Adobe Lightroom catalog file
File type: Various data file
A .lrcat file is a catalog database used by Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
It stores information about photos managed by Lightroom, rather than the original photo files themselves.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: October 16, 2026
The .lrcat file extension identifies an Adobe Lightroom catalog. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom uses catalogs to organize imported photos and manage information associated with them.
A catalog can contain the paths to original source photos, metadata, ratings, keywords, and photo editing settings. The original photos remain separate files, so Lightroom needs access to them when displaying or exporting the full-resolution images.
Users can create multiple catalogs for separate clients, photo projects, students, or assignments. Catalogs can be located on local, remote, or removable drives. A catalog can be a large file and may have a name such as catalog-default.lrcat.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is available on Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS.
Open an .lrcat file with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on Microsoft Windows or Apple macOS. In Lightroom, choose the catalog when starting the program or use its catalog-opening command.
The catalog may open without the original photos, but Lightroom will show those photos as missing until the files are available at their recorded locations.
An .lrcat file is a Lightroom database, not an image format, so it cannot be meaningfully converted to a standard image file or general-purpose document.
Use Lightroom to export the photos as JPEG, TIFF, or another supported output format, or to export selected catalog information to another Lightroom catalog. The original source photos are required for exports that contain the full image data.
Software applications that can open lrcat files:
Microsoft Windows
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
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