Complete Guide to Using Catalogs – Home

This guide covers everything you need to know about using Catalogs in Capture One — from setup and organization to backup, troubleshooting, and more. Whether you're new to Catalogs or looking to optimize your workflow, this comprehensive resource has you covered.

What Are Catalogs in Capture One?

A Catalog in Capture One is a central hub for managing your entire photo workflow — including image import, organization, editing, and exporting. It’s designed for long-term projects and large image libraries, enabling you to track, search, and sort your work efficiently.

Each Catalog is a database that contains references to your original image files and stores adjustments, metadata, and user-created collections. Capture One never alters the original files; all changes are saved within the Catalog as non-destructive edits.

Capture One supports two types of workflows:

Managed workflow: Image files are physically stored inside the Catalog. These are always accessible as long as the Catalog is open, making them ideal for portability.
Referenced workflow: Images are stored outside the Catalog and simply referenced in place. This gives more control over storage location and is often used with large, external, or networked drives.

These workflows can even be combined in a single Catalog. For example, you might keep current project images managed inside the Catalog for mobility, while archiving older shoots as referenced files on an external drive.

The number of images a Catalog can contain is practically unlimited, but performance depends on available system resources and storage speed. If you begin noticing slowdowns due to volume, you can always split your library into multiple Catalogs or export portions as new ones.

Tip: To learn how Catalogs compare to Sessions, check the next section. For a visual walkthrough, watch this introductory video tutorial.

Catalogs vs. Sessions: When to Use Each

When starting a new project in Capture One, you’ll be prompted to choose between a Catalog and a Session. Each has a distinct structure and use case.

Use a Catalog when:

You need to manage and search through a large volume of images across multiple shoots.
You want advanced organization tools like Projects, Albums, Smart Albums, and Groups.
You prefer a centralized database with a flexible file structure and a searchable archive.

Use a Session when:

You’re working on a one-off shoot or a short-term project.
You shoot tethered and need quick access to captures, selects, and outputs in dedicated folders.
You want to keep everything in a simple, self-contained folder hierarchy.

You can always import a Session into a Catalog later if you decide to consolidate your workflow.

Learn more about Sessions

How Catalogs Work

Capture One Catalogs are powered by a built-in Library tool that handles the structure of your image collections, storage locations, and all associated adjustments and metadata.

Here’s how the key components interact:

Library Tool: Displays all image locations—both managed and referenced—as well as your User Collections (Albums, Smart Albums, Projects, Groups).
Variants: Every imported image can have multiple variants, which are virtual copies with separate adjustments. These are tracked within the Catalog.
Catalog Collections: Predefined views like All Images, Recent Imports, and Trash that give quick access to important segments of your image set.

The Library tool ensures seamless management of images regardless of whether they’re stored on a local drive, external storage, or network. For referenced workflows, make sure the external drives are connected when editing. Otherwise, images will show as offline, though you can still browse previews and apply certain adjustments.

Catalogs can be opened, exported, duplicated, and shared. You’re free to create as many Catalogs as your workflow requires—by client, year, theme, or purpose.

Capture One doesn’t impose a structure, so you can design your Catalog strategy based on how you shoot and work. Organize by project, chronology, subject, or task state—whatever keeps your archive clean and accessible.

Creating and Opening Catalogs

To create a new Catalog:

With Capture One open, go to File > New Catalog… or use the shortcut Shift+Cmd+N / Ctrl+Shift+N.
In the dialog that appears, enter a name for your Catalog and choose a storage location.
For best performance, store it on a fast local drive.

Choose location and name for catalog

To open an existing Catalog:

Open Capture One while holding Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) to launch the Recents window.
Select from the list of recently used Catalogs or click Browse to find one manually.

Alternate methods for opening:

Go to File > Open Recent and select a Catalog from the list.
In Finder or Explorer, right-click a .cocatalog file and choose Open with → Capture One.

Tip: If you're unsure where your Catalog is saved, use system search (e.g., Spotlight on macOS, or Start menu on Windows) for “.cocatalog”.

Importing Images into a Catalog

You can find a complete guide about importing images here: General guidelines on importing images into a Catalog

You can import images into a Capture One Catalog from memory cards, cameras, external drives, or any local or network folder. The import process lets you rename files, back them up, add metadata, and apply adjustments—all in one step.

To import images:

Choose the Import icon in the main toolbar
Select the source (e.g., card reader, camera, folder)
Choose whether to copy the files into the Catalog (managed) or leave them in their current location (referenced)
Set destination folder (for referenced), and enable backup if desired
Use the naming section to rename files using presets or custom tokens
Add metadata like copyright, description, or keywords
Optionally apply Styles or adjustments on import
Click Import All to begin

Tips:

Use Show Importer during folder sync to review and control import settings
Enable Backup to to automatically store duplicates to an external location
Apply your favorite look by selecting a Style at import

Supported file types include RAW, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD, and others. Capture One builds previews during import, allowing you to filter and select which images to bring in.

Importing External Resources Catalogs

You can import Catalogs and Sessions created in Capture One, as well as Catalogs from other software like Lightroom, Aperture, and Media Pro. This is helpful when consolidating projects into one workspace.

To import a Catalog:

Go to File > Import Catalog
Select the type of the Catalog
Navigate to the source file and confirm

Detailed guide for importing Lightroom, Media Pro, and Aperture libraries:

What gets imported:

Capture One Catalogs/Sessions: All images, adjustments, metadata, and structure
Lightroom Catalogs: Metadata (e.g., ratings, keywords), but not adjustments
Media Pro Catalogs: Metadata and catalog structure, if original file paths are intact

Make sure any referenced files are accessible during import to avoid broken links.

Importing a Session

You can import Capture One Sessions into a Catalog to organize your work and save disk space—useful when working on a laptop. The original Session stays untouched, and image files remain in their original location.

When you import a Session, Capture One brings in adjustments, metadata, and collections. Session Folders (Capture, Selects, Output, Trash) are added as Albums, and any folder marked as a Favorite is also included. Folders outside the Session or not marked as Favorites are not imported.

To import a Session:

Copy the complete Session folder (with source images and adjustments) to an external drive.
Open a Catalog on your desktop or from the external drive.
Go to File > Import Session… in the main menu.
Navigate to the Session folder and select the .cosessiondb file.
Click Import or double-click the file to bring in the adjustments and metadata. The source images stay where they are.
After verifying backups, you can delete the Session folder from your computer.

To view folder structure, you can Show/Hide Folder Hierarchy in the Library Tool.

Import Session Screenshot

Organizing Images in a Catalog

After importing images, organizing them effectively is essential for efficient navigation, filtering, and editing. Capture One supports both system-based folder organization and a flexible set of virtual tools.

Folders vs. User Collections

Folders reflect the physical location of your files, whether stored locally, on an external drive, or a network volume. The Folders tool in the Library shows the directory tree. From here, you can:

Add new folders by clicking the + (plus) icon
Remove folders using the − (minus) icon
Right-click any folder to reveal its full hierarchy

Always perform moves within Capture One to maintain accurate folder references in the database.

User Collections provide a powerful way to organize your images virtually:

Albums: Manually curated sets of images. One image can appear in multiple Albums without duplication on disk.
Smart Albums: Populated automatically based on filter criteria (e.g. rating, keyword, camera model).
Projects: Contain Albums and Smart Albums. Useful for limiting search scopes.
Groups: Can contain Projects, Albums, and other Groups. Ideal for building hierarchical structures.

You can drag images between collections, and create a nesting system (e.g., Albums inside Projects inside Groups). For example, a studio might use:

Group: "Portraits"
Project: "Studio Portraits – August"
Album: "Model A Selects"

Virtual vs. System Organization

While folders manage where your images are stored, virtual collections provide a flexible overlay for grouping and retrieving files without changing their disk location. A single image can exist in multiple Albums or Smart Albums with different purposes — client selects, retouching queue, social-ready exports, etc.

When working with virtual structures:

Changes in an image (e.g. edits or metadata) are reflected across all collections containing that image.
Smart Albums can be tuned over time by editing their search parameters.

Learn more:

Moving folders of referenced images

Moving folders of referenced images in the Finder or Explorer (Mac/Windows) will result in broken links and the images will be displayed as Offline. Fortunately, folders and their contents (i.e., source image files) can be moved from within the Catalog’s Library tool. This feature can be used to organize folders locally, but it can even be employed to move folders and their images to an external drive. This allows the Catalog to keep track of referenced images wherever they’re moved to and maintain the link between them.

Note that all of the source image files (i.e., RAW, JPEG and TIFF etc) within the folder will be moved whether they are all referenced or not. You can use the Synchronize feature to import and reference any additional images.

1. In the Library tool tab, go to the Library tool’s Folders dialog.

2. Navigate to the folder that requires moving and then click and drag to the new location.

Managing Multiple Catalogs

Capture One lets you open and work with more than one Catalog, giving you flexibility in how you organize your projects or clients. Each Catalog opens in its own window, so you can switch between them without closing the others.

To switch between Catalogs:

Go to File > Open Recent to access a Catalog you've recently used
Or choose File > Open… to browse and open a different Catalog manually

Each opened Catalog functions independently, allowing you to work in parallel across multiple projects.

To export part of a Catalog as a new one:

Select a Folder, Album, Smart Album, or Project from the Library
Right-click it and choose Export as Catalog…
In the dialog box, name your new Catalog and choose a location to save it
Optionally include referenced originals to make the Catalog self-contained

This is useful for archiving, handing off projects, or dividing large libraries.

Why use multiple Catalogs?

Separate clients or genres (e.g., weddings vs. commercial work)
Divide large libraries by year or location
Share specific projects with collaborators

Note: Capture One doesn’t allow global searches across multiple open Catalogs, so consider this when choosing how to segment your work.

Backing Up and Restoring a Catalog

Backing up your Catalog ensures that your structure, edits, and metadata are protected if anything goes wrong. Note that the backup does not include original image files—only the Catalog database itself (i.e., image adjustments, metadata, collections).

To configure automatic backups:

Go to Capture One/Edit > Preferences…
Open the General tab and scroll to Catalog Backup
Choose how often to be reminded to back up: every time, daily, weekly, etc.

Catalog backup frequency setting

You can also back up manually by going to File > Backup Catalog…

When backing up, Capture One allows you to:

Test Integrity: Scans the database for errors
Optimize Catalog: Rebuilds internal data for better performance

Backups are saved in timestamped folders within a specified directory. To change the backup location:

Click the folder icon beside Location in Preferences
Choose a folder on a local or external drive (e.g. "Capture One Backups")

Change backup location

Backup Best Practices

Use the 3-2-1 rule:

Keep 3 copies of your data
Store them on 2 different types of media
Ensure 1 copy is offsite (e.g. cloud or remote disk)

This reduces the chance of total data loss from corruption, theft, or device failure.

Restoring a Catalog

If a Catalog is corrupted or lost, you can restore it from a backup:

Try opening the Catalog — Capture One will detect issues and prompt you to Verify and Repair or Restore from backup
Select Restore from backup and choose the desired version from the list
Capture One will rebuild the Catalog database and reopen it

Backups are typically located at:

macOS: Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Capture One/Backups
Windows: Users\[username]\AppData\Local\CaptureOne\Backups

You can also open a backup directly by navigating to the folder and double-clicking the .cocatalogdb file.

Opening a backup manually

Verifying and Optimizing Catalogs

Capture One automatically verifies a Catalog each time you close it. This ensures the internal database structure is healthy. If you want to manually check a Catalog’s integrity:

Go to File > Verify Catalog or Session…
Navigate to the .cocatalogdb file and click Open

If you try to verify an open Catalog, Capture One will prompt you to close it first.

If issues are found, Capture One may attempt automatic fixes. If the database version is outdated, you’ll be prompted to upgrade the Catalog before continuing.

Database verification window

After verification:

Click Open to launch the verified Catalog
Click Verify to run the process again
Click Close to exit and reopen manually later

Regular verification helps avoid corruption and ensures that large Catalogs continue to function efficiently.

Upgrading Catalogs from Older Versions

When you open a Catalog created in an earlier major version of Capture One (e.g. version 16.3 in version 16.5), the software will prompt you to upgrade it. This process updates the database structure so it’s compatible with the latest version of Capture One and ensures optimal performance.

Important: Once upgraded, the Catalog cannot be opened in earlier versions. Always back up your Catalog before proceeding.

Choose File > Open… or double-click your .cocatalog file
If the Catalog was made in an older version, you’ll see a warning dialog
Click Upgrade to convert the database to the latest format

Upgrade Catalog prompt

This process doesn’t affect your images, adjustments, or collections — it simply updates the structure of the database. After upgrading, Capture One will reopen the Catalog automatically.

Minor updates (e.g. 16.5.9 to 16.5.10) do not require a Catalog upgrade.

You can share portions of a Catalog or the entire Catalog itself with others by exporting a Catalog. This allows teams to collaborate or split work across devices and users.

Exporting a Catalog

To export part of a Catalog:

In the Library, select a Folder, Album, Group, or Project
Right-click and choose Export as Catalog…, or use File > Export as Catalog…
Choose a name and location for the new Catalog
Check the box for Also Include Referenced Originals if you want to embed image files inside the new Catalog

Export Catalog dialog

Exported Catalogs can be opened independently, shared with others, or used as a way to archive completed projects.

Locking and Unlocking a Read-Only Catalog

To prevent others from making changes to a Catalog — for example, in a team environment — you can lock it into read-only mode:

Go to File > Lock Catalog…
Click Lock in the confirmation dialog

Once locked, others can browse and search the Catalog, but all editing tools will be disabled. An icon will appear in the lower right of image thumbnails to indicate read-only status.

To regain editing access:

Go to File > Unlock Catalog…
Click Unlock to enable editing

Deleting a Catalog

Deleting a Catalog must be done through your operating system, not from within Capture One. Be careful — if the Catalog contains managed images (stored inside the Catalog file), those files will also be deleted when the Catalog is removed.

Close the Catalog in Capture One, if it’s open.
In Finder (macOS) or File Explorer (Windows), locate the .cocatalog file and its folder.
Move the folder to the Trash (macOS) or Recycle Bin (Windows).

Important: If your images are managed and stored within the Catalog, they will be deleted permanently when the Trash/Recycle Bin is emptied. To preserve them, export or move your images before deletion.

Using Catalogs Offline

If your Catalog references images stored on external or network drives, those images may appear offline when the storage is disconnected. Capture One retains preview thumbnails and allows limited editing while the originals are unavailable.

Open the Catalog. Offline folders will appear with a ? symbol in the Library.
Click a folder and choose Show Folder Hierarchy to inspect its structure.
Make adjustments as needed — some tools may be grayed out until the original file is available again.

Offline folder indicator

When the drive is reconnected, Capture One automatically relinks the files and unlocks all editing tools.

To learn more, watch this tutorial:
Offline Browsing and Relocating Images

Creating a Catalog Template

Catalog Templates help you create new Catalogs with a pre-defined structure of Albums, Smart Albums, Projects, and Groups — useful for standardizing team workflows or reusing complex organizational layouts.

To create a template:

Open the Catalog you want to use as a template.
Go to File > Save As Template…
Name your template and choose a save location.

To use a saved template:

Click the + icon in the Library or go to File > New Catalog…
Choose a name, location, and select your saved Template from the dropdown menu.
Check or uncheck the box to decide whether to open the new Catalog alongside the existing one.

Create new catalog from template

Note: Templates do not carry over images — only the organizational structure (collections, groups, etc.).

FAQ

What’s the difference between a Catalog and a Session?

Catalogs are designed for long-term storage and multi-project management. Sessions are ideal for short-term tethered shoots or quick jobs that require immediate output.

How many images can I store in a Catalog?

There’s no fixed limit, but performance depends on your hardware, disk speed, and Catalog organization. If performance slows, consider splitting large Catalogs or using multiple Catalogs.

Can I work in a Catalog while offline?

Yes, if your Catalog has generated previews. You can apply some edits while images are offline, and they will sync once the source is reconnected.

Are my images safe in a Catalog?

Capture One never modifies originals. If you use a managed Catalog, the images are stored inside the Catalog package. Referenced images remain in their original location. Always back up both the Catalog and your image files.

Can multiple people access a Catalog?

Yes, if stored on a network drive. Only one user can edit at a time. Others may open it in read-only mode. Use Lock/Unlock functions to control access.

What happens if I delete a Catalog?

If it contains managed images, they’ll be deleted unless you move them out beforehand. Deletion is permanent once the system trash is emptied.

Troubleshooting

Catalog opens in Read-Only mode
This typically means it’s in use on another machine or wasn’t closed properly. Use File > Unlock Catalog… to regain access. If that fails, ensure the Catalog is not open elsewhere and try again.
Images are offline after moving folders
Always move folders inside Capture One’s Library. Moving them via Finder/Explorer will break links. Use Synchronize Folder to reconnect if this happens.
Missing Catalog file
Search your system for .cocatalog or use Capture One’s Recents window (hold Option/Alt on launch) to view past locations and names.
Catalog won’t open after software update
The Catalog may need upgrading. Open it in the latest Capture One version and follow the upgrade prompt.
Backup folder not saving properly
Check the backup location in Preferences. Make sure the disk is connected, writable, and not full.

Contents

Overview and Setup

Working with Catalogs

Maintenance and Support