{"id":"icloud.should-i-keep-code-or-databases-in-icloud-drive","url":"/faq/icloud/should-i-keep-code-or-databases-in-icloud-drive","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-drive-basics","title":"iCloud Drive basics"},"question":"Should I keep code projects, databases or app libraries in iCloud Drive?","alt_questions":["Git repo in iCloud Drive problems","node_modules in iCloud Drive","Lightroom catalog in iCloud Drive","developer folder in Documents synced to iCloud","icloud drive conflicts with project files"],"short_answer":"Best not to. Code repositories, build and dependency folders, databases and app catalogs change constantly and sync poorly — lagging uploads, conflict copies and evicted files. Keep them outside iCloud-synced folders and back them up separately.","answer_markdown":"It's best not to. Folders that change constantly in many small files — code repositories, build folders, dependency folders, databases and app catalogs — sync poorly: uploads lag behind, devices can see half-written states, and conflicting copies appear. Some files may also be made online-only when a tool expects them on disk.\n\nKeep these somewhere iCloud doesn't sync — a folder in your home folder outside Desktop & Documents, or an external drive — and back them up separately (or use the project's own remote, like a code host). See [the \"file 2\" duplicates in iCloud](/faq/icloud/why-are-there-duplicate-file-2-copies-in-icloud-drive).","answer_html":"

It's best not to. Folders that change constantly in many small files — code repositories, build folders, dependency folders, databases and app catalogs — sync poorly: uploads lag behind, devices can see half-written states, and conflicting copies appear. Some files may also be made online-only when a tool expects them on disk.

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Keep these somewhere iCloud doesn't sync — a folder in your home folder outside Desktop & Documents, or an external drive — and back them up separately (or use the project's own remote, like a code host). See the "file 2" duplicates in iCloud.

","answer_text":"It's best not to. Folders that change constantly in many small files — code repositories, build folders, dependency folders, databases and app catalogs — sync poorly: uploads lag behind, devices can see half-written states, and conflicting copies appear. Some files may also be made online-only when a tool expects them on disk.\n\nKeep these somewhere iCloud doesn't sync — a folder in your home folder outside Desktop & Documents, or an external drive — and back them up separately (or use the project's own remote, like a code host). See the \"file 2\" duplicates in iCloud.","tags":["icloud drive","developers","sync conflicts"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.why-are-there-duplicate-file-2-copies-in-icloud-drive","question":"Why do I see copies like \"file 2\" in iCloud Drive?","url":"/faq/icloud/why-are-there-duplicate-file-2-copies-in-icloud-drive"},{"id":"icloud.can-i-store-my-photos-library-inside-icloud-drive","question":"Can I keep my Photos library inside iCloud Drive or another synced folder?","url":"/faq/icloud/can-i-store-my-photos-library-inside-icloud-drive"},{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-exclude-a-folder-from-icloud-drive","question":"Can I stop iCloud Drive syncing one folder?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-exclude-a-folder-from-icloud-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Should I keep code projects, databases or app libraries in iCloud Drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Best not to. Code repositories, build and dependency folders, databases and app catalogs change constantly and sync poorly — lagging uploads, conflict copies and evicted files. Keep them outside iCloud-synced folders and back them up separately.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Should I keep code projects, databases or app libraries in iCloud Drive?","path":"/faq/icloud/should-i-keep-code-or-databases-in-icloud-drive"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/should-i-keep-code-or-databases-in-icloud-drive","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Should I keep code projects, databases or app libraries in iCloud Drive?","alternateName":["Git repo in iCloud Drive problems","node_modules in iCloud Drive","Lightroom catalog in iCloud Drive","developer folder in Documents synced to iCloud","icloud drive conflicts with project files"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It's best not to. Folders that change constantly in many small files — code repositories, build folders, dependency folders, databases and app catalogs — sync poorly: uploads lag behind, devices can see half-written states, and conflicting copies appear. Some files may also be made online-only when a tool expects them on disk.\n\nKeep these somewhere iCloud doesn't sync — a folder in your home folder outside Desktop & Documents, or an external drive — and back them up separately (or use the project's own remote, like a code host). See the \"file 2\" duplicates in iCloud.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/should-i-keep-code-or-databases-in-icloud-drive"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud Drive basics

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Should I keep code projects, databases or app libraries in iCloud Drive?

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Short answer: Best not to. Code repositories, build and dependency folders, databases and app catalogs change constantly and sync poorly — lagging uploads, conflict copies and evicted files. Keep them outside iCloud-synced folders and back them up separately.

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It's best not to. Folders that change constantly in many small files — code repositories, build folders, dependency folders, databases and app catalogs — sync poorly: uploads lag behind, devices can see half-written states, and conflicting copies appear. Some files may also be made online-only when a tool expects them on disk.

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Keep these somewhere iCloud doesn't sync — a folder in your home folder outside Desktop & Documents, or an external drive — and back them up separately (or use the project's own remote, like a code host). See the "file 2" duplicates in iCloud.

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