{"id":"mac-storage-basics.should-time-machine-back-up-developer-caches","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/should-time-machine-back-up-developer-caches","category":{"id":"mac-storage-basics","title":"Mac storage basics"},"subcategory":{"id":"developer-space","title":"Developer tools"},"question":"Should Time Machine back up Xcode DerivedData and other developer caches?","alt_questions":["exclude deriveddata from time machine","time machine developer folders","backup node_modules time machine","reduce backups developer mac","time machine xcode caches"],"short_answer":"Usually not — they're rebuildable and change constantly, inflating every backup. Exclude them in Time Machine's Options and make sure your source code is backed up.","answer_markdown":"Usually not. Build caches, DerivedData, simulators, package caches, node_modules and Docker data are rebuildable and change constantly, so they make every backup bigger without protecting anything you can't recreate.\n\nAdd them to Time Machine's exclusion list in **Options…**, and make sure your source code itself is backed up (and pushed to a remote repository).","answer_html":"

Usually not. Build caches, DerivedData, simulators, package caches, node_modules and Docker data are rebuildable and change constantly, so they make every backup bigger without protecting anything you can't recreate.

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Add them to Time Machine's exclusion list in Options…, and make sure your source code itself is backed up (and pushed to a remote repository).

","answer_text":"Usually not. Build caches, DerivedData, simulators, package caches, node_modules and Docker data are rebuildable and change constantly, so they make every backup bigger without protecting anything you can't recreate.\n\nAdd them to Time Machine's exclusion list in Options…, and make sure your source code itself is backed up (and pushed to a remote repository).","tags":["time machine","developer","exclude"],"related":[{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine","question":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine"},{"id":"mac-storage-basics.is-it-safe-to-delete-deriveddata","question":"Is it safe to delete Xcode's DerivedData folder?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/is-it-safe-to-delete-deriveddata"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Should Time Machine back up Xcode DerivedData and other developer caches? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Usually not — they're rebuildable and change constantly, inflating every backup. Exclude them in Time Machine's Options and make sure your source code is backed up.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Mac storage basics","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/"},{"name":"Should Time Machine back up Xcode DerivedData and other developer caches?","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/should-time-machine-back-up-developer-caches"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/should-time-machine-back-up-developer-caches","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Should Time Machine back up Xcode DerivedData and other developer caches?","alternateName":["exclude deriveddata from time machine","time machine developer folders","backup node_modules time machine","reduce backups developer mac","time machine xcode caches"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Usually not. Build caches, DerivedData, simulators, package caches, node_modules and Docker data are rebuildable and change constantly, so they make every backup bigger without protecting anything you can't recreate.\n\nAdd them to Time Machine's exclusion list in Options…, and make sure your source code itself is backed up (and pushed to a remote repository).","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/should-time-machine-back-up-developer-caches"}}]},"fragment":"
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Mac storage basics · Developer tools

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Should Time Machine back up Xcode DerivedData and other developer caches?

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Short answer: Usually not — they're rebuildable and change constantly, inflating every backup. Exclude them in Time Machine's Options and make sure your source code is backed up.

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Usually not. Build caches, DerivedData, simulators, package caches, node_modules and Docker data are rebuildable and change constantly, so they make every backup bigger without protecting anything you can't recreate.

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Add them to Time Machine's exclusion list in Options…, and make sure your source code itself is backed up (and pushed to a remote repository).

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Last reviewed

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