Welcome to a deep dive into how Lightroom’s cloud storage works across the Lightroom ecosystem, how files are stored, synced, and accessed, and what that means for backups, workflows, and space management.
Lightroom ecosystem and cloud-backed storage
LRCC uploads its own copy of the file to Adobe's cloud. So its link is to this file, not to a local file, and it uses up your space.
In a Dropbox/Google Drive type method whereby you can add files to the Creative Cloud Files folder on your local hard drive, these are then uploaded to the cloud and you can share access to them by creating and sending links to them. They would also download to a second computer if you installed and logged in to the same Adobe subscription account. These files are accessible via either the system's file browser, or the Assets>Files tab of the Creative Cloud desktop app. Obviously, any files added to the Creative Cloud Files folder will eat into your Adobe cloud space allocation.
The other method is by using the LRCC "ecosystem." When you add (import) images into any of the LRCC apps (desktop, web, phone, tablet) they are automatically uploaded to the cloud, from where they can be accessed by any of the other LRCC apps on your other devices. All changes sync across this ecosystem, and of course all such images count against the same Adobe cloud space allocation.
Digital assets visibility: what you see in the cloud vs. local storage
There are concerns about seeing files in the cloud views. There are no files to be seen in the Creative Cloud Assets views, yet there can be thousands of images in the Lightroom Classic library. Essentially, Adobe has a cloud storage that you can use for files/folders like a normal cloud storage. I can create folders, move files around, rename them, everything I expect from a file system. Adobe wants to be entrusted with the cloud storage of our images.
If you mainly want to use it as online backup, then you can do that by placing your originals in the ‘Creative Cloud Files’ folder. As discussed here, that is a synced folder similar to Dropbox. It creates an online copy of those files, but you do not see that in your Lightroom CC apps. It’s just an online backup.
Smart previews, originals, and plan considerations
Up till now I have used the Creative Cloud Photography Plan with 20 GB storage. My main catalog in Lightroom Classic covers about 500 GB of files on my home desktop PC. It would be tempting to upgrade to the 1 TB plan if I could upload all my original photo files to it and so have a robust backup. But, since Classic only uploads Smart Previews, there seems to be no way to do that without abandoning the full-featured Classic catalog.
Sometimes (eg, when travelling) I import RAW files from cameras to LR CC on my laptop or Android devices. Together with photos taken by the Android devices, these can quite easily use up the 20 GB so I have to fiddle around in Classic to recover it. Upgrading would hardly be worth it just to avoid that. If you mainly want to use it as online backup, then you can do that by placing your originals in the Creative Cloud Files folder. It creates an online copy of those files, but you do not see that in your Lightroom CC apps. It’s just an online backup.
Practical workflow implications for photographers
When you import into CC, a copy is uploaded to the Adobe cloud. That means the library in Lightroom Classic cannot simply be treated as a mirror of a local folder; there is a distinction between originals in the cloud and locally stored previews or files. The ecosystem allows edits to sync across devices, which is convenient for on-the-go editing but requires careful space planning if you rely on the cloud as a primary storage solution.
If you want to back up originals, you can use the Creative Cloud Files folder as an online backup, recognizing that these backups may not be visible in every Lightroom CC interface. If your goal is seamless editing across devices, the cloud-accessible ecosystem provides near real-time synchronization of edits and rankings, but with a shared cloud quota across all devices and apps.
Common questions and clarifications
- Is Adobe pushing a copy out to my cloud storage? Yes, LRCC uploads its own copy of the file to Adobe's cloud, which counts toward your cloud space allocation.
- Are there hidden files in the cloud? There can be cloud-stored originals that are not visible through some cloud views, while edits and previews are synchronized across devices.
- Can I use cloud storage purely as online backup? Yes, by placing originals in the Creative Cloud Files folder; this creates an online copy not directly visible in Lightroom CC apps.
- Will converting to LR Classic affect cloud storage behavior? LR Classic primarily supports local storage and may sync smart previews to the cloud, while CC is designed for cloud-first access across devices.
Table: key differences between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC cloud behavior
| Aspect | Lightroom Classic | Lightroom CC |
|---|---|---|
| Primary storage model | Local catalog and storage | Cloud-based storage ecosystem |
| Cloud file visibility | Smart previews may sync; originals locally stored | Originals and edits accessible across devices |
| Backup option | External backups required for originals | Creative Cloud Files folder as online backup |
| Space considerations | Local + cloud quota depending on plan | Shared cloud quota across devices/apps |
| Trash/undelete features | Traditional filesystem behavior | Concerns noted about early versions; depends on updates |
Видео: обзор облачного хранилища Lightroom
Lightroom's Cloud Sync Makes it EASIER TO EDIT 🤩
In summary, Lightroom’s cloud storage is designed to synchronize edits and provide cross-device access, while offering an optional online backup via the Creative Cloud Files folder. Understanding which files live where, how previews and originals are stored, and how space is allocated helps optimize workflows and backups across Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.