Manage content caching from the command line on Mac

You can use the AssetCacheManagerUtil utility in the Terminal app on your Mac to manage content caching from the command line. The utility is also useful if you need to manage content caching on a headless or remote Mac. To manage content caching on another Mac, log in to the other Mac using ssh.

Most AssetCacheManagerUtil commands require root privileges and must be used with the sudo command.

The general form of the command is:

AssetCacheManagerUtil [options] command

Action				Example
Display content cache settings.				`$ AssetCacheManagerUtil settings`
Display content cache status.				`$ AssetCacheManagerUtil status`
Find out whether content caching is on.				`$ AssetCacheManagerUtil isActivated`
Find out whether content caching can be turned on.				`$ AssetCacheManagerUtil canActivate`
Import an existing cache from another computer.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil absorbCacheFrom /Volumes/SomeVolume/Library/Application\ Support/Apple/AssetCache/Data read-only`
Move an existing cache to another computer.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil moveCacheTo /Volumes/SomeVolume/Library/Application\ Support/Apple/AssetCache/Data`
Reload the content cache settings.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil reloadSettings`
Remove all cached content.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil flushCache`
Remove all cached iCloud content.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil flushPersonalCache`
Remove all cached shared (non-iCloud) content.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil flushSharedCache`
Turn off content caching.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil deactivate`
Turn on content caching.				`$ sudo AssetCacheManagerUtil activate`

For more information about the commands, see the AssetCacheManagerUtil man page.

Helpful?

macOS User Guide

Manage content caching from the command line on Mac