Apps
Claude Desktop Caches
Claude Desktop stores several temporary performance caches from its Chromium and Electron stack, including HTTP disk cache entries in Cache_Data, V8 compiled code in Code Cache, GPU resource caches in GPUCache, DawnGraphiteCache, and DawnWebGPUCache, plus shared dictionary data used to speed compressed content. These files build up as the app loads the chat interface, renders attachments and previews, compiles scripts, and initializes GPU-backed drawing paths; Kudu removes only those disposable caches so Claude can rebuild them cleanly while preserving account state, conversations, local storage, sessions, projects, and VM bundles.
Why clean Claude Desktop Caches?
- Corrupted HTTP cache entries in Cache_Data can make the interface reuse bad responses, which shows up as blank panes, missing assets, or a chat view that loads incorrectly until the cache is rebuilt
- Invalidated V8 bytecode after a Claude Desktop update can leave stale Code Cache files behind, causing an unusually slow first launch, delayed sidebar rendering, or temporary UI jank while scripts recompile
- Old GPUCache data after a graphics driver update can no longer match the current driver, leading to black windows, flickering panels, or rendering glitches that disappear after the GPU cache is cleared
- Stale DawnGraphiteCache or DawnWebGPUCache shader and pipeline blobs can cause sluggish scrolling, broken canvas effects, or brief freezes when Claude redraws rich interface elements
- A bloated Shared Dictionary cache can waste hundreds of megabytes on old compression dictionaries, and users usually notice it as Claude taking more disk space than expected without any extra conversations or files
- Repeatedly reused temporary cache objects from embedded web content can accumulate across updates and sessions, which often shows up as longer startup times and slower loading of attachments or previews even though your chats remain intact
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%AppData%/Claude/Cache/Cache_Data |
%AppData%/Claude/Code Cache |
%AppData%/Claude/GPUCache |
%AppData%/Claude/DawnGraphiteCache |
%AppData%/Claude/DawnWebGPUCache |
%AppData%/Claude/Shared Dictionary/cache |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/Cache/Cache_Data |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/Code Cache |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/GPUCache |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/DawnGraphiteCache |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/DawnWebGPUCache |
%LocalAppData%/Packages/Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc/LocalCache/Roaming/Claude/Shared Dictionary/cache |
macOS
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/Cache/Cache_Data |
~/.claude/cache |
~/.claude/plugins/cache |
Linux
~/.config/Claude/Cache/Cache_Data |
~/.claude/cache |
~/.claude/plugins/cache |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Claude Desktop Caches
Related cleaners
Free & open source
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Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.