prefer Finder, press ⇧⌘G (Go > Go to Folder) and paste the path above. From Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Scrivener/Backups

What a backup is

Each automatic backup is a compressed ZIP archive of the whole project. A Scrivener project is not a single file but a bundle (a folder that Finder shows as one item, ending in .scriv), so the zip contains that entire bundle, documents and all. Backup names start with the project name; if the Backup pane is set to add the date to file names, the date tells copies apart, otherwise go by the modified date in Finder.

Scrivener keeps a limited number of backups per project. The Only Keep menu in the Backup pane offers 3, 5, 10 or 25, and unchecking it keeps every backup. Once the limit is reached, the oldest backup is removed as each new one is made. That rotation is the reason for the most important rule below.

Restoring without overwriting your only copy

Literature & Latte's guidance is to copy a backup out of the automatic backup folder before opening it. Follow this order:

1. Close the project you are repairing, or quit Scrivener.
2. Open the Backups folder and copy the most recent zip to your Desktop (⌘C, then ⌘V on the Desktop), so the original stays where it is.
3. Double-click the copy to unzip it. You get a .scriv bundle.
4. Open the unzipped project in Scrivener and check whether the missing work is there. If not, try the next most recent backup.
5. When you find a good one, move the damaged project to an archive folder and move the restored project into your normal projects folder.

If you open a project directly from inside the Backups folder, Scrivener shows a Project not in a recommended save location warning, because a new automatic backup could overwrite the project while you work. Close it and work from a copy in Documents or another normal folder.

What triggers a backup

Literature & Latte's own description of the defaults: automatic backups are on, a backup is made when you close a project, and saving manually does not make one unless you tick the option for it. The Backup pane is where you change these, so look at its checkboxes before relying on a backup existing.

A backup is not a version history. It is a full snapshot from the moment it was made, so a backup taken after you deleted a chapter contains the deleted state. That is why a limit of 3 or 5 can be too tight if you only notice a loss days later. Raising it to 25, or keeping every backup, costs disk space but widens the window.

For a one-off copy somewhere specific, File > Back Up > Back Up To... writes a backup to a folder you pick.

How much space it takes

Every backup is a compressed copy of the project, so a project with many images or imported PDFs produces large zips. Measure the folder without opening anything:

du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/Scrivener/Backups
ls -lh ~/Library/Application\ Support/Scrivener/Backups

Old backups of finished projects are safe to remove once you have confirmed the live project opens and is complete. Move them to the Trash in Finder rather than using rm, and keep at least the latest backup of anything you still care about. Leave the Scrivener folder above Backups in place.

Moving the backups somewhere safer

A backup on the same disk as the project does not survive a failed disk. Use Choose... in the Backup pane to pick another location. Literature & Latte suggests keeping extra copies on an external drive or in a Dropbox or OneDrive folder. If you choose a drive, keep it connected: a drive that is unplugged when a backup runs means no backup that time.

Version and edition differences

• Menu wording: recent versions say Scrivener > Settings. Older versions, and older guides, say Preferences. It is the same pane.
• Mac App Store builds: App Store apps run in a sandbox, so on those builds the backups may sit inside a container in ~/Library/Containers rather than at the plain path above. Run ls ~/Library/Containers | grep -i scriv to check, and rely on Open backup folder..., which always goes to the right place.
• Snapshots are different: Scrivener's per-document snapshots are stored inside the project itself, not in the Backups folder.

Why Spotlight cannot find these zips

Spotlight does not show results from ~/Library, so searching for your project name in Finder shows the live project but none of its backups.

Finding backups by name next time

Backup zips start with your project's name, so typing that name into Everywhere lists every backup in Application Support at once. Give it Full Disk Access and the live project in Documents, plus copies on an external drive (even one that is not plugged in right now), join the same list. Press ⌘↵ to reveal one in Finder and copy it out before opening; Everywhere matches file names only, not the text of your manuscript.

Common questions

Where does Scrivener save automatic backups on a Mac?

By default in ~/Library/Application Support/Scrivener/Backups, as zip files. To see your own setting, open Scrivener > Settings > Backup and click Open backup folder.

How do I restore a Scrivener project from a backup?

Copy the newest backup zip out of the Backups folder, unzip the copy, and open the .scriv project from the unzipped location. Do not open it from inside the Backups folder.

How many Scrivener backups are kept?

You choose in the Backup pane: the Only Keep menu offers 3, 5, 10 or 25, and unchecking it keeps them all. The oldest is removed when the limit is reached.

When does Scrivener make a backup?

By default when you close a project. Backing up on each manual save is an option you have to turn on in the Backup pane.