Zed Editor
Zed stores temporary workspace state and runtime caches under its app cache directories, including downloaded extension artifacts, syntax and language-server indexes, GPU shader and render pipeline caches, image and web asset caches, and assorted session data used to speed startup and project loading. It also writes diagnostic log files that accumulate crash reports, renderer output, and extension or language-server errors for troubleshooting. Kudu removes these rebuildable caches and logs without touching your projects, editor settings, keybindings, accounts, or saved credentials.
Why clean Zed Editor?
- Stale GPU shader or render pipeline caches after a macOS, Mesa, or driver update can cause flickering text, black panes, or a sluggish first redraw until Zed recompiles them
- Outdated extension download artifacts or unpacked cache files can leave an extension stuck failing to load, which shows up as missing features, repeated activation errors, or prompts to reinstall
- Corrupted syntax, symbol, or language-server indexes can make project search incomplete and code intelligence wrong, with symptoms like missing definitions, broken go-to-reference, or delayed diagnostics
- Oversized image and web asset caches from previews and remote content can bloat the cache directory, leading users to notice unexpectedly high disk usage from Zed
- Large accumulated log files from crashes, extension failures, or noisy language servers can consume space and make it harder to spot current problems because fresh errors are buried in old output
- Invalidated startup caches after a Zed update can produce one unusually slow launch or delayed workspace restore, and clearing them forces a clean rebuild instead of reusing bad state
- If Zed keeps references to cache entries that no longer match current project state, you may see stale file decorations, outdated diagnostics, or UI elements that only correct themselves after restarting
Cache paths Kudu targets
macOS
~/Library/Caches/dev.zed.Zed |
~/Library/Logs/Zed |
Linux
~/.cache/zed |
Common questions about Zed Editor
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
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.