How to Delete Projects in Premiere Pro (3 Simple Steps)

Got a bunch of old Premiere Pro projects piling up? Maybe you're done editing a video and just want to clear out some space. Deleting a project in Premiere Pro isn’t hard, but it’s not something you do inside the program itself. You’ll need to handle it from your computer’s file system.

Here’s how to do it without accidentally deleting anything important.

1. Locate your project file

Premiere Pro saves each project as a .prproj file. That’s the main file you’re looking for.

• If you remember where you saved it, just head there using File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
• If you’re not sure where the file is saved, open the project in Premiere Pro. Then, right-click on the project tab at the top of the timeline window and choose Reveal Project in Explorer (Windows) or Reveal Project in Finder (Mac). That’ll take you straight to where the file lives on your computer.

2. Delete the project file

Once you've found the .prproj file:

• Right-click on it
• Select Delete (Windows) or Move to Trash (Mac)

That removes the actual project file from your system. Just make sure you're deleting the right one, especially if you have similar names like Project_v1, Project_v2, etc.

3. Clean up associated folders

Deleting just the .prproj file doesn’t always free up much space. If you want a full cleanup, look for these extra folders:

• Auto-Save: Usually found in the same folder as your project. It stores backup versions.
• Media Cache: This is where Premiere stores temporary files like peak files and conformed audio.
• Preview Files / Render Files: These can take up a lot of space over time.

You can safely delete these if you're done with the project:

• Go into those folders manually and delete them
• Or use Premiere Pro's built-in cleanup tool:
• • Go to Edit > Preferences > Media Cache (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Media Cache (Mac)
  • Click Delete Unused

That helps keep your drive tidy without affecting other projects.

Final Thoughts

Deleting a Premiere Pro project is really about cleaning up your own files outside of the app. Just remember that removing the .prproj file won’t touch any of your original media unless you manually delete those too. So if you're trying to free up space, check for cached files and extra folders while you're at it.

Once you've done this a couple of times, it'll become second nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete a project file?

Find the .prproj file on your computer using File Explorer or Finder, then right-click and choose Delete (Windows) or Move to Trash (Mac). That removes the main project file from your system.

How do I delete a project in Project?

If you're referring to Adobe Premiere Pro, there's no "delete" button inside the app for full projects. You need to manually find and delete the .prproj file using your computer's file system.

How do you delete in Premiere Pro?

To delete clips or assets inside a timeline or bin:

1. Select the item
2. Press Delete on your keyboard
   This removes it from that sequence or bin but doesn't affect your original media on disk unless you manually delete that too.

How do I delete unused files in Premiere?

Go to:

1. Edit > Preferences > Media Cache (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Media Cache (Mac)
2. Click Delete Unused
   This clears out temporary files that aren't linked to any current projects, freeing up disk space safely.