Projects

Projects are the main working containers in Lightworks. A project holds your imported clips, bins, sequences, edits, project settings, custom metadata definitions, and the information Lightworks needs to reconnect everything later.

The Project Browser is where you create, open, organise, archive, restore, and remove projects. It is also where you choose which Project Space you are working in.

What a project contains

A project is more than a folder of media. It stores the structure of your work, and can include:

• Clips and imported items - the assets you bring into Lightworks.
• Bins and organisation - the way you group and arrange material.
• Sequences and edits - your timelines and versions.
• Project settings - settings that apply to the project.
• Custom metadata - extra fields you define for clips or markers, if available.
• Links to media - references to the media files used by the project.

Media may be copied, linked, generated, or stored separately depending on your workflow. A project archive can include the project data and selected media, but a project itself should not be treated as the only copy of your original camera files.

Note: There is no Save command. Lightworks saves your work continuously, so your project is always up to date.

Project Spaces

A Project Space is a location that contains a set of projects. Think of Project Spaces as separate work areas - you might use them for different clients, departments, jobs, seasons, or storage locations.

Examples:

• Local Projects - your normal local project location.
• A client Project Space - all projects for one client.
• A production Project Space - all projects for one show or series.
• A shared or remote Project Space - a managed location that may include users, permissions, sign-in, or server features.

Project Spaces appear as tabs across the top of the Project Browser. Selecting a tab changes which set of projects you are viewing.

Why Project Spaces matter

Good Project Space management keeps projects easier to find and safer to maintain. Use separate Project Spaces when:

• Work should be separated - different clients, shows, or departments.
• Storage locations are different - local, external, network, or remote services.
• User access matters - shared spaces can control who can see or modify work.
• Archives and backups need structure - keeping related projects together makes long-term management easier.

Avoid using one large Project Space for every job forever. It becomes harder to search, archive, and clean up.

The Project Browser

The Project Browser shows the projects in the selected Project Space. Common controls include:

• Project Space tabs - switch between Project Spaces.
• Project Space settings - manage the selected Project Space.
• Create Project - make a new project in the current Project Space.
• Restore Project - restore a project from a Lightworks archive.
• Search - filter the visible project list by name.
• Sort - sort projects by name, modification date, or creation date.
• Project cards - open and manage individual projects.
• System Settings - access application-level settings before entering a project.
• Version label - shows the Lightworks version, and may also show hardware or licence information.

Creating a project

1. Open the Project Browser.
2. Select the Project Space where the project should live.
3. Click Create Project.
4. Enter a project name.
5. Add notes if useful.
6. Configure custom metadata if required and available.
7. Click Create.

A project name is required before the project can be created.

Project name

Use a clear name that will still make sense later. Good examples:

• Client - Campaign - 2026
• Documentary Series - Episode 03
• Product Launch - Online Cut

Avoid names like Test, New Project, or Final - they become confusing when you have many projects.

Notes

Notes are useful for short project descriptions, such as a client or job reference, delivery format, project status, important media locations, or archive and handover notes. Because notes are searchable, a job code in the notes makes a project findable even when its name is not.

Advanced project setup

If advanced project setup is enabled, the create panel includes a details page and an advanced page. The advanced page can include Custom Metadata setup if your licence and project type support it. Custom metadata lets you define extra fields for assets and markers before the project is created.

Opening a project

To open a project, select it in the Project Browser and open it from the project card. You can also double-click a project, hover over it and click Open, or press Return when it is selected.

When you return to the Project Browser, the project you used most recently is already highlighted, so pressing Return immediately reopens it. If Reopen last project is enabled in System Settings, Lightworks can automatically reopen that project when the application starts.

Warning: If an older project needs upgrading, Lightworks warns you before opening it. Upgrading creates a new independent copy for the current version. Changes made after upgrading will not appear in the older version, so back up important work before upgrading.

Finding and sorting projects

Use search and sort when a Project Space contains many projects.

Search

The search field filters the visible projects as you type. It matches against the project name, notes, and owner. Use short, distinctive terms such as client name, episode number, job code, or year.

Sort

The sort menu chooses what to sort by - Name, Modification date, or Creation date. A separate direction button toggles ascending or descending order. The default is descending, so date sorts show the newest projects first.

A practical workflow is to sort by modification date while actively working, then use names and Project Spaces for long-term organisation.

Resizing project cards

Hold Ctrl (Cmd on macOS) and scroll over the project area to make the project cards larger or smaller. There are seven sizes, and your choice is remembered between sessions.

Keyboard navigation

Combined with search, you can find and open a project without the mouse: type a few characters, arrow to the project, press Return.

Project card actions

Hovering over a card reveals an Open button and a settings (three dots) menu. Right-clicking the card opens the same menu. If a background task is running for a project, a progress ring shows over its thumbnail, and actions such as Archive and Delete are unavailable until the task completes.

Available actions depend on permissions, project type, and whether background tasks are running.

• Rename - changes the project name shown in the Browser. You can also click the title on the card and type a new name. Renaming does not change your edit decisions or media.
• Rooms - in Flexible layout mode, a project can offer room options. A room stores the arrangement of screen objects for that project.
• Restore Items - opens the recovery panel for deleted items, when the undelete feature is enabled. This recovers clips, bins, or sequences deleted by mistake - it is not the same as recovering deleted media files from disk.
• Custom Metadata - define or change project-level metadata fields for assets and markers, if available.
• Reveal - opens the project location in the operating system file browser.
• Archive - creates a Lightworks project archive for backup, transfer, or storage.
• Delete - permanently deletes the project (see below).

Danger: Deleting a project is permanent. It can remove project data and local media files for clips in that project, unless those files are shared with another project. You cannot recover a deleted project unless you have a backup or archive.

Archiving projects

Archiving packages a project for backup, transfer, or storage.

1. Right-click the project in the Project Browser.
2. Choose Archive.
3. Choose the destination folder.
4. Enter a name, or leave the name automatic.
5. Choose what media to include.
6. Choose the overwrite behaviour.
7. Click Start.

The archive panel calculates the required space before the archive is started.

Archive options

• Include local media - includes local high-resolution media created, copied, or stored by Lightworks.
• Include linked media - includes files that were linked rather than copied into Lightworks storage.
• Include proxy media - includes generated proxy media.
• Overwrite behaviour - Update an existing archive, Overwrite to replace it, or New to create a new one.

Use New or Update for normal backups. Use Overwrite only when you are sure the older archive is no longer needed.

Restoring projects

Restore Project brings a project back from a Lightworks archive.

1. Open the Project Browser.
2. Select the Project Space where the restored project should be placed.
3. Click Restore Project.
4. Select one or more Lightworks archives.
5. Confirm the restore.

Restored projects appear in the current Project Space. Use restore to bring back archived work, move a project from another system, test that an archive is complete, or recover after a storage problem.

Tip: A good backup practice is to restore important archives occasionally to confirm they are usable.

Deleting projects safely

Deleting a project is permanent unless you have a working backup or archive. Before deleting:

• Check that the project is no longer active.
• Make an archive if the work may be needed again.
• Confirm whether media files are shared with other projects.
• Check with collaborators before deleting shared work.
• Make sure no locked sequences or active users are using the project.

If Lightworks reports that a project cannot be deleted, it may be locked, in use, or restricted by permissions.

Managing Project Spaces

Use the Project Space settings menu beside the Project Space tabs to manage the selected space. Available options depend on the Project Space type and your permissions.

• Create Project Space - make a new location for projects. You provide a name, location, optional notes, and users if supported. Names must be unique, and a Project Space cannot be created inside another.
• Hide Project Space - removes the space from the Browser without deleting it from disk. Add it back later with Unhide.
• Unhide Project Space - adds an existing space back to the Browser, including one stored on another drive.
• Rename Project Space - changes the name on the tab. The default Local Projects space cannot be renamed.
• Reveal Project Space - opens the space location in the operating system file browser.
• Delete Project Space - removes the space from storage. It must be empty first, and the default Local Projects space cannot be deleted.
• Manage Project Space users - where supported, controls who can access the space. Shared or remote spaces may require sign-in or support working offline.

System Settings in the Project Browser

The Settings button controls application-level settings useful before opening a project. These are covered in detail in Application preferences, and include:

• User interface - appearance, window style (Fixed or Flexible), reopen last project, hints and tooltips, key assignments, and full-screen monitor choice.
• Hardware - console and Mackie support, scopes, default hardware, audio output device, video output format, and output and GPU tests.
• Information - reveal system logs and view credits. Include your log when raising support requests or confirming your configuration.

Version and status information

The status text at the bottom of the Project Browser shows the Lightworks version label.
A New Version Available button will appear at the top of the Project Browser if an update is detected.

Good project habits

• Use clear names - include client, job, episode, version, or date where useful.
• Use Project Spaces deliberately - separate unrelated work and keep active jobs, archives, tests, and client work in sensible locations.
• Archive before major cleanup - make an archive and store it safely before deleting old projects.
• Keep notes useful - record what another editor or future you will need.
• Do not rely on one copy - important work should exist in more than one place.
• Check media choices when archiving - if linked media is excluded, the restored project needs the original files; if proxies are excluded, they may need regenerating.
• Be careful with manual file changes - Reveal is useful, but moving or deleting files by hand can break a project. Use Lightworks tools where possible.