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Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center
$UserBaseDirectory
  • See Also
    • $BaseDirectory
    • $UserBasePacletsDirectory
    • $InitialDirectory
    • $HomeDirectory
    • $InstallationDirectory
    • $PasswordFile
    • $Username
    • PersistenceLocation
  • Related Guides
    • Directories & Directory Operations
    • Wolfram System Setup
    • Operations on File Names
    • Cloud Execution Metadata
  • Tech Notes
    • Naming and Finding Files
    • Wolfram System File Organization
    • Notebook Security
    • See Also
      • $BaseDirectory
      • $UserBasePacletsDirectory
      • $InitialDirectory
      • $HomeDirectory
      • $InstallationDirectory
      • $PasswordFile
      • $Username
      • PersistenceLocation
    • Related Guides
      • Directories & Directory Operations
      • Wolfram System Setup
      • Operations on File Names
      • Cloud Execution Metadata
    • Tech Notes
      • Naming and Finding Files
      • Wolfram System File Organization
      • Notebook Security

$UserBaseDirectory

gives the base directory in which user‐specific files to be loaded by the Wolfram System are conventionally placed.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page
BUILT-IN SYMBOL
  • See Also
    • $BaseDirectory
    • $UserBasePacletsDirectory
    • $InitialDirectory
    • $HomeDirectory
    • $InstallationDirectory
    • $PasswordFile
    • $Username
    • PersistenceLocation
  • Related Guides
    • Directories & Directory Operations
    • Wolfram System Setup
    • Operations on File Names
    • Cloud Execution Metadata
  • Tech Notes
    • Naming and Finding Files
    • Wolfram System File Organization
    • Notebook Security
    • See Also
      • $BaseDirectory
      • $UserBasePacletsDirectory
      • $InitialDirectory
      • $HomeDirectory
      • $InstallationDirectory
      • $PasswordFile
      • $Username
      • PersistenceLocation
    • Related Guides
      • Directories & Directory Operations
      • Wolfram System Setup
      • Operations on File Names
      • Cloud Execution Metadata
    • Tech Notes
      • Naming and Finding Files
      • Wolfram System File Organization
      • Notebook Security

$UserBaseDirectory

$UserBaseDirectory

gives the base directory in which user‐specific files to be loaded by the Wolfram System are conventionally placed.

Details

  • $UserBaseDirectory returns the full name of the directory as a string.
  • Typical values are:
  • C:\User\username\AppData\Roaming\WolframWindows
    ~/Library/WolframmacOS
    ~/.WolframLinux
  • The value of $UserBaseDirectory can be specified by setting the operating system environment variable when the Wolfram Language kernel is launched. It cannot be reset from inside the kernel.
  • Typical subdirectories of $UserBaseDirectory are:
  • ApplicationsWolfram System application packages
    Autoloadpackages to be autoloaded on startup
    FrontEndfront end initialization files
    Kernelkernel initialization files
    Licensinglicense management files
    SystemFilesgeneral system files
  • These subdirectories are, if possible, created automatically the first time the Wolfram System is run by a given user.
  • Appropriate subdirectories are automatically included on $Path.
  • The subdirectories of $UserBaseDirectory are given in $Path before the corresponding subdirectories of $BaseDirectory.

Examples

Basic Examples  (2)

The base directory in which user-specific files are placed:

Subdirectories and files of $UserBaseDirectory:

See Also

$BaseDirectory  $UserBasePacletsDirectory  $InitialDirectory  $HomeDirectory  $InstallationDirectory  $PasswordFile  $Username  PersistenceLocation

Tech Notes

    ▪
  • Naming and Finding Files
  • ▪
  • Wolfram System File Organization
  • ▪
  • Notebook Security

Related Guides

    ▪
  • Directories & Directory Operations
  • ▪
  • Wolfram System Setup
  • ▪
  • Operations on File Names
  • ▪
  • Cloud Execution Metadata

History

Introduced in 2003 (5.0) | Updated in 2024 (14.1)

Wolfram Research (2003), $UserBaseDirectory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html (updated 2024).

Text

Wolfram Research (2003), $UserBaseDirectory, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html (updated 2024).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2003. "$UserBaseDirectory." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2003). $UserBaseDirectory. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_$userbasedirectory, author="Wolfram Research", title="{$UserBaseDirectory}", year="2024", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html}", note=[Accessed: 04-February-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_$userbasedirectory, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={$UserBaseDirectory}, year={2024}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/$UserBaseDirectory.html}, note=[Accessed: 04-February-2026]}

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