# Where can i find the node-red workspace folder for a local install?

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [2 August 2024 20:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965 "2024-08-02T20:17:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jimmytang8855](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jimmytang8855](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jimmytang8855)\
**Post date:** [2 August 2024 20:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/1 "2024-08-02T20:17:04Z")

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here is where my node-red local install resides  
C:\Node-red-Try2\node\_modules.bin  
based on that, where might I find the node red workspace folder?

this is with regards to Kuema's advice from here:

> [@\[Question\] Best way to install modules to an offline pc](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-best-way-to-install-modules-to-an-offline-pc/20902/4):
>
> I think the solution is the same. Just run npm install node-red-contrib-s7 in the NR workspace of your online machine, and copy the whole workspace to your offline machine (important is the node\_modules dir). By workspace I mean the directory where your flows.json resides. I don't recommend installing nodes globally. In principle, this is how I do it all the time, as our customers' production machines have no internet connection. No npm cache needed. "npm pack" is for building an archive wh…

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**Author:** ![marcus-j-davies](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/marcus-j-davies/32/103435_2.png) [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)\
**Post date:** [2 August 2024 20:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/2 "2024-08-02T20:37:33Z")

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Welcome to the forums @jimmytang8855

The script that starts Node RED - is not enough to ascertain where the `userDir` is.  
but based on defaults: its usually `~/.node-red`

`~` : The user's (that is running Node RED) OS home directory

Also the start up transcript usually tell you.

Windows : `C:/users/<User>/.node-red`  
\*Nix : `/home/<User>/.node-red`

Again `<User>` = who is running Node RED

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jimmytang8855](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jimmytang8855](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jimmytang8855)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2024 01:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/3 "2024-08-03T01:48:03Z")

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thank you marcus

just so theres a complete picture for the post- when i run node-red from cmd, here is part of what scrolls  
2 Aug 21:35:52 - [info] Node-RED version: v4.0.2  
2 Aug 21:35:52 - [info] Node.js version: v20.16.0  
2 Aug 21:35:52 - [info] Windows\_NT 10.0.22631 x64 LE  
2 Aug 21:35:52 - [info] Loading palette nodes  
2 Aug 21:35:53 - [info] Settings file : C:\Users\admin.node-red\settings.js  
2 Aug 21:35:53 - [info] Context store : 'default' [module=memory]  
2 Aug 21:35:53 - [info] User directory : \Users\admin.node-red  
2 Aug 21:35:53 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false  
2 Aug 21:35:53 - [info] Flows file : \Users\admin.node-red\flows.json

so flows.json appears to be in C:\Users\admin.node-red\

is there any way to change the settings so the workspace is pointed elsewhere? for instance C:\node-red\Workspace  
i wonder if thats more of a nodejs side effect or a node-red thing (app isn't bound to a single parent directory).

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**Author:** ![marcus-j-davies](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/marcus-j-davies/32/103435_2.png) [@marcus-j-davies](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/marcus-j-davies)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2024 07:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/4 "2024-08-03T07:22:27Z")

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I'm not a windows user, but you can set the `userDir` as a command line argument, that is used to start Node RED

`node-red --userDir C:/Some-Directory`

Just remember, the user account used to run Node RED will need read/write access to that folder

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [3 August 2024 08:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/5 "2024-08-03T08:31:47Z")

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Also, `node-red --help` will show you all the options available.

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**Author:** ![jimmytang8855](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jimmytang8855](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jimmytang8855)\
**Post date:** [4 August 2024 09:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/6 "2024-08-04T09:34:05Z")

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for windows:  
`node-red --userDir C:\NRWS`  
working like a champ 🙂  
pretty handy because now i can have several workspace environments for testing various nodes and its no longer tied to a user account (a little more generic for multi-users)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jimmytang8855](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jimmytang8855](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jimmytang8855)\
**Post date:** [4 August 2024 09:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/7 "2024-08-04T09:42:12Z")

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this is good to know as well, i can use the help in conjunction with google to see how to implement the various options.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2024 09:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/where-can-i-find-the-node-red-workspace-folder-for-a-local-install/89965/8 "2024-08-18T09:42:19Z")

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