Silly Tavern on macOS: install, paths, and what “Mac” changes

This note covers three practical questions: how to run Silly Tavern on a Mac, where files live, and how that relates to editing character cards outside the browser. The first two are here; editors and workflows are in ST card editor on macOS and macOS Silly Tavern card edit workflow.

For editing cards on disk, see ST card editor on macOS and macOS Silly Tavern card edit workflow. Import/export and backup topics are gathered in Silly Tavern cards, Mac & PNG — FAQ.

Not official Silly Tavern documentation. Install steps and menu labels change between releases—always check docs.sillytavern.app and your build’s release notes.

What “Silly Tavern on macOS” actually is

Silly Tavern is a Node.js web app with a local server UI. On macOS, you typically:

1. Install Node (LTS) from nodejs.org or a version manager.
2. Clone or download the project, run npm install / start per upstream instructions.
3. Open the URL the terminal prints (often http://127.0.0.1:8000—port can differ).

Apple Silicon (M-series) and Intel Macs both work; performance is dominated by your API or local model, not the menu bar.

Where data and cards usually go

Exact paths depend on how you installed Silly Tavern and which “data root” you chose. In many setups you will find a data/ tree with characters/ containing .png character cards. Treat that folder as the source of truth for imports/exports—see How to download and what you installed for the big picture.

Tip: Before bulk edits, copy the folder or use your own backup habit (Time Machine, git for JSON exports, etc.).

macOS-specific friction (honest list)

• Terminal comfort: first-time users may need to allow local network / firewall prompts depending on how you expose the server.
• File paths: Finder hides some folders; use Go → Go to Folder… when docs reference ~/… paths.
• Case sensitivity: macOS default volumes are usually case-insensitive; still avoid renaming files with only case changes when syncing to Linux servers later.

How this ties to character cards

Cards are PNG files with embedded JSON (see What is a Character Card?). Running Silly Tavern on macOS does not change the spec—it changes how you navigate files and which editor you pair with ST (built-in vs external). Next reads:

• ST card editor on macOS
• macOS Silly Tavern card edit workflow

See also

• Silly Tavern card editors (series index)
• Character card design — structuring fields for RP
• AI character card design — LLM-assisted drafting

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Browse, preview, and edit embedded JSON in PNGs locally on Mac with Sillycard.