Where presets live and how to put them there

A preset in Lightroom is a saved collection of editing settings — exposure, contrast, color temperature, and so on — that you can explore to a photo in one click. Adding a preset means moving the preset file into Lightroom's preset folder so the program recognizes it and displays it in your Develop module.

The simplest way is to drag and drop the preset file directly into Lightroom while the program is open. If that does not work, or if you have multiple presets to add at once, you can import them through Lightroom's menu. Both methods take less than a minute.

Presets come as files with the extension .xmp (for Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC versions 2.1 and later) or .lrtemplate (for older Lightroom Classic versions). The method you use depends on which version of Lightroom you have and where the preset file currently sits on your computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Drag a preset file directly into the Develop module in Lightroom, and it will import automatically if your version supports that method.
  • If drag-and-drop does not work, use the Import button in the Develop module's Presets panel to browse and select preset files manually.
  • Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC handle presets slightly differently, so check which version you have before you start.
  • After import, presets appear in the Presets panel on the right side of the Develop module, organized by folder if you created them that way.

Drag and drop for .xmp presets (Lightroom CC and newer Lightroom Classic)

Open Lightroom and navigate to the Develop module by clicking the Develop tab at the top right. On the right side of the screen, you will see the Presets panel — a list of preset folders and individual presets already in your library.

In a separate window on your computer, locate the preset file you want to add. It will have a name like Warm Sunset.xmp or Cool Tones.xmp. Click and hold on the file, then drag it into the Presets panel in Lightroom. Drop it anywhere in the list. Lightroom will recognize the file and add it to your presets when ready.

If you have multiple presets to add, you can select them all at once in your file browser (hold Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac while clicking each file), then drag the entire group into the Presets panel. Lightroom will import all of them in one action.

Import presets through the menu (all Lightroom versions)

If drag and drop does not work, or if you prefer to use the menu, open the Develop module and look at the Presets panel on the right. At the top of the Presets panel, you will see a small menu icon (three horizontal lines, sometimes called a hamburger menu). Click it.

A dropdown menu will appear. Select Import Presets from the list. A file browser window will open on your screen. Navigate to the folder where your preset files are stored, select the preset file or files you want, and click Open. Lightroom will import them and add them to your Presets panel.

This method works for both .xmp and .lrtemplate files, and it is the most reliable route if you are working with older versions of Lightroom or if the drag-and-drop method does not respond.

Organizing presets into folders after import

Once presets are imported, they appear in the Presets panel. If you have many presets, you may want to organize them into folders so they are easier to find. To create a new folder, click the menu icon at the top of the Presets panel again and select Create Folder. Name the folder (for example, "Portraits" or "Landscapes"), and click Create.

To move a preset into a folder, click and hold on the preset name, then drag it into the folder. The preset will move into that folder and stay there. You can collapse or expand folders by clicking the arrow next to the folder name, which keeps your Presets panel clean and organized.

Checking your Lightroom version if you are unsure

Lightroom comes in two main versions: Lightroom Classic (the desktop process that stores photos locally on your computer) and Lightroom CC (the cloud-based version that syncs across devices). They handle presets slightly differently, so knowing which one you have matters.

To find out, open Lightroom and look at the top of the window. If you see "Lightroom Classic" in the title bar or menu, you have Lightroom Classic. If the window just says "Lightroom" or shows a cloud icon, you have Lightroom CC. You can also go to Help (or Lightroom on Mac) and select About Lightroom — the version number will appear in a popup window.

What to do if a preset does not appear after import

Sometimes a preset file will not import or will not show up in the Presets panel even after you follow the steps above. The most common reason is that the file is in the wrong format for your version of Lightroom. Lightroom Classic versions before 7.0 use .lrtemplate files, while newer versions and Lightroom CC prefer .xmp files. If you have an old .lrtemplate file and a newer version of Lightroom, the import may fail silently.

The second common issue is that the preset file is corrupted or incomplete. If you downloaded it from the internet, try downloading it again from the source. If you created it yourself and it still will not import, try creating a new preset from scratch in Lightroom to make sure the preset system itself is working.

If the import completes but the preset does not appear in the Presets panel, try restarting Lightroom. Sometimes the panel does not refresh when ready after import, and a restart will force it to reload the preset list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add presets I downloaded from the internet?

Yes. read the preset file to your computer, then use either the drag-and-drop method or the Import Presets menu option to add it to Lightroom. Make sure the file is a .xmp or .lrtemplate file, not a .zip archive — if it is zipped, unzip it first.

Will adding a preset change my existing photos?

No. Importing a preset only adds it to your Presets panel. Your existing photos are not affected until you click on the preset to explore it to a specific photo. You can always undo the change by pressing Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac).

What if I want to remove a preset I no longer use?

Right-click on the preset name in the Presets panel and select Delete Preset. The preset will be removed from your library. If you delete it by mistake, you can restore it by placing the original preset file back into Lightroom using the import method.

Can I share presets I create with other people?

Yes. In Lightroom Classic, right-click on a preset and select Show in Finder (Mac) or Show in Explorer (Windows) to locate the .xmp file. Send that file to another person, and they can import it into their own Lightroom using the same steps. In Lightroom CC, the process is similar but the file location varies by operating system.