Where AppShots Saves Your Projects, and How to Back Them Up or Move Them

TL;DR

Projects are .appshots files in your Documents/AppShots folder, so you can back up, move and share them like any document. App Preview videos live next to the app's data, API credentials are in the Keychain, and the project list is an index that can be rebuilt.

The problem

A design tool that keeps your work in a hidden database is stressful. Where is the file? What happens if the app is reinstalled, the Mac is replaced or the cache is cleared? If a year of screenshot work lives somewhere you can’t see, it feels fragile, and you can’t hand a project to a teammate.

How AppShots stores things

  • Projects are files. Each project is a single .appshots file (a zip) in ~/Documents/AppShots. You can double-click one in Finder to open it, copy it, back it up with Time Machine, or send it to a teammate.
  • One project per window. If a project is already open in another window, opening it again just switches to that window, which avoids two windows overwriting each other.
  • The project list (with cover thumbnails) is an index kept by the app. If it’s lost, it can be rebuilt by scanning the folder.
  • App Preview videos are kept on disk beside the app’s data, not inside the project file, so autosave doesn’t have to rewrite them. Duplicating a project copies its videos.
  • App Store Connect credentials (the .p8 and IDs) are stored in the macOS Keychain.
  • AI translation settings, including your key, are in the app’s local settings.
  • Autosave writes as you work.

To back up

Copy ~/Documents/AppShots (or just the projects you care about). That’s the whole job. You can also use Save As to put a copy anywhere.

To move to another Mac

  1. Copy the .appshots files over.
  2. Open them in AppShots. Pro restores on your other Macs with the same Apple ID.
  3. Add your App Store Connect key and AI settings again if you use them. They don’t travel with the file.

The free project limit

Free keeps up to 10 projects. Going over doesn’t lock anything: your projects stay open and exportable; you just can’t create or import more until you upgrade or free one up.

FAQ

Where are my projects? In your Documents/AppShots folder as .appshots files.

Can I open one by double-clicking? Yes. AppShots registers the file type, and each project opens in its own window.

Does the free 10-project limit lock me out? No. Existing projects stay open, editable and exportable. Only creating or importing an eleventh asks you to upgrade.

Where is the App Store Connect key? In the macOS Keychain.

The app AppShots →