Your Lightroom catalog is the brain of your photo library. It stores all your edits, metadata, and organization—even though it doesn’t hold the actual photos. If your catalog gets corrupted or lost, years of edits can disappear. That’s why setting up proper catalog backups is essential.
What Does a Lightroom Catalog Contain?
- Information about where your photos are stored.
- Every adjustment and edit you’ve made.
- Metadata (keywords, ratings, flags, collections).
- Previews for faster browsing.
⚠️ It does not store the original image files—only references to them.
How to Back Up Lightroom Catalogs
1. Use Lightroom’s Built-In Backup
- Go to Preferences → General → Catalog Settings.
- Under “Backup,” choose how often Lightroom should prompt you (every time, daily, weekly).
- Lightroom saves a copy of your catalog file (
.lrcat).
2. Store Backups on an External Drive
Don’t keep backups on the same drive as your original catalog. If the drive fails, you’ll lose everything. Use an external HDD/SSD or NAS storage.
3. Add Cloud Backup
Sync your catalog backups to cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Adobe Creative Cloud Files for extra protection.
4. Rotate Multiple Backups
Keep at least 3–5 recent backup copies. Sometimes catalogs can become corrupted—rolling back to a previous version may save your work.
5. Don’t Forget to Back Up Your Photos Too
Remember: the catalog is separate from your image files. Always back up your photos on a separate drive or cloud storage.
Best Practices
- Set Lightroom to prompt backups weekly.
- Name and date your backup folders for clarity.
- Periodically test opening backup catalogs to ensure they work.
Final Thoughts
Backing up your Lightroom catalog is simple but often overlooked. By setting up a regular backup routine, you’ll never risk losing your edits, organization, or workflow.
✅ Want to keep your edits safe?
Download Adobe Lightroom today and take advantage of built-in catalog backup options for peace of mind.
Jelly GraphicsDesign 