How can I back up and reuse custom locations in Chrome or Edge DevTools?
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VelvetMango42
I've added several custom locations in the browser's DevTools Sensors panel so I can test how websites behave from different geographic locations. Is there a built-in way to export and import these locations, create them with a script, or copy a configuration file when setting up another VM? Re-adding them manually is tedious, so I'd like to find a reliable way to reuse the same list without copying my entire browser profile.
Answers
In Chrome, the custom DevTools locations are stored in the profile’s Preferences JSON file. Typical paths are ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Preferences on Linux and %LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser DataDefaultPreferences on Windows. Search the file for the devtools location data—often associated with an overrideGeolocations or locations array—and copy that section to the matching profile on the other VM. Edge uses the same general approach; its Windows file is usually %LOCALAPPDATA%MicrosoftEdgeUser DataDefaultPreferences.
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There isn’t really a portable export button for the Sensors list. The locations are part of the browser profile’s Preferences file rather than a separate DevTools file. On macOS, Chrome normally uses ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Preferences, while Edge uses ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/Preferences. Replace Default with the relevant profile directory if you use another profile. Completely quit the browser before editing, since it may overwrite changes while running. Copy only the locations-related JSON rather than the whole file, which could also transfer cookies, extensions, and sign-in settings.
BrightOtter63: Searching for one of the saved place names is a practical way to find the correct JSON section, especially when the exact property name differs between browser versions.
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VelvetMango42: That’s exactly what I needed. Edge follows the same pattern, so I can copy the relevant JSON section instead of rebuilding the locations manually.