# What Is ~/Library/WebKit on Mac?

> ~/Library/WebKit stores website data for apps that show web content: local storage, IndexedDB and similar. Clearing an app's folder may sign it out.

- Updated: 2026-10-10
- URL: https://fresh.ist/library/webkit/

**TL;DR:** ~/Library/WebKit holds website data for apps that display web pages through Apple's WebKit engine, in one folder per app named after its bundle ID. Inside are local storage, IndexedDB databases and related files. Removing an app's folder is safe for the system, but that app may forget web sign-ins, offline data and in-app web settings.

## Definition

- Full path: `~/Library/WebKit`
- Scope: user (inside your home folder)
- Freshist checks this folder when uninstalling an app. When you uninstall an app, Freshist looks here for items that belong to it. Matches on the app's bundle ID can be pre-selected; name-only guesses are labeled “not sure” and never pre-selected. Removed items go to the Trash, so you can undo.

## Web views and their data

Plenty of Mac apps are partly web pages. Sign-in windows, help panels, settings screens and entire app interfaces are often drawn by an embedded **web view** using WebKit, the same engine behind Safari. Like a browser, a web view lets the pages it shows store data: logged-in state, preferences, offline content and caches.

For apps that aren't sandboxed, WebKit puts that data in `~/Library/WebKit/<bundle ID>/WebsiteData`. Sandboxed apps keep the equivalent inside their own folder under [Containers](/library/containers/). A typical app folder contains:

| Subfolder | What it stores |
|---|---|
| `LocalStorage` | Key-value data pages save, often including login state |
| `IndexedDB` | Larger structured data, such as offline content or drafts |
| `ResourceLoadStatistics` | Data for WebKit's tracking prevention |
| `MediaKeys` and salts | Keys for protected media playback |
| `Default` and others | Further storage WebKit creates on recent macOS versions |

You may also see top-level `Databases` and `WebPush` folders, which WebKit uses for older-style web databases and web push registrations.

## What clearing it does

Nothing in macOS depends on these folders. Removing one affects only the app it's named after:

- Pages inside that app forget data they stored locally, which can sign you out of a web-based login.
- Offline content or unsynced drafts kept in IndexedDB can be lost if the service didn't sync them.
- The app's web screens load a bit slower the first time, then the folder is recreated.

For an app you've already uninstalled, its folder is pure leftover. Sizes vary from a few kilobytes to hundreds of megabytes for apps built mostly as web content.

## Inspecting without changing anything

```
ls ~/Library/WebKit
du -sh ~/Library/WebKit/* | sort -h
```

Folder names are bundle IDs, so `com.example.Notes` belongs to the app with that ID. To find an app's ID, run `osascript -e 'id of app "AppName"'`.

## Clearing an app's website data

1. Check whether the app has its own option first. Look for "Clear cache", "Reset" or "Sign out" in its settings, since that clears the right data in the right order.
2. Otherwise, quit the app completely.
3. In Finder, choose **Go → Go to Folder…** and enter `~/Library/WebKit`.
4. Move that app's folder to the Trash, then open the app and sign in again if asked.

For sign-in problems, cookies are often the real culprit. Look for the same bundle ID in [HTTPStorages](/library/http-storages/) and [Cookies](/library/cookies/) as well.

## When uninstalling an app

WebKit data is one of many folders an app leaves behind when you drag it to the Trash, next to [Application Support](/library/application-support/), [Caches](/library/caches/) and [Preferences](/library/preferences/). Each is covered in [uninstalling apps completely](/blog/uninstall-apps-mac-completely/). Don't remove folders whose names start with `com.apple.` unless you're troubleshooting that specific Apple app.

## Sources

- [WKWebsiteDataStore](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/wkwebsitedatastore) (Apple Developer Documentation)
- [Clear your cache and cookies in Safari on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies-sfri11471/mac) (Apple Support)
- [Mac OS X directories: the Library folder](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/MacOSXDirectories/MacOSXDirectories.html) (Apple File System Programming Guide)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Safari's browsing data in this folder?

Generally no. Safari keeps its website data in its own locations and you clear it from Safari → Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data. This folder is mainly used by other apps that embed web views.

### Where are the cookies for these apps?

Usually not here. Apps that use Apple's networking stack keep cookies and HTTP storage under ~/Library/HTTPStorages, with older ones in ~/Library/Cookies. Clearing only WebKit data may therefore leave you signed in.

### Why is there a WebKit folder for an app I've never seen open a web page?

Many apps show sign-in screens, help pages, onboarding or news panels as embedded web views. Even a single screen like that creates a website data folder here.

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Canonical page: https://fresh.ist/library/webkit/
Official site: https://fresh.ist/ (fresh.ist only)
Generated: 2026-10-10