LinuxmacOSWindows

Where Is the rclone Config File?

rclone keeps remotes and tokens in a single rclone.conf file. The default folder follows OS conventions.

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The rclone.conf file defines remotes, auth tokens and default options. Most users have exactly one such file.

Run rclone config file to print the exact path in use. Env vars and the config flag can point rclone at another file for portable or multi profile setups.

Where rclone stores this, by platform

Linux
/home/<user>/.config/rclone/rclone.conf

Default on Linux. <user> is the Linux username. Honors XDG_CONFIG_HOME if set. Protect it with chmod 600 because it can hold refresh tokens.

macOS
/Users/<user>/.config/rclone/rclone.conf

Default on macOS. <user> is the macOS username. Same XDG style path as Linux. Use rclone config file to confirm if you installed via Homebrew with a custom HOME.

Windows
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\rclone\rclone.conf

Default on Windows. <user> is the Windows login name. The folder may be hidden. RCLONE_CONFIG can override the path for scripts.

Frequently asked questions

How do I confirm which config file is active?

Run rclone config file. It prints the path rclone actually loaded, including any override from env vars.

How do I use a portable config?

Set RCLONE_CONFIG to the desired rclone.conf path or pass the config flag on launch. Keep that file out of shared repos because it holds secrets.

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