Settings > App Data Directory

The App Data Directory is where Shotcut stores:

• automatically saved project files in the autosave sub-folder
• builtin and saved generator, filter, and export presets in the presets sub-folder
• custom video modes in the profiles sub-folder
• thumbnails and waveforms in the thumbnails sub-folder
• non-project-specific proxy videos and images in the proxies sub-folder
• favorited transition wipes in the transitions sub-folder
• db.sqlite3 is a database where thumbnails and audio levels for waveforms are saved. (This database provides a more cross-platform way to order things by access/read time than a file system.)
• shotcut-log.txt which is a log file of messages from the Shotcut programming code, also viewable within the application through View > Application Log… This is overwritten on every run of Shotcut. Thus, if Shotcut is failing to start, there might be a clue in this file.
• optionally shotcut.ini if you used Settings > App Data Directory > Set… or command line option --appdata to store Shotcut’s various settings or configuration. The idea here is that the app data directory can be placed in a portable location such as USB stick or network file share. Also, some people find it easier to locate and edit than the registry on Windows, plist on macOS, or ~/.config/Meltytech/Shotcut.conf file on Linux.

Use Set… ( Settings > App Data Directory > Set… ) to change the location of the app data directory to make the Shotcut configuration and helper files portable (USB stick) or usable from multiple systems (network file share).

Use Show… ( Settings > App Data Directory > Show… ) to open the folder in your OS file manager (Explorer on Windows, Finder on macOS).