Firefox Roaming and Local Profile Locations on Windows

This article provides a quick overview and the exact file paths for locating Mozilla Firefox's Roaming and Local profile folders on Microsoft Windows. By using the %APPDATA% and %LOCALAPPDATA% environment variables, you can easily find where Firefox stores your critical user data, such as bookmarks and saved passwords, alongside its temporary cache files.

Firefox splits your user profile into two separate locations on Windows to separate critical personal data from temporary files. Inside both locations, your actual profile folder will be named with a random string of eight characters followed by the profile type, such as xxxxxxxx.default-release.

The Roaming Profile Folder (%APPDATA%)

The Roaming folder contains your essential personal data. If you are backing up your Firefox profile or transferring it to a new computer, this is the folder you need.

Shortcut Path: %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

Standard Full Path: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

What is stored here:

  • Bookmarks and browsing history
  • Saved passwords and login data
  • Installed extensions and add-ons
  • Cookies and site preferences
  • Personal dictionary and custom settings

The Local Profile Folder (%LOCALAPPDATA%)

The Local folder is used exclusively for temporary data that does not need to be backed up. Windows separates this data so that large, disposable files do not have to be synced across a network if you are using a Roaming Windows Profile in an enterprise environment.

Shortcut Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

Standard Full Path: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

What is stored here:

  • Browser disk cache (temporary internet files)
  • Offline website data
  • Startup cache and shader cache

How to Open These Folders Directly

Because the AppData directory is hidden by default on Microsoft Windows, using environment variables is the fastest way to reach your profiles.

  1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type or paste either %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ or %LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ into the box.
  3. Click OK or press Enter. File Explorer will immediately open to the requested Firefox profile directory.

Alternatively, you can paste those exact shortcut paths directly into the address bar at the top of any open File Explorer window and press Enter.