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Adobe install paths

Where Adobe expects plug-ins, scripts, and panels to live.

After Effects · Windows

Replace YYYY with the year of your AE install (e.g. 2026, 2025).

Plug-ins (.aex)

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects YYYY\Support Files\Plug-ins\

Scripts (.jsx, .jsxbin)

One-shot scripts, run via File → Scripts → Run Script File…

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects YYYY\Support Files\Scripts\

ScriptUI panels

Dockable panels (Animation Composer, Duik, Motion Tools Pro). Only show up under Window when placed here.

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects YYYY\Support Files\Scripts\ScriptUI Panels\

After Effects · macOS

Plug-ins

/Applications/Adobe After Effects YYYY/Plug-ins/

Scripts

/Applications/Adobe After Effects YYYY/Scripts/

ScriptUI panels

/Applications/Adobe After Effects YYYY/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels/

Photoshop

Two folders. Most installers ask which to use.

Windows

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop YYYY\Plug-ins\

Internal types: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop YYYY\Required\Plug-Ins\ — only touch when an installer asks.

macOS

/Applications/Adobe Photoshop YYYY/Plug-ins/

Premiere Pro & Media Encoder

Pr and ME share a Common folder. Red Giant, Trapcode, OFX wrappers go here once.

Windows

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\7.0\MediaCore\

macOS

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/7.0/MediaCore/

Presets & effect presets

AE. .ffx files go here:

Windows

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects YYYY\Support Files\Presets\

macOS

/Applications/Adobe After Effects YYYY/Presets/

Per-user vs install

Everything above is the per-install location. Adobe also reads per-user paths:

Windows

C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe After Effects YYYY\

macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/After Effects YYYY/

Use per-user paths if you don't have admin, or want it scoped to your account.

Not showing up?

  1. Restart the app. Plug-ins are scanned at launch.
  2. Right folder? Plug-ins, Scripts, and ScriptUI Panels are not interchangeable.
  3. Right year? AE 2025 and AE 2026 have separate folder trees.
  4. Permissions. Copy with admin on Windows. Drag with Finder on macOS.
  5. Trust scripts. AE → Preferences → Scripting & Expressions → Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network.