CapCut saves your projects and exported videos in specific folders on your PC
When you work in CapCut on Windows, the app stores two different kinds of files in two different places: your project files (the editable work you're doing) and your exported videos (the finished MP4 or MOV files you've rendered). Knowing where each one lives matters because you might need to back them up, move them, or recover one you thought was lost.
Project files go into a CapCut folder buried in your user account's AppData directory. Exported videos go wherever you told CapCut to save them when you hit export — usually your Downloads or Videos folder, but you can change that. If you can't find a file, it's almost always because you're looking in the wrong place or you forgot where you sent the export.
Key Takeaways
- CapCut project files are stored in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\CapCut, and this folder is hidden by default on Windows.
- Exported videos go to whichever folder you selected during export, which is often Downloads but could be anywhere you chose.
- To see hidden folders in Windows, open File Explorer, click View, and turn on "Hidden items" — then you can navigate to the CapCut folder.
- If you can't remember where you exported a video, search your entire PC for the filename or use File Explorer's search bar to find recent MP4 files.
- Backing up your CapCut project folder regularly prevents losing work if your PC crashes or the app updates unexpectedly.
Finding your CapCut project files in AppData
CapCut stores all your project files — the ones you open and edit inside the app — in a hidden system folder. On Windows, this is C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\CapCut. The AppData folder is hidden by default, so Windows doesn't show it when you browse normally.
To reach it, open File Explorer and look at the top menu. Click View, then check the box next to Hidden items. Now hidden folders will appear in your file list. Navigate to your user folder (usually labeled with your Windows username), then open AppData, then Local, then CapCut. Inside you'll see folders for each project you've created, named by date or project title.
Each project folder contains the XML file that holds your edit information, plus any media files you imported directly into the project. If you want to back up your work or move a project to another PC, copy the entire project folder from this location.
Locating exported videos on your PC
When you finish editing and click Export in CapCut, the app asks you where to save the finished video. The default location is usually your Downloads folder, but you may have chosen a different spot. The video file itself — the MP4 or MOV you can play in any video player — ends up in whatever folder you selected at that moment.
If you don't remember choosing a location, check your Downloads folder first, since that's where most exports land by default. Look for files with recent dates and video file extensions like .mp4 or .mov. If it's not there, you'll need to search your PC.
Searching for CapCut files when you can't remember the location
The fastest way to find a file you can't locate is to search by filename. Open File Explorer, click the search box in the top right, and type the name of your video or project. Windows will search your entire PC and show you every match. If you don't remember the exact name, search for part of it — for example, if you know it starts with "birthday", type that.
You can also search by file type. In the search box, type *.mp4 to find all MP4 files on your PC, then sort by date modified to see your most recent exports at the top. This works well if you remember roughly when you exported the video but not where it went.
Another option: open CapCut itself, go to your Projects tab, right-click the project you're looking for, and select Show in folder if that option appears. This will open File Explorer directly to the project's location.
Understanding CapCut's folder structure
Inside the main CapCut folder at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\CapCut, you'll see several subfolders. The projects folder holds all your editable project files. There may also be folders for cache, temporary files, and settings. Don't delete anything in these folders unless you're certain you don't need it — the cache and temp folders help CapCut run smoothly.
Each individual project folder contains an info.json file (which stores project metadata like the title and creation date) and a video.json file (which contains all your edits and timeline information). These are text files that CapCut reads to reconstruct your project when you open it. The actual media files you imported — photos, video clips, audio — may be stored here too, or CapCut may be linking to them from their original location on your PC.
Backing up your CapCut projects
Since your project files live in a hidden system folder, it's straightforward to forget they're there and lose them if something goes wrong. A straightforward backup routine takes just a few minutes. Copy your entire CapCut folder from C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\CapCut to an external drive or cloud storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
Do this once a week or after finishing a big project. If your PC crashes, gets infected, or CapCut updates and breaks something, you'll have a recent copy of all your work. You can also copy individual project folders if you only want to back up specific videos.
What to do if CapCut files are still missing
If you've searched thoroughly and still can't find a file, a few things might have happened. The file may have been deleted and moved to your Recycle Bin — check there first and restore it if you find it. The export may have failed silently without showing an error message, in which case the file was never created. Or you may have exported it to an external drive or USB stick that's no longer connected.
If you're certain a project existed but can't find it in the CapCut folder, try restarting your PC and searching again. Sometimes Windows takes time to index new files. If CapCut crashed during export, the partial file might be in a temp folder; search for the filename with .tmp or .tmp.mp4 extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my CapCut folder hidden?
Windows hides the AppData folder to protect system files from accidental deletion. CapCut stores your projects there because it's the standard location for app data on Windows. You can unhide it by turning on "Hidden items" in File Explorer's View menu, and then you can access it like any other folder.
Can I move my CapCut projects to a different folder?
You can copy project folders out of AppData and store them elsewhere for backup, but CapCut expects projects to be in the AppData location to open them directly from the app. If you move a project, you'll need to manually import the media files again or copy the project back to the original location before opening it in CapCut.
What's the difference between a CapCut project file and an exported video?
A project file is the editable version — it contains all your cuts, effects, text, and timeline information, but it's not a playable video. An exported video is the finished MP4 or MOV file you can watch, share, or upload. You need the project file to edit further; you need the exported video to share your work.
Will uninstalling CapCut delete my project files?
Uninstalling CapCut usually leaves your project files in the AppData folder untouched, but it's not may provide. Always back up your projects to an external drive or cloud storage before uninstalling any app. If you do lose them, you may be able to recover them from your Recycle Bin or using file recovery software, but recovery is not always possible.
How much space do CapCut projects take up?
Project files themselves are small — usually just a few megabytes — but if you import large video files directly into a project folder, the whole project can grow to several gigabytes. Exported videos are typically larger than projects because they're fully rendered. Check your AppData folder size by right-clicking it and selecting Properties to see how much space CapCut is using.