✦ After Effects Installation Paths
If using another version of After Effects, change "2025" to your version.
Table of Contents
⭐ Windows
Presets
User Presets: \Documents\Adobe\After Effects 2025\User Presets
All user presets (presets which you made yourself or downloaded online) should be saved to and imported here.
Default Presets: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\Presets
This location is reserved for default presets. Adding or removing items in this location is not recommended.
Extention: .ffx
Plugins
Local: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\Plug-ins
Plug-ins installed here are unique to that specific version of After Effects (ex: 2025) and are usually manually installed here by the user.
Some plugins may also be installed to the sub-folder
\Effects
Common: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\7.0\MediaCore
Plug-ins installed here are often (not always) compatible with both After Effects and Premiere Pro, visible in all versions, and are typically installed via an installer.
Extension: .aex
Extensions
System: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions or C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions
User: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CEP\extensions (if you don't have administrator).
Extension: Folder, typically consist of many sub-folders such as CSXS, META-INF, etc.
Scripts
Dockable scripts: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels
Non-dockable scripts: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2025\Support Files\Scripts
Most scripts are dockable, it's unlikely that you'll install an undockable script unless you're a developer.
Extension: .jsx or .jsxbin
⭐ MacOS
Presets
User Presets: ~/Documents/Adobe/After Effects 2025/User Presets
All user presets (presets which you made yourself or downloaded online) should be saved to and imported here.
Default Presets: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Presets
This location is reserved for default presets. Adding or removing items in this location is not recommended.
Extension: .ffx
Plugins
Local: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Plug-ins/
Plug-ins installed here are unique to that specific version of After Effects (ex: 2025) and are usually manually installed here by the user.
Some plugins may also be installed to the sub-folder
/Effects
Common: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/7.0/MediaCore
Plug-ins installed here are often (not always) compatible with both After Effects and Premiere Pro, visible in all versions, and are typically installed via an installer.
Extension: .plugin
Extensions
System: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions
User: /Users/<user>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions
Extension: Folder, typically consist of many sub-folders such as CSXS, META-INF, etc.
Scripts
Dockable scripts: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels
Nnon-dockable scripts: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Scripts
Most scripts are dockable, it's unlikely that you'll install an undockable script unless you're a developer.
Extension: .jsx or .jsxbin