WTF Folder

What is a WTF Folder and How to Back it up in World of Warcraft

If you use World of Warcraft addons, your UI setup is more than just the addons you install. Your profiles, positions, character settings, ElvUI layout, Details windows, nameplate settings, and many other personal changes are saved in different folders inside your WoW installation.

One of the most important folders is the WTF folder.

The name looks strange, but every WoW player who uses addons should understand what it does. If you delete it without a backup, you can lose your addon settings and may need to rebuild your entire UI from scratch.

In this guide, I will explain what the WTF folder is, where to find it, how to back it up, how to restore it, and what actually happens when you reset folders like WTF, Interface, and Cache.

Quick Overview

Here is the short version:

• The WTF folder stores many of your WoW settings and addon profiles.
• The Interface folder stores the addon files themselves.
• The Cache folder stores temporary game data.
• If you delete the WTF folder, your addon settings may reset.
• If you use ElvUI, your ElvUI profile is saved through addon data inside the WTF folder.
• The safest reset method is to rename folders first, not delete them immediately.
• Always back up your WTF and Interface folders before reinstalling addons, resetting your UI, or importing a new profile.

What Is a WTF Folder in World of Warcraft?

The WTF folder is a folder inside your World of Warcraft installation that stores settings for your account, characters, and addons.

In practical terms, it is where a big part of your personal WoW UI setup lives.

When you change addon settings, move UI elements, create addon profiles, adjust character-specific options, or save certain layout data, those settings often end up inside the WTF folder.

That means your addons are not only “installed” in WoW. They also create saved data. This saved data is what makes your setup feel personal.

For example, your addon files may tell WoW that ElvUI is installed. But your ElvUI profile, frame positions, colors, fonts, and layout choices are saved separately. That data is usually stored through saved variables inside the WTF folder.

Where to Find the WTF Folder

Your exact path depends on where World of Warcraft is installed and which version of the game you play.

A common Windows path looks like this:

C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft\_retail_\WTF

For Classic versions, you may see folders like:

World of Warcraft\_classic_\WTF
World of Warcraft\_classic_era_\WTF

On Mac, the World of Warcraft folder is often inside Applications:

/Applications/World of Warcraft/_retail_/WTF

If you are not sure where WoW is installed, open the Battle.net launcher, select World of Warcraft, click the cogwheel next to the Play button, and choose the option to show the game folder in Explorer or Finder.

From there, open the version folder you want to back up, such as _retail_, _classic_, or _classic_era_.

What Does the WTF Folder Store?

The WTF folder can contain account-wide and character-specific data.

You may see a structure similar to this:

WTF
└── Account
    └── YourAccountName
        ├── SavedVariables
        ├── RealmName
        │   └── CharacterName
        │       └── SavedVariables
        └── config-cache.wtf

The exact contents can vary, but the important idea is simple:

Account-wide settings

These are settings that apply across your WoW account or addon profile. Many addons store global settings here.

Example:

WTF\Account\YourAccountName\SavedVariables

Character-specific settings

Some addons also save settings per character. This is useful when one character has a different layout, spec, role, or profile.

Example:

WTF\Account\YourAccountName\RealmName\CharacterName\SavedVariables

Addon saved variables

Many World of Warcraft addons create saved variable files. These files are what preserve your addon configuration after you log out.

This can include data for addons like:

• ElvUI
• Details!
• BigWigs
• Plater
• Raider.IO
• TradeSkillMaster
• Profession or farming addons
• UI and quality-of-life addons

Not every addon stores data in exactly the same way, but the WTF folder is the main place players should back up when they care about preserving addon settings.

WTF vs Interface vs Cache: WoW Folders Explained

When players talk about resetting the WoW UI, they often mention three folders: WTF, Interface, and Cache.

These folders do different things.

WTF folder

This is the folder you should be most careful with. Deleting it can remove saved addon profiles and character-specific settings.

If you use a custom WoW UI setup, this folder is extremely important.

Interface folder

The Interface folder contains your installed addons, usually inside:

Interface\AddOns

If you delete this folder, you are removing the addon files themselves. Your settings may still exist in the WTF folder, but the addons will not load until you reinstall them.

Cache folder

The Cache folder contains temporary data. It is usually the least risky folder to reset. WoW can rebuild it when you launch the game again.

Clearing the Cache folder can sometimes help with odd display issues, outdated tooltips, or temporary data problems.

Why You Should Back Up Your WTF Folder

You should back up your WTF folder if you care about your addon settings.

This is especially important if you:

• Use a custom ElvUI profile
• Have spent time building your own WoW UI setup
• Use character-specific addon profiles
• Import xScarlifeUI or another UI package
• Are reinstalling WoW
• Are moving to a new PC
• Want to reset your UI but might need to restore it later
• Are troubleshooting addon errors after a patch

A backup gives you a safety net.

Without a backup, resetting your WTF folder can mean rebuilding your UI manually. That can be annoying if you had a clean setup for Mythic+, raids or PvP.

How to Back Up Your WTF Folder Safely

Before you touch any WoW folder, fully close the game.

Do not back up or replace folders while World of Warcraft is running. Addon settings are saved when you log out or reload, so changing files while the game is open can cause problems.

Step 1: Close World of Warcraft

Log out and close the game completely.

It is also a good idea to close the Battle.net launcher if you are doing a full folder reset.

Step 2: Open your WoW installation folder

Go to your World of Warcraft installation folder.

For Retail, open:

World of Warcraft\_retail_

For Classic, open the correct Classic folder instead.

Step 3: Copy the WTF folder

Right-click the WTF folder and copy it.

Paste it somewhere safe, such as:

• Your desktop
• An external drive
• A cloud storage folder
• A dedicated WoW backup folder

Step 4: Back up the Interface folder too

For a complete addon backup, also copy:

Interface

The WTF folder saves many addon settings, but the Interface folder contains the actual addon files.

For most players, the best backup is:

WTF
Interface

Optional folders you may also want to save:

Screenshots

Step 5: Rename your backup clearly

Use a name that makes sense later.

Example:

WoW_Retail_UI_Backup_(date)

You can also create a zip file:

WoW_Retail_WTF_Interface_Backup_(date).zip

This makes it easier to store, upload, or move to another PC.

How to Restore a WTF Folder Backup

Restoring a backup is simple, but again, make sure WoW is closed first.

Step 1: Close WoW

Exit the game completely.

Step 2: Go to the correct version folder

Open the version of WoW you want to restore.

Example:

World of Warcraft\_retail_

Step 3: Rename the current folders

Before replacing anything, rename your current folders.

For example:

WTF

to:

WTF_Current

And:

Interface

to:

Interface_Current

This gives you another safety net.

Step 4: Copy your backup into the WoW folder

Copy your backed-up WTF and Interface folders into the same location.

You should now have:

World of Warcraft\_retail_\WTF
World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface

Step 5: Launch WoW and test

Open the game and check your UI.

If your addons are installed and the saved variables match your account and character, your settings should return.

How to Reset the WTF Folder Without Losing Everything Forever

If your UI is broken, addons are throwing errors, or your layout feels corrupted, you may want to reset your WoW folders.

The safest method is to rename folders instead of deleting them.

Safe reset method

Close WoW, then rename these folders:

Cache
Interface
WTF

to:

CacheOld
InterfaceOld
WTFOld

Then launch World of Warcraft again.

WoW will create fresh versions of those folders.

This gives you a clean UI without permanently deleting your old setup immediately.

Why renaming is safer than deleting

If the reset does not fix your problem, you can restore your old setup by removing the newly created folders and renaming your old folders back.

For example:

WTFOld

back to:

WTF

This is much safer than instantly deleting everything.

What Happens When You Delete WoW Folders?

Deleting WoW folders can help with troubleshooting, but each folder has different consequences.

If you delete the Cache folder

WoW will rebuild it.

This is usually safe and can help with temporary issues.

If you delete the Interface folder

Your installed addons will be removed.

Your addon settings may still exist in the WTF folder, but the addons themselves will not load until you reinstall them.

For example, if you delete Interface but keep WTF, you could reinstall ElvUI and still have your old ElvUI profile available, as long as the saved variables are still intact.

If you delete the WTF folder

This is the big one.

Deleting WTF can reset many addon settings, profiles, and character-specific UI data.

This may affect:

• ElvUI profiles
• Details! windows and profiles
• BigWigs settings
• Addon profiles
• Character-specific addon settings
• Some UI layout data
• Saved addon configuration

If you are trying to fix a broken UI, deleting WTF can help. But if you do it without a backup, you may lose your setup.

If you delete all three folders

Deleting Cache, Interface, and WTF gives you a much cleaner reset.

This is useful when you want to troubleshoot serious UI problems or addon conflicts.

But it also means:

• Addons need to be reinstalled
• Addon profiles may be gone
• Your UI setup may need to be rebuilt
• Imported profiles may need to be imported again

For most players, renaming the folders first is the better choice.

Best Backup Tips for ElvUI Profiles and WoW UI Setups

If you use ElvUI, xScarlifeUI, or any custom WoW UI setup, your backup routine matters.

Back up before importing a new profile

Before importing a new ElvUI profile, back up your WTF folder.

This makes it easier to return to your old setup if you do not like the new layout or something imports incorrectly.

Export important profiles when possible

Some addons allow you to export profiles or strings.

For example, ElvUI profiles can be exported as import strings. Keeping a separate copy of your favorite profile string is useful.

A folder backup is still important, but exported profiles give you an extra layer of protection.

Back up both WTF and Interface

For a proper UI backup, save both folders:

WTF
Interface

The Interface folder gives you the addons.
The WTF folder gives you the settings.

Together, they are much more useful than either one alone.

Keep separate backups for Retail and Classic

Retail and Classic use different version folders.

Do not assume one backup covers everything.

Back up the correct folder for the version you play:

_retail_
_classic_
_classic_era_

Make backups before major patches

Major patches can sometimes break addons or reset parts of your setup.

Before a big patch, make a quick copy of your WTF and Interface folders. It only takes a minute and can save a lot of frustration.

Watch out for addon managers and cloud sync

Addon managers can reinstall addon files automatically.

Cloud sync tools like OneDrive can also restore or overwrite files if they are syncing your WoW folder.

If your reset “does not work,” check whether an addon manager or cloud backup tool is putting old files back.

Recommended Backup Routine

For most WoW players, this is enough:

1. Close World of Warcraft.
2. Open your WoW version folder, such as _retail_.
3. Copy WTF and Interface.
4. Paste them into a backup folder.
5. Rename the backup with the date.
6. Repeat before big patches, UI changes, or addon resets.

Example backup name:

WoW_Retail_UI_Backup_Before_ElvUI_Import_(date)

This makes it clear why the backup was made.

FAQ

What is the WTF folder in WoW?

The WTF folder is a World of Warcraft folder that stores many account, character, and addon settings. If you use addons, this folder is important because it can contain saved profiles and configuration data.

Does the WTF folder contain my addons?

Not exactly. The addon files are stored in the Interface\AddOns folder. The WTF folder stores many of the settings and saved variables those addons use.

Will deleting the WTF folder reset my ElvUI profile?

Yes, it can. ElvUI profile data is saved through addon settings, which are stored inside the WTF folder. If you delete WTF without a backup, your ElvUI setup may be lost or reset.

Should I delete or rename my WTF folder?

Rename it first. Renaming WTF to WTFOld lets WoW create a fresh folder while keeping your old setup available. If the reset works and you no longer need the old data, you can delete it later.

What folders should I back up before reinstalling WoW?

For addon users, back up at least WTF and Interface. You may also want to back up Screenshots if you care about your in-game screenshots.

Can I move my WoW UI setup to another PC?

Yes. Copying your WTF and Interface folders to the same WoW version folder on another PC can restore your addons and many addon settings. Make sure WoW is closed before replacing folders.

Final Word

The WTF folder may have a funny name, but it is one of the most important folders for World of Warcraft addon users.

If you only remember one thing from this guide, remember this: your addons live in Interface, but many of your addon settings live in WTF.

Before you reset your UI, import a new ElvUI profile, reinstall WoW, or move to another PC, back up your WTF and Interface folders. It is a small habit that can save your entire WoW UI setup.

If you are using xScarlifeUI, it is also a good idea to keep a backup before importing or updating profiles.