Where presets go and how to put them there

Lightroom presets are settings files that change how your photos look with one click. To use them, you download a preset file (usually a .xmp or .lrtemplate file) and move it into Lightroom's preset folder. The exact folder location depends on whether you use Lightroom Classic or the newer Lightroom (sometimes called Lightroom CC), and whether you're on Windows or Mac.

The fastest way is to import presets directly inside Lightroom itself — the program finds the file and puts it in the right place automatically. If that doesn't work, or if you're moving presets between computers, you can manually drop them into the preset folder. Both methods take less than five minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • Lightroom Classic and Lightroom (the cloud version) store presets in different folders, so you need to know which version you have before you start.
  • The easiest method is to open Lightroom, go to File > Import Profiles and Presets, and select your preset file — Lightroom handles the rest.
  • If you're manually placing presets, the folder location is different on Windows and Mac, and you may need to restart Lightroom after adding files.
  • Presets you download from the internet should come in a .xmp or .lrtemplate file; if they're in a .zip, unzip them first before importing.

Import presets directly inside Lightroom (the easiest way)

Open Lightroom and go to the File menu at the top. Click File, then look for Import Profiles and Presets (in Lightroom Classic) or Import Settings (in newer Lightroom). A window will open asking you to find a file on your computer.

Navigate to wherever you downloaded your preset file and select it. The file will usually end in .xmp or .lrtemplate. Click Open or Import, and Lightroom will automatically move the preset into the correct folder and make it available in your Develop module. You don't need to restart Lightroom — the preset shows up immediately in the Presets panel on the right side of the screen.

If your preset came in a .zip file, unzip it first before importing. Most operating systems let you right-click a .zip file and choose Extract or Unzip. Once you have the actual .xmp or .lrtemplate file, follow the import steps above.

Manually place presets in the preset folder (if import doesn't work)

If the import method doesn't work, or if you're moving presets from another computer, you can put them directly into Lightroom's preset folder. First, find out where that folder is on your computer — the location is different for Lightroom Classic and newer Lightroom, and different again on Windows and Mac.

On Windows with Lightroom Classic: Open File Explorer and paste this path into the address bar: %APPDATA%\Adobe\Lightroom\Develop Presets. On Windows with newer Lightroom: %APPDATA%\Adobe\Lightroom\Settings\Develop Presets.

On Mac with Lightroom Classic: Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G to open Go to Folder, and paste: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Develop Presets. On Mac with newer Lightroom: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Settings/Develop Presets.

Once you've found the folder, drag your .xmp or .lrtemplate preset files into it. Close Lightroom completely, then reopen it. The presets should now appear in your Presets panel. If they don't show up, double-check that the file extension is .xmp or .lrtemplate, not something else.

Organize presets into groups

Once you have presets installed, you can organize them into folders so they're easier to find. In Lightroom Classic, right-click in the Presets panel on the right side and select Create Preset Folder. Name the folder (for example, "Black and White" or "Portraits"), then drag presets into it.

In newer Lightroom, go to the Presets panel, click the three dots menu, and select Create Group. You can then drag presets into the group you created. Organizing presets doesn't change how they work — it just makes them easier to find when you're editing a photo.

Troubleshoot presets that won't show up

If you've imported or manually placed a preset and it's not appearing in Lightroom, check these things first. Make sure the file ends in .xmp or .lrtemplate — if it ends in .zip or .dng or anything else, Lightroom won't recognize it as a preset. If it's a .zip file, unzip it and try again with the actual preset file inside.

Close Lightroom completely and reopen it. Sometimes Lightroom doesn't see new presets until you restart the program. If you manually placed the preset in the folder, make sure you put it in the correct folder for your version of Lightroom — Classic and newer Lightroom use different locations, and using the wrong one means Lightroom won't find it.

If the preset still doesn't appear, try importing it using the File menu method instead of manually placing it. That method is more reliable because Lightroom handles the file placement itself. If import still fails, the preset file may be corrupted or in a format your version of Lightroom doesn't support — try downloading it again from the source.

Understand the difference between Lightroom Classic and newer Lightroom

Lightroom comes in two versions: Lightroom Classic (the older desktop program) and Lightroom (the newer cloud-based version). They look similar but store presets in different places, so you need to know which one you have. Open Lightroom and look at the top of the window — if it says "Lightroom Classic" in the title bar, you have Classic. If it just says "Lightroom," you have the newer version.

Presets made for Lightroom Classic usually work in newer Lightroom, but not always — some older presets are only compatible with Classic. When you download a preset, check the description to see which version it's made for. If you're not sure which version you have, the import method works the same way in both, so start there and Lightroom will tell you if there's a problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use presets from one computer on another computer?

Yes. Copy the preset files (.xmp or .lrtemplate) to a USB drive or cloud storage, then import them on the other computer using the File > Import Presets method. Lightroom will place them in the correct folder automatically, regardless of which computer you're using.

What if I download a preset and it's a .zip file?

Right-click the .zip file and select Extract (Windows) or double-click it (Mac). This creates a new folder with the actual preset files inside. Look for the .xmp or .lrtemplate file and import that one into Lightroom.

Do presets work the same way in Lightroom mobile?

Presets sync to Lightroom mobile automatically if you're using the cloud-based Lightroom and you're signed into the same Adobe account on both devices. Lightroom Classic presets don't sync to mobile — you need to use the newer Lightroom version for that to work.

Can I delete a preset after I've installed it?

Yes. In the Presets panel, right-click the preset you want to remove and select Delete. This removes it from Lightroom but doesn't affect the original file on your computer. If you want to use it again later, you can import it again.

Why does my preset look different on different photos?

Presets apply the same settings to every photo, but the result looks different depending on the photo's original exposure, color, and lighting. A preset that looks good on a bright outdoor photo might look too dark on an indoor photo. You can adjust the preset after applying it by moving the sliders in the Develop panel.