# Where Claude, Cursor and ChatGPT save files on your Mac

> Where each AI tool puts the files it creates on macOS, what /tmp and ~ mean, and five fast ways to open a file when all you have is a path.

Source: https://oneclearreader.com/guides/where-ai-saves-files-mac · Updated 28 September 2026 · One Clear Reader (Northlight Group Pty Ltd)

> [!answer] Where an AI tool saves files on your Mac depends on where the AI runs. Browser chats like Claude.ai and ChatGPT only reach your Mac when you download a file, usually to **~/Downloads**, while tools that run on your Mac (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) save into the **folder you started them in**, or sometimes **/tmp**. To open any path fast, press **⇧⌘G** in Finder and paste it.

## Why can't I find the file the AI made?

You often can't find a file an AI made because AI tools save files in different places, and the AI rarely says which kind of place it used.

You ask for a plan, the AI writes it, and then it tells you something like *Saved to ~/Documents/project/plan.md*. Sometimes you click it and nothing happens. Sometimes you go looking and the folder is empty. Sometimes the path starts with `/tmp/` or `/mnt/data/` and you have no idea what that means.

It isn't you. AI tools save files in very different places depending on one thing most people are never told: **where the AI is actually running.**

There are three situations, and almost every tool you use falls into one of them:

1. **The AI runs on a company's servers and talks to you through a browser or app.** Claude.ai, ChatGPT and Gemini in the browser work this way. Any file the AI "creates" lives on their computers first. It only reaches your Mac when you download it.
2. **The AI runs on your Mac, inside a folder.** Claude Code, OpenAI's Codex CLI, Cursor and other AI code editors work this way. They read and write real files on your disk, usually inside the folder you opened.
3. **The AI works only in folders you connected.** Claude Cowork runs on Anthropic's servers and keeps finished files in the task, but it can read and write folders you connected in the Claude desktop app while the app is open. It "can only read and write files in folders you've connected" ([Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork)). The desktop app with a file system connector works the same way.

Once you know which situation you're in, finding the file gets much easier.

## Where does each AI tool save files on a Mac?

Each AI tool saves files in a predictable place on a Mac, and this table maps where. Use it as a first guess, then check the section for your tool.

| Tool | Where the file usually ends up | How to get to it |
|---|---|---|
| Claude.ai in a browser | Nowhere on your Mac until you click download, then `~/Downloads` | Finder › Downloads, or ⌥⌘L |
| Claude desktop app (chat) | Same as the browser: download first | Downloads folder |
| Claude Cowork | In the task until you download it, or inside a folder you connected | Open the task, or the folder you connected |
| Claude desktop with a file system connector | Inside a folder you connected | The folder you connected |
| Claude Code (terminal) | The folder you ran `claude` in, or a path you named | `open .` in that terminal |
| Claude Code plans (plan mode) | `~/.claude/plans`, a hidden folder in your home folder | ⇧⌘G, then paste `~/.claude/plans` |
| ChatGPT in a browser or the Mac app | On OpenAI's servers until you download, then `~/Downloads` | Downloads folder |
| Codex CLI | The folder you started it in | `open .` in that terminal |
| Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code with Copilot | Inside the project folder open in the editor | Right-click the file › Reveal in Finder |
| Cursor plans (Plan Mode) | Your home folder, until you choose Save to workspace | Save to workspace, then find it in the project |
| Any agent writing to `/tmp` | `/private/tmp` on your Mac, which can be cleared | ⇧⌘G, then type `/tmp` |

> [!scribble] rule of thumb: browser AI means Downloads. terminal AI means "wherever you were standing".

## Where do Claude.ai, Cowork and Claude Code save files?

Claude saves files in different places depending on which Claude you use: Downloads for chat, the task or a connected folder for Cowork, and your working folder for Claude Code.

### Claude.ai and the Claude desktop app

When you chat with Claude in a browser or in the desktop app, Claude can create documents, spreadsheets, code files and Markdown for you. Those files are generated on Anthropic's side and shown in the conversation. They are not on your Mac yet.

To get one, use the download button on the file or artifact, or save it straight to Google Drive ([Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12111783-create-and-edit-files-with-claude)). A download is saved the way your browser or the app saves anything else, which on most Macs means **~/Downloads**. If you've changed your browser's download location, it goes there instead.

Two things trip people up here:

- **Claude may describe a path that doesn't exist on your Mac.** If Claude says it wrote `/mnt/user-data/outputs/report.md`, that path is inside Claude's own workspace, not your computer. Download the file from the conversation instead of looking for that folder.
- **Downloading twice creates copies.** macOS adds a number, so you end up with `plan.md`, `plan (1).md` and `plan (2).md`. Sort Downloads by *Date Added* to find the newest.

### Claude Cowork and Claude with file system access

Cowork runs on Anthropic's servers and delivers finished files to the task, where you can preview and download them ([Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork)). If you connected a folder in the Claude desktop app, or connected the app to your files through a connector or extension, Claude can also read and write real files, but only inside the folders you allowed. When it says it saved something there, the path it gives you should start with one of those folders. Anthropic's own advice when a file seems missing is to check the output location Claude named when it finished the task ([Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork)).

If you're not sure which folders you allowed, check the settings in the Claude app. Anything outside them is off limits, so a path elsewhere means the file wasn't written where Claude said. For more on Claude in particular, see [where Claude saves files on a Mac](/guides/where-claude-saves-files-mac).

### Claude Code

Claude Code runs in your terminal. It works inside the folder you were in when you typed `claude`. Ask it to write `notes.md` and it creates `notes.md` right there. Ask it for `docs/notes.md` and it creates a `docs` folder inside your project if needed.

To see the folder in Finder, type this in the same terminal window:

```bash
open .
```

The dot means "this folder". Finder opens it straight away.

If you've lost track of which folder you started in, type `pwd` (print working directory). The line it prints is the full path of where Claude Code is working.

**Plans are the exception.** In plan mode, Claude Code writes its plan to `~/.claude/plans`, one shared folder for every project, not your project folder. The `.` at the start of `.claude` makes the folder hidden in Finder, and plans older than 30 days are cleaned up automatically unless you change the `cleanupPeriodDays` setting ([Claude Code docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-directory)). You can point plans somewhere else with the `plansDirectory` setting ([settings reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/settings-reference)). To read one properly before you say yes, see [how to review a Claude Code plan](/guides/review-claude-code-plan).

## Where do ChatGPT and Codex save files?

ChatGPT keeps the files it makes on OpenAI's servers until you download them, while Codex CLI saves into the folder you started it in.

### ChatGPT in the browser or the Mac app

ChatGPT works like Claude.ai. When it makes a file for you, it runs code on OpenAI's servers and gives you a download link. Paths you might see in the conversation, like `/mnt/data/summary.md`, are on those servers. They don't exist on your Mac.

Click the link to download. The file lands in **~/Downloads** unless you've changed the default.

> [!note] If a download link stops working, the file on the server may have expired. Ask ChatGPT to create it again in the same conversation, then download it straight away.

### Codex CLI

OpenAI's Codex CLI runs in your terminal, like Claude Code. It reads and changes files "in the selected directory", which is the folder you started it from ([OpenAI docs](https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli)). The same two commands help: `pwd` shows where it's working and `open .` opens that folder in Finder.

## Where do Cursor and other AI code editors save files?

Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code with GitHub Copilot save the files they create inside the **workspace**, which is just the folder you opened in the editor. When the AI creates a file, it appears in the file list on the left side of the window, inside that folder.

To find it in Finder, right-click the file in the editor's sidebar and choose **Reveal in Finder**. To copy its full path for another app, right-click and choose **Copy Path**.

If you have several windows open, each one is a different workspace. A file created in one window won't appear in another.

Cursor's **Plan Mode** is the exception. Plans are saved in your home folder by default, not your project. Click **Save to workspace** on a plan to move it into the project where you can find it again ([Cursor docs](https://cursor.com/docs/agent/plan-mode)).

## Why do AI files in /tmp disappear on a Mac?

AI files in /tmp can disappear because /tmp is the Mac's temporary folder, and macOS clears it. Sometimes an AI tool writes to a path starting with `/tmp/`, like `/tmp/claude_output_7f3a/plan.md`. This is the **temporary folder**, a place programs use for files they don't need to keep.

On a Mac, `/tmp` is a shortcut to `/private/tmp`. Two things are worth knowing:

1. **macOS can clear it.** Files in `/tmp` are routinely deleted when your Mac restarts, and old files can be cleaned up even without a restart. A plan saved there on Monday may be gone on Wednesday.
2. **Finder hides it.** You won't see `/tmp` in the Finder sidebar. You have to go there on purpose.

To open it, press **⇧⌘G** in Finder, type `/tmp`, and press Return.

There's a second temporary location you may see: a long path starting with `/var/folders/`. This is your personal temporary folder. It's even more hidden, and it gets cleaned up too.

**If anything important lands in a temporary folder, move it somewhere permanent now.** Drag it to Documents, or ask the AI to save a copy in your project folder.

> [!scribble] /tmp is a desk, not a filing cabinet. don't leave anything you love on it.

## How do I read a file path on a Mac?

A file path on a Mac is just directions to a file, written from the outside in. Once you can read one, you can tell at a glance whether a file is likely to be on your Mac and roughly where.

```pair
caption: The same path, read piece by piece.
- `~` is your home folder, the one with your name
- `/Documents` is the Documents folder inside it
- `/projects/app` are two more folders inside that
- `/plan.md` is the file itself
```

This table explains the pieces of a file path you'll see most.

| You see | It means |
|---|---|
| `~` | Your home folder, for example `/Users/maya`. `~/Documents` is the same as `/Users/maya/Documents`. |
| `/` at the start | Start from the very top of the disk. |
| `./` or no slash at the start | Start from the current folder. `docs/plan.md` only makes sense if you know which folder the tool was in. |
| `../` | Go up one folder. |
| `\ ` (backslash then space) | A space in a name. `My\ Files` is the folder `My Files`. |
| Quotes around a path | Also used to handle spaces: `"~/My Files/plan.md"`. |
| `/mnt/...`, `/home/...`, `/workspace/...` | Almost always a path on the AI's own computer, not your Mac. |
| `/tmp/...`, `/var/folders/...` | A temporary folder on your Mac. Move anything you want to keep. |

**Relative paths are the ones that cause confusion.** If Claude Code says it saved `output/report.md`, that's relative to where Claude Code was running. The full path might be `~/Projects/site/output/report.md`. Run `pwd` in that terminal to find the missing first half.

## What are the fastest ways to open a file path on a Mac?

The fastest way to open a file path on a Mac is Finder's Go to Folder (⇧⌘G). Here are five ways, fastest first.

### 1. Go to Folder in Finder

1. Click anywhere in Finder, or on the desktop.
2. Press **⇧⌘G** (Shift, Command, G).
3. Paste the path and press **Return**.

Finder jumps to the folder with the file selected. This works with `~`, with `/tmp`, and with hidden folders. If you paste the full path to a file, recent versions of macOS open its folder and highlight it.

### 2. The Terminal `open` command

If you're already in Terminal, this is quickest:

```bash
open ~/Documents/projects/app/plan.md
```

That opens the file in its default app. To show it in Finder instead of opening it, add `-R` for *reveal*:

```bash
open -R ~/Documents/projects/app/plan.md
```

If the path has spaces, wrap it in quotes.

### 3. Spotlight

Press **⌘Space**, type the file name, and press Return. Spotlight is great for files in Documents, Desktop and Downloads. It usually won't find files in `/tmp` or other hidden folders, because those aren't indexed.

### 4. Search from Terminal with mdfind

`mdfind` is Spotlight's search, run from the terminal. It's useful when you only remember part of a name:

```bash
mdfind -name roadmap
```

It prints every indexed file with "roadmap" in the name, with full paths. Copy the one you want and open it with `open`.

### 5. Paste it into a reader that understands paths

Everything above gets you *to* the file. You still have to open it, and a .md file usually opens as raw text in TextEdit or a code editor.

A Markdown reader that accepts paths skips both steps. In One Clear Reader, press ⌘L, paste the path and press Return, and the file opens as a formatted page. It works with `~`, `/tmp` and hidden folders like `~/.claude`.

You don't have to tidy the path first. It copes with the messy versions AI tools hand you: quotes or backticks around it, a `file://` at the start, a Markdown link, a line number like `:142` or `#L142` on the end, or a path sitting in the middle of a sentence you copied whole. If the path is already on your clipboard, press ⌥⌘V in the app, or choose **Open from clipboard** from its menu bar icon, even when the app's window is closed.

You can also type part of the name, like `roadmap`, and pick it from the matches. That search uses Spotlight across your home folder and iCloud Drive, so like Spotlight it won't find files by name in `/tmp` or `~/.claude`. For those, paste the full path, or look at **Latest from your AI** on the welcome screen. It lists documents changed in the last 24 hours, newest first, and it also checks the temporary folders and `~/.claude/plans`, the places normal search skips.

## What if the file isn't where the AI said?

If a file isn't where the AI said, the path usually points to the AI's own computer, a different folder, or a temporary folder that was cleared. This table lists each symptom with its likely cause and fix. Work through it in order.

| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The path starts with `/mnt/`, `/home/` or `/workspace/` | The file is on the AI's computer, not yours | Download it from the conversation |
| The folder exists but the file doesn't | The tool was running in a different folder | Run `pwd` in the tool's terminal, or search with `mdfind -name` |
| You're looking for a plan in your project, but it isn't there | Claude Code and Cursor save plans outside the project by default | Look in `~/.claude/plans`, or use Cursor's Save to workspace |
| The path starts with `/tmp/` and it's gone | macOS cleared the temporary folder | Ask the AI to write it again, to a permanent folder |
| Downloads has `plan (3).md` | You downloaded it more than once | Sort by Date Added and open the newest |
| The AI insists it saved the file, but it never appears anywhere | The AI described saving it without actually doing it | Ask it to list the folder's contents or show the file, then save again |
| "The file couldn't be opened" | Wrong app, or the file is still being written | Wait a moment, then open it in a Markdown reader |

The second-to-last row matters more than people think. AI tools can confidently describe an action they didn't take, especially in long conversations. If a file never appears, don't keep searching. Ask the tool to prove it exists.

## Where do Gemini, Copilot and other AI tools save files?

Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity and other AI tools follow the same three situations from the start of this guide. This table shows where each one runs and where its files end up.

| Tool | Where it runs | Where files end up |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini in a browser | On Google's servers | ~/Downloads after you download, or the cloud storage you chose to export to |
| Microsoft Copilot in a browser | On Microsoft's servers | ~/Downloads after you download, or the cloud storage you chose to save to |
| Perplexity | On Perplexity's servers | ~/Downloads after you download |
| GitHub Copilot in VS Code | On your Mac, in the editor | Inside the workspace folder |
| Windsurf, Zed and other AI editors | On your Mac, in the editor | Inside the open project folder |
| AI agents and automations you run locally | On your Mac | Their working folder, often a project folder or /tmp |

If a tool is new to you, ask one question: *does it run in a browser tab, or on my Mac?* A browser tab means the file isn't yours until you download it. An app or terminal on your Mac means it's already on your disk, somewhere near where the tool was working.

## How do I see hidden folders like ~/.claude on a Mac?

To see hidden folders like `~/.claude` on a Mac, press ⇧⌘. in Finder, or go straight to the path with ⇧⌘G. Some paths go through folders that Finder hides by default. Any folder whose name starts with a dot, like `.config` or `.claude`, is hidden. So is most of the system, including `/tmp` and `/var`.

To show hidden files in any Finder window, press **⇧⌘.** (Shift, Command, period). Hidden items appear slightly faded. Press the same keys again to hide them.

You rarely need to browse hidden folders. Going straight to a path with ⇧⌘G is usually faster, and it works even when the folders on the way are hidden.

> [!note] Be careful in hidden folders. They mostly hold settings for apps and the system. Opening a file to read it is fine. Deleting or moving things there can break the app that owns them.

## How do I copy a file path on a Mac without mistakes?

To copy a file path on a Mac without mistakes, use the copy button in the AI chat or Copy as Pathname in Finder. Many "file not found" moments come from a path that was copied slightly wrong: a missing character, an extra space, a line break in the middle. A few habits help.

**From an AI chat**, use the copy button on the code block if the path is inside one. Selecting by hand often grabs a trailing space or period. If the path is in a sentence, check the last character before you paste.

**From Finder**, select the file, then right-click and hold **Option**. The menu changes to show **Copy as Pathname**. You can also press **⌥⌘C**. This copies the full path, starting with `/Users/`.

**Into Terminal**, you don't need to type a path at all. Type `open ` with a space, then drag the file from Finder into the Terminal window. Terminal fills in the path, with spaces handled for you.

**In the other direction**, if an AI gives you a path with `~`, most Mac tools understand it: Finder's Go to Folder, Terminal and One Clear Reader all expand `~` to your home folder. A few apps don't, so if a path with `~` fails, replace it with `/Users/yourname`.

## How should I name AI files so I can find them later?

Name AI files with the subject first, a date when versions matter, and hyphens instead of spaces. AI tools love generic names: `output.md`, `plan.md`, `notes.md`. By next week you'll have six of each. A naming habit makes search work for you.

- **Lead with the subject.** `launch-plan.md` is easier to spot in a list than `plan-for-launch-v2.md`, because the word you're looking for comes first.
- **Add a date when versions matter.** `2026-09-24-launch-plan.md` sorts itself in date order in any folder.
- **Use hyphens, not spaces.** Paths with spaces need quotes or backslashes in Terminal. Hyphens never do.
- **Tell the AI the name you want.** *Save this as launch-plan.md in docs/* gets you a predictable file every time.

With names like these, typing `launch` into any search box finds the right file quickly.

## How do I make every AI tool save to one folder?

To make every AI tool save to one folder, create the folder once and tell each tool to use it. The simplest fix is to stop letting each tool choose.

1. Create a folder, for example `~/Documents/AI`.
2. Make a folder inside it per project or per tool if you like: `AI/Claude`, `AI/ChatGPT`.
3. Tell each tool where to save.

How you tell them depends on the tool:

- **Claude Code:** add a line to the project's `CLAUDE.md` file, such as *Save all documents to docs/*. Claude Code loads it at the start of every session ([Claude Code docs](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-directory)). For plans, set `plansDirectory` as described above.
- **Cursor:** add the same instruction to your project rules.
- **Claude.ai and ChatGPT:** these can't choose where downloads go on your Mac, but you can set your browser's download folder to `~/Documents/AI`. In Safari, that's **Settings › General › File download location**.

Now "where did it save that?" has one answer.

> [!scribble] one folder. every tool. no more treasure hunts.

## How do I open AI files without going looking?

To open AI files without going looking, use a Markdown reader that takes a pasted path or lists your newest files. Once your AI files live in predictable places, the last bit of friction is opening them. Double-clicking a .md file usually shows you raw symbols, so you end up reading `##` and `**` instead of headings and bold text. ([What a .md file is](/guides/what-is-a-md-file) explains why.)

One Clear Reader was built for exactly this moment. Paste the path your AI gave you, messy or not, type a few letters of the name, or pick the file from Latest from your AI, and it opens as a clean page with headings, tables and lists formatted. If the AI edits the file again, the page updates on its own. Everything stays on your Mac. To make every .md file open this way when you double-click it, see [how to open a .md file on a Mac](/guides/open-md-file-mac).

## Questions

### Where does Claude save files on a Mac?

Claude.ai and the Claude desktop chat don't save to your Mac until you download a file, which usually goes to ~/Downloads. Claude Code saves into the folder you ran it in, except plans, which go to ~/.claude/plans. Cowork keeps finished files in the task, or saves into a folder you connected in the desktop app.

### Where does Claude Code save plans?

Claude Code saves plans in ~/.claude/plans, a hidden folder in your home folder, unless you set a different plansDirectory. To open it, press Shift, Command and G in Finder and paste ~/.claude/plans. Plans older than 30 days are cleaned up by default.

### Why can't I find the /tmp folder in Finder?

The /tmp folder is hidden in Finder. To open it, press Shift, Command and G in Finder, type /tmp, and press Return. On a Mac, /tmp points to /private/tmp, and files there can be deleted when your Mac restarts.

### What does ~ mean in a file path?

The ~ in a file path is short for your home folder. On a Mac, ~/Documents means /Users/yourname/Documents.

### ChatGPT gave me a path starting with /mnt/data. Where is that?

A /mnt/data path from ChatGPT is on OpenAI's servers, not your Mac. Use the download link in the conversation to save the file to your Mac.

### How do I copy the full path of a file on a Mac?

Select the file in Finder, hold Option, and choose Copy as Pathname from the right-click menu. You can also press Option, Command and C.