Customize the Asset Store cache ___location

The Package Manager maintains a cache for packages that you get from the Asset Store. The Package Manager stores this cache in a default ___location, which you can override.

You might want to override the Asset Store cache ___location for several reasons:

• You want to save space on your internal drive.
• You want to store the cache on a shared drive, which is accessible to others.
• You want to store the cache in a folder that’s not in a system directory.

By default, the Package Manager uses the following folder structure for its Asset Store package cache:

<asset-store-cache-root>
  └── Asset Store-5.x
      └── <subfolders for Asset Store vendors>

For information on the default ___location of the Asset Store package cache root, see Location of downloaded asset files.

Note: The Package Manager maintains separate caches for registry packages and Asset Store packages. For information on overriding the default ___location for the global cache, see Customize the global cache ___location.

To override the default ___location of the Package Manager’s cache for Asset Store packages, you can use the following methods:

• The Preferences window is the recommended method because of its ease and permanence. When you change the package cache ___location using this method, Unity stores the preference for the current session and future sessions.
• The ASSETSTORE_CACHE_PATH environment variable method isn’t permanent, but advanced users might find it preferable in specific use cases.

Important notes before you begin

• Regardless of the method you choose, changing the cache ___location tells the Package Manager to use that ___location going forward. Existing packages that Package Manager stored in the original ___location remain in that folder structure.
• If you used the environment variable method to change the cache ___location, then you can’t use the Preferences window to change the ___location.

Using the Preferences window

To use the Preferences window to override the default ___location of the Asset Store package cache, follow these steps.

1. Use one of the following methods to open the Preferences window:

   • Open the Unity menu (macOS) or the Edit menu (Windows and Linux) and select Preferences.
   • Open the Package Manager window, click the settings icon , and select Preferences.

2. Select the Package Manager category.

3. Under My Assets open the menu beside Cache Location .

4. Choose Change Location.

5. Choose a new ___location for the Asset Store package cache.

Using the environment variable

In scenarios that involve automation or continuous integration, it’s less practical and more error prone to configure settings in a configuration file or a preferences window. In such scenarios, you might consider setting the ASSETSTORE_CACHE_PATH environment variable to override the default ___location of the Asset Store package cache.

Important: Follow these guidelines when you use this method:

• Close the Unity Editor and Unity Hub if they’re already running before setting the environment variable.
• Launch the Unity Editor or Unity Hub from the same command prompt or terminal session where you set the environment variable.
• You must set the ASSETSTORE_CACHE_PATH environment variable every time you launch Unity.

For information on setting environment variables, refer to the documentation for your operating system. For an introduction to environment variables, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_variable.