Video

Clear Adobe After Effects Cache on Mac

You can clear the Adobe After Effects disk cache from inside the app, which frees space and often fixes slow previews without touching your projects. The cache rebuilds automatically the next time you preview footage.

Last updated: November 1, 20262 min read

Clear the Adobe After Effects cache without guessing

Adobe After Effects data usually takes 5 GB – 200 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

Scan your Mac free

Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: Adobe After Effects
Typical data size: 5 GB – 200 GB
Category: Video
File Location: ~/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects

Clear it from inside Adobe After Effects first

The safest way is the option built into the app: After Effects > Settings > Media & Disk Cache > Empty Disk Cache (does not touch projects, footage or the conformed media cache unless cleaned separately)

Adobe After Effects cache folders you can clear

These folders are rebuilt automatically, so removing them does not touch your own files.

~/Library/Caches/Adobe/After Effects Cache · disk cache of rendered frames Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations are the standard macOS folders Adobe After Effects uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What the Adobe After Effects cache holds

Specific to Adobe After Effects

The disk cache of rendered frames is kept in the Caches area of your Library, and it is rebuilt automatically when needed. Preferences, workspaces and shortcuts are stored separately for each version, and clearing the cache leaves them alone. The conformed media cache sits in the shared Adobe Common folder and is not part of the disk cache. Clearing helps when previews feel slow to rebuild or the disk cache has reached its size limit, and the app's data typically takes up 5 GB – 200 GB.

What changes after you clear the Adobe After Effects cache

Projects, footage and auto-saves stay where they are, because they sit in folders you chose and are not part of the cache. The conformed media cache is left alone unless you clean it separately. The first previews after clearing will be slower while the disk cache rebuilds. Your Creative Cloud sign-in is kept separately, so you should not need to sign in again.

Save your project in After Effects before you start.Open Settings in After Effects and choose Media & Disk Cache.Click Empty Disk Cache, then quit After Effects.Reopen your project and let previews rebuild gradually.

0 of 4 done

Account and sync: After Effects runs on an Adobe ID subscription through Creative Cloud.

Try it without risk

Download and scan for freeSee every Adobe After Effects file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.

Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower.

Will previews be slower after I clear the cache?

Yes, for a while. The disk cache rebuilds as you preview, so the first renders take longer than usual.

Should I also clear the conformed media cache?

Only if you need more space and no longer need it. It is shared with other Adobe apps, so clean it separately and only when you are sure.