How to Customise the Download Location and File Handling Rules in Safari on Mac

By default, Safari on macOS saves every downloaded file into your user account's general Downloads directory and automatically unzips archives or opens certain file formats upon completion. For users juggling project-specific client assets, large ISO images, or secure documents, sending all files to a single folder quickly creates clutter and risks accidental execution of untrusted archives.

Customising Safari's download settings allows you to redirect saved files to dedicated external drives or project directories, require confirmation for every download, and prevent macOS from automatically extracting compressed files.

Changing the Default File Download Location

Redirecting Safari downloads to a custom folder prevents your main storage volume from filling up and streamlines workflow organisation:

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select Settings (or press Command + Comma).
3. Select the General tab in the upper toolbar.
4. Locate the File download location setting.
5. Click the dropdown menu and select Select (or Other…).
6. In the Finder dialog that appears, navigate to your preferred target directory (such as a project folder, iCloud Drive location, or secondary external SSD) and click Select.

Prompting for Download Location on Every File

If you prefer deciding where each download lands depending on its purpose:

1. In Safari Settings > General, click the File download location dropdown menu.
2. Select Ask for each download.
3. Whenever you click a download link in Safari, a Finder save sheet prompts you to designate a folder and edit the filename before downloading begins.

Disabling the Automatic Opening of "Safe" Files

One of Safari's most notorious default behaviours is automatically unzipping ZIP archives and opening PDFs, images, and text documents immediately after download completes. From both a storage and security perspective, disabling this option is highly recommended:

1. Navigate to Safari > Settings > General.
2. Look at the bottom of the General settings window for the checkbox labelled Open "safe" files after downloading.
3. Uncheck this box.
4. With this setting disabled, Safari saves archives and media files in their original unmodified state, leaving file extraction and execution entirely under your control.

Managing Download List Auto-Purge Rules

Safari maintains a list of recent downloads accessible from the Downloads button in the browser toolbar. You can configure when this list clears:

1. In Safari > Settings > General, find Remove download list items.
2. Choose between three retention options:
   • After one day: Keeps the list intact until 24 hours have elapsed.
   • When Safari quits: Clears the list automatically upon closing the browser.
   • Upon successful download: Removes each item from the list as soon as the transfer finishes, keeping the toolbar icon minimal.
   • Manually: Retains transfer records until you explicitly click Clear in the downloads popover.

Configuring Per-Website Download Permissions

To prevent malicious websites from triggering multiple unwanted downloads simultaneously, Safari provides granular domain-level permissions:

1. Open Safari > Settings and click the Websites tab.
2. In the left sidebar under General, click Downloads.
3. Review the list of currently open and configured domains.
4. Set the download policy for each website:
   • Ask: Prompts with a confirmation dialogue whenever the website attempts a download.
   • Allow: Permits immediate file transfers without secondary prompts.
   • Deny: Automatically blocks all download requests from that domain.
5. Use the When visiting other websites dropdown at the bottom right to set the default global security posture (recommended: Ask).