# Directories used by the IDE

By default, IntelliJ IDEA stores user-specific files for each IDE instance (configuration, caches, plugins, logs, and so on) in the user's home directory. However, you can change the location for storing those files, if necessary.

Procedure: Find files and directories used by the IDE

1. Select `Help | Diagnostic Tools | Special Files and Folders` from the main menu.

2. In the dialog that opens, you will see all files and directories used by IntelliJ IDEA with their exact paths for the current installation.

3. You can select a specific item in the list and press `Alt+Enter` (Windows), `⌥ ⏎` (macOS), `⌥ ⏎` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌥ ⏎` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Alt+Enter` (XWin), `Alt+Enter` (GNOME), `Alt+Enter` (KDE), `Alt+Enter` (Emacs), `Alt+Enter` (Sublime Text), `⌥ ⏎` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Alt+Enter` (NetBeans), `Alt+Enter` (Visual Studio), `⌥ ⏎` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+1` (Eclipse), `⌘ 1` (Eclipse (macOS)) or right-click it and choose show it in the containing folder or copy its full path. For files, there is also an option to open the file in the IntelliJ IDEA editor.

Procedure: Change the location of IDE directories

You can move the default IDE directories, for example, if the user profile drive runs out of space or it is located on a slow disk, if the home directory is encrypted (slowing down the IDE) or is located on a network drive, if you want to create a portable installation or exclude caches from home directory backups, and so on.

1. Go to `Help | Edit Custom Properties`.

2. Set the property that corresponds to the necessary directory:

| Property | Path to |
| --- | --- |
| `idea.config.path` | [Configuration directory](#config-directory) |
| `idea.system.path` | [System directory](#system-directory) |
| `idea.plugins.path` | [Plugins directory](#plugins-directory) |
| `idea.log.path` | [Logs directory](#logs-directory) |

> **Warning:**
> Do not specify the same directory in different properties. This may prevent IntelliJ IDEA from starting.

When editing the `idea.properties` file, specify paths with forward slashes `/`, including Windows paths (for example, `C:/idea/system`).

You can insert any other properties as variables. For example, use `${user.home}` (standard Java system property) to specify paths relative to the user's home directory:

```PLAINTEXT
idea.config.path=${user.home}/MyIdeaConfiguration
```

3. After you restart IntelliJ IDEA, it will use the new location of the corresponding directory.

Procedure: Clean up old IDE directories

Every time you install a new major version of IntelliJ IDEA, it uses a new set of IDE directories and automatically deletes the caches and logs directories for older versions of the IDE that have not been updated in the last 180 days. The configuration and plugins directories will remain forever, unless you remove them manually.

1. Go to `Help | Delete Leftover IDE Directories…`.

2. In the Delete Leftover IDE Storage Directories dialog, select the versions of the IDE that you are not planning to use and click Delete.

## Configuration directory

The IntelliJ IDEA configuration directory contains user-defined IDE settings, such as keymaps, color schemes, custom [VM options](tuning-the-ide.html#configure-jvm-options), [platform properties](tuning-the-ide.html#configure-platform-properties), and so on.

Windows:

Syntax
: `%APPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>`

Example
: `C:\Users\JohnS\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2026.2`

macOS:

Syntax
: `~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

Linux:

Syntax
: `~/.config/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/.config/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

You can change the location of the IntelliJ IDEA configuration directory using the [idea.config.path](#idea.config.path) property.

To share your personal IDE settings, copy the files from the configuration directory to the corresponding folders on another IntelliJ IDEA installation. Make sure that IntelliJ IDEA is not running to avoid erasing the copied files when you shut down the IDE.  Depending on which settings you modified, the IntelliJ IDEA configuration directory can contain the following subfolders:

| Directory | User settings |
| --- | --- |
| `codestyles` |  Customized [code style schemes](configuring-code-style.html)   |
| `colors` |  Customized [editor color and font schemes](configuring-colors-and-fonts.html)   |
| `fileTemplates` | User-defined  [file templates](using-file-and-code-templates.html)   |
| `filetypes` |  User-defined [file types](creating-and-registering-file-types.html)   |
| `inspection` |  [Code inspection profiles](code-inspection.html)   |
| `keymaps` | Customized [keyboard shortcuts](configuring-keyboard-and-mouse-shortcuts.html) |
| `migration` | Predefined and user-defined [migration maps](migrate.html) |
| `options` | Various options, for example, feature usage statistics and macros |
| `scratches` |  [Scratch files and buffers](scratches.html)   |
| `settingsSync` |  IDE settings shared using [Backup and Sync](sharing-your-ide-settings.html#IDE_settings_sync)  |
| `templates` |  User-defined  [live templates](using-live-templates.html)   |
| `tools` |  Configuration files for [user-defined external tools](configuring-third-party-tools.html)   |

## System directory

The IntelliJ IDEA system directory contains caches and local history files.

Windows:

Syntax
: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>`

Example
: `C:\Users\JohnS\AppData\Local\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2026.2`

macOS:

Syntax
: `~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/Library/Caches/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

Linux:

Syntax
: `~/.cache/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/.cache/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

You can change the location of the IntelliJ IDEA system directory using the [idea.system.path](#idea.system.path) property.

For more information about removing cache files, refer to [Invalidate caches](invalidate-caches.html).

## Plugins directory

The IntelliJ IDEA plugins directory contains user-installed plugins.

Windows:

Syntax
: `%APPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>\plugins`

Example
: `C:\Users\JohnS\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2026.2\plugins`

macOS:

Syntax
: `~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/<product><version>/plugins`

Example
: `~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2/plugins`

Linux:

Syntax
: `~/.local/share/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/.local/share/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

You can change the location of the IntelliJ IDEA plugins directory using the [idea.plugins.path](#idea.plugins.path) property.

> **Note:**
> If you installed IntelliJ IDEA through the [Toolbox
> App](https://www.jetbrains.com.cn/en-us/toolbox/app/), the plugins directory will be located in the [standard IDE directory](#plugins-directory) for user-installed plugins.

## Logs directory

The IntelliJ IDEA logs directory contains product logs and thread dumps.

Windows:

Syntax
: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>\log`

Example
: `C:\Users\JohnS\AppData\Local\JetBrains\IntelliJIdea2026.2\log`

macOS:

Syntax
: `~/Library/Logs/JetBrains/<product><version>`

Example
: `~/Library/Logs/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2`

Linux:

Syntax
: `~/.cache/JetBrains/<product><version>/log`

Example
: `~/.cache/JetBrains/IntelliJIdea2026.2/log`

You can change the location of the IntelliJ IDEA logs directory using the [idea.log.path](#idea.log.path) property.

> **Tip:**
> You can open the location of the logs directory using the corresponding Help menu action: Show Log in Explorer on Windows or Show Log in Finder on macOS.