MCAT File
What are MCAT files and how to open them
Are you having problems opening a MCAT file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your MCAT files.
What is a MCAT file?
A .MCAT file is an Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog file.
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog file with the extension .MCAT is a database file used by Adobe Lightroom (often "Lightroom CC" or "Lightroom Desktop") to keep track of your photo library, edits, and metadata without making changes directly to the image files. It serves as the file that Lightroom writes to whenever you import, rate, edit, or tag photos, so it centralizes all the non-destructive edits and organizational data.
Lightroom creates an MCAT file automatically when you use Lightroom Desktop, typically named Managed Catalog.mcat. It contains references to where your original photos live, any edits you've made (like exposure, cropping, filters), ratings, labels, and album or folder structure. Because Lightroom keeps edits and metadata separate from the original photos, the MCAT file lets Lightroom quickly apply your changes without altering the image files themselves, making it safer to preview, sync, back up, or revert edits.
The MCAT file is implemented as a SQLite 3 database. It includes tables such as LocalDocs, which store information about individual assets (images or videos), and other tables that store metadata and edits. Large text or metadata values (for example, XMP data embedded in Lightroom's "Additional Metadata" feature) are stored in BLOB fields, and some of those may be compressed. The file format begins with the standard SQLite header identifying it as a SQLite database.
How to open MCAT files
We have identified one MCAT opener that is compatible with this specific type of MCAT file.
Programs that open Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Catalog files
 | Adobe Photoshop Lightroom | Verified |
Last updated: August 9, 2026
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