# Claude Cowork local storage paths (researched 2026-08-06)

From Anthropic support docs + claude-code GitHub issues (#54138, #44933, #47179, #29373).

## Paths

| What | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Session outputs (ephemeral, can be cleaned between sessions) | `%APPDATA%\Claude\local-agent-mode-sessions\...\outputs` | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/local-agent-mode-sessions/...` |
| Cowork workspace default base | `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Claude\` | `~/Documents/Claude/` |
| Live Artifacts mount | `%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Claude\Artifacts\` | `~/Documents/Claude/Artifacts/` |
| Scheduled tasks | `...\Documents\Claude\Scheduled\` | `~/Documents/Claude/Scheduled/` |
| Config | `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |

Note: the `Scheduled` dir under the workspace base is what blocks mounting any parent folder that contains it (hard system-level block, all-or-nothing mounts, no read-only mode).

## Key facts

- **Project metadata (name, instructions, memory, chat) is NOT on disk as readable files** — internal to Claude Desktop (SQLite/Electron storage, undocumented). Only attached folders and their file contents are externally visible.
- **No default-workspace setting exists** — users must re-pick the folder per session; highly-requested feature, repeatedly closed as stale/not-planned (#44933, #27514, #34604, #70032).
- **No cloud sync** — projects are desktop-only. Archiving removes from UI, leaves local files.
- **Folder attachments can be lost on full app quit** (observed 2026-08-06; consistent with the stale-session-cache issue #51513).
- Renaming an attached folder outside the app does not update file access (#40300) — re-attach after any move.
- OneDrive-redirected Documents breaks Cowork mounts (virtiofs errors on macOS; silent wrong-path writes on Windows) — the whole class of bugs Anthropic consolidated under the configurable-workspace proposal in #54138.