✦ After Effects Installation Paths

If using another version of After Effects, change "2026" to your version.

Table of Contents

⭐ Windows

Presets

User Presets: \Documents\Adobe\After Effects 2026\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 2026\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 2026\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 2026\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels

Non-dockable scripts: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects 2026\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 2026/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 2026/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 2026/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 2026/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels

Nnon-dockable scripts: /Applications/Adobe After Effects 2026/Scripts

Most scripts are dockable, it's unlikely that you'll install an undockable script unless you're a developer.

Extension: .jsx or .jsxbin