In simple terms, a managed Catalog contains the original files inside the catalog package. The referenced Catalog leaves your images in their current location and the database will simply reference these in the Library tool.
When importing images into a Catalog, in the Import To panel you will be given the following options in the Import To tool:
Copy to Catalog (managed)
Add to Catalog (referenced)
Choose Folder (which is referenced, however, the image files will be copied to that location)
Under Folders in the Library tool, you will be able to see which images are managed and which images are referenced. 'In Catalog' contains the images imported inside the database (managed) and the system folders describe where the images are located on your connected drive/s (referenced).
In case you have imported images into the Catalog as managed images (copied to Catalog) but would like to move them to another location on the drive and make them as referenced images, you can perform one simple action inside Capture One. Drag the images that are in the 'In Catalog' collection to a folder on the drive. The files will be moved out of the catalog package and placed in the system folder you choose.
Performing this move within Capture One (rather than Finder or Explorer) will retain the adjustments and image paths. Moving the files outside of Capture One will result in images marked Offline within Capture One.
Changing images from referenced to managed ones can be done in a similar way.
When to use managed vs. referenced catalogs
In most workflows, a referenced catalog is the recommended option. It allows your original image files to live outside the Catalog—typically on external drives—while the Catalog itself stores adjustments, metadata, previews, and organization. This helps free up space on the internal drive and makes it easier to scale and manage larger libraries over time.
For best performance and stability, catalogs should be stored on the internal drive, which is faster and less prone to connection issues than external or network storage. Keeping catalogs internal while referencing images from external drives provides a reliable and efficient long‑term setup.
A managed catalog can be useful in specific scenarios, such as working in the field or while traveling. In this case, images are stored inside the Catalog package itself, making the entire project easy to copy between computers without worrying about missing files.