Data directory default location

If GeoServer is running in standalone mode (via an installer or a binary) the data directory is located at <installation root>/data_dir.

Standalone platform	Default/typical location
Windows (except XP)	C:\ProgramData\GeoServer\Data
Windows XP	C:\ProgramData\GeoServer\Data
Mac OS X	/Application Support/GeoServer/Data
Linux (Tomcat)	/var/opt/geoserver/

If GeoServer is running as a web archive inside of a custom-deployed application server, the data directory is by default located at <web application root>/data.

Creating a new data directory

The easiest way to create a new data directory is to copy an existing one.

Once the data directory has been located, copy it to a new location. To point a GeoServer instance at the new data directory proceed to the next section Setting the data directory location.