{"id":"mac-storage-basics.what-is-the-documents-category-in-storage-settings","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-documents-category-in-storage-settings","category":{"id":"mac-storage-basics","title":"Mac storage basics"},"subcategory":{"id":"system-data","title":"System Data and the storage categories"},"question":"What counts as Documents in macOS Storage settings?","alt_questions":["documents category mac storage huge","why is documents so big storage settings","documents storage mac meaning","documents not just my documents folder mac","storage settings documents explained"],"short_answer":"It covers most loose files in your home folder — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives and videos outside Photos — not only the Documents folder.","answer_markdown":"In Storage settings, **Documents** isn't just your Documents folder. It covers files in your home folder that aren't sorted into another category — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives, large videos outside the Photos library, and similar.\n\nClicking the info button next to it lets you review large files and downloads and delete them from there. Before deleting, check whether a large file is something you'd rather keep on an external drive.\n\nStorage Studio's What's Using Space lists your largest folders wherever they are, and can move big ones to an external drive instead of deleting. See [finding big files](/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-find-large-files-on-my-mac).","answer_html":"

In Storage settings, Documents isn't just your Documents folder. It covers files in your home folder that aren't sorted into another category — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives, large videos outside the Photos library, and similar.

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Clicking the info button next to it lets you review large files and downloads and delete them from there. Before deleting, check whether a large file is something you'd rather keep on an external drive.

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Storage Studio's What's Using Space lists your largest folders wherever they are, and can move big ones to an external drive instead of deleting. See finding big files.

","answer_text":"In Storage settings, Documents isn't just your Documents folder. It covers files in your home folder that aren't sorted into another category — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives, large videos outside the Photos library, and similar.\n\nClicking the info button next to it lets you review large files and downloads and delete them from there. Before deleting, check whether a large file is something you'd rather keep on an external drive.\n\nStorage Studio's What's Using Space lists your largest folders wherever they are, and can move big ones to an external drive instead of deleting. See finding big files.","tags":["storage settings","documents","large files"],"related":[{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-find-large-files-on-my-mac","question":"How do I find large files on my Mac?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-find-large-files-on-my-mac"},{"id":"mac-storage-basics.what-is-system-data-on-a-mac","question":"What is System Data on a Mac?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-system-data-on-a-mac"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What counts as Documents in macOS Storage settings? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It covers most loose files in your home folder — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives and videos outside Photos — not only the Documents folder.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Mac storage basics","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/"},{"name":"What counts as Documents in macOS Storage settings?","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-documents-category-in-storage-settings"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-documents-category-in-storage-settings","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What counts as Documents in macOS Storage settings?","alternateName":["documents category mac storage huge","why is documents so big storage settings","documents storage mac meaning","documents not just my documents folder mac","storage settings documents explained"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In Storage settings, Documents isn't just your Documents folder. It covers files in your home folder that aren't sorted into another category — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives, large videos outside the Photos library, and similar.\n\nClicking the info button next to it lets you review large files and downloads and delete them from there. Before deleting, check whether a large file is something you'd rather keep on an external drive.\n\nStorage Studio's What's Using Space lists your largest folders wherever they are, and can move big ones to an external drive instead of deleting. See finding big files.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-is-the-documents-category-in-storage-settings"}}]},"fragment":"
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Mac storage basics · System Data and the storage categories

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What counts as Documents in macOS Storage settings?

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Short answer: It covers most loose files in your home folder — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives and videos outside Photos — not only the Documents folder.

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In Storage settings, Documents isn't just your Documents folder. It covers files in your home folder that aren't sorted into another category — Downloads, Desktop, disk images, archives, large videos outside the Photos library, and similar.

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Clicking the info button next to it lets you review large files and downloads and delete them from there. Before deleting, check whether a large file is something you'd rather keep on an external drive.

\n

Storage Studio's What's Using Space lists your largest folders wherever they are, and can move big ones to an external drive instead of deleting. See finding big files.

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Last reviewed

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