Backup-first editing
Keep the untouched original before changing Geo.
A pinned PC save passed decode, Geo edit, re-encode, and decode again. In-game load-save-reload is still pending, so keep the original before editing user1.dat to user4.dat.
Free · private · browser-based
Hollow Knight Save Editor
Edit Geo or inspect detailed save values online. Your PC save is processed locally in this browser and is never uploaded for editing.
Upload your save
Stays in your browser.
Upload your userX.datDrop it here or choose it from your deviceChoose save file
Find your save file
Copy this folder path
Hollow Knight save location guide%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/Team Cherry/Hollow Knight/Paste into File Explorer. The numbered user files are stored directly in this folder. Choose user1.dat to user4.dat.
Two games, two focused tools
Editing a Silksong save instead?
The file container is related, but the editable fields are not interchangeable. Use the original game tool here and the dedicated Silksong editor for Rosaries, Shell Shards, and Silksong recovery actions.
Useful without pretending every field is safe
What You Can Edit
This online Hollow Knight save editor reads the same encrypted PC save format used by established open-source tools. It gives non-technical players a guarded Geo control and keeps the decoded data available for advanced, deliberate edits.
Geo Quick Edit
Change playerData.geo only when that numeric field already exists in a recognized original Hollow Knight save. The control never creates a missing Geo field.
Advanced Mode
Search the decoded save and inspect nearby values before editing. It is intended for players who already know the exact field and understand that progression flags can depend on one another.
Exact Original Backup
Download the exact bytes you uploaded before making a change. This gives you a direct rollback file even if the edited copy does not behave as expected in game.
Local Browser Processing
Decryption and re-encryption happen in your browser. Your save contents do not need an account and are not sent to a server for processing.
Backup first, change one thing, test twice
How to Edit a Hollow Knight Save
Close and back up
Exit Hollow Knight and Steam before copying the save folder. Keep a dated folder backup somewhere outside the live game directory.
Upload the right slot
Choose user1.dat through user4.dat. Confirm the slot and, if a version is displayed, confirm it. Then download the original backup before changing Geo or opening Advanced Mode.
Replace and verify
Put the edited copy in the correct folder with the original slot name. Load it, make a normal in-game save, quit fully, and load it again before treating the edit as successful.
Watch Steam Cloud during replacement
Steam Cloud can restore a different copy if the local and cloud versions conflict. Keep both candidates, compare timestamps, and never delete the only known-good file while resolving a sync prompt.
Official PC folders
Hollow Knight Save File Locations
Team Cherry lists these folders for the original Hollow Knight. The numbered filename normally matches the profile slot, but modification time and in-game playtime are safer checks than the filename alone.
Windows
%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/Team Cherry/Hollow Knight/macOS
~/Library/Application Support/unity.Team Cherry.Hollow Knight/Linux
~/.config/unity3d/Team Cherry/Hollow Knight/Preserve related files such as user1.dat.bak1 and older version-labelled copies when making a full-folder backup. Upload only the numbered userX.dat PC file to this editor. These are Team Cherry's standard desktop paths; Microsoft Store or Game Pass installs may use a WGS container, which this page does not extract or support.
A file-format difference, not official cross-save
PC and Nintendo Switch Compatibility
PC userX.dat · codec-validated
This release decodes the encrypted PC save locally and restores the same container when you download. The round-trip has passed on the pinned public fixture described below; keep a backup because in-game loading is still a separate test.
Exported Switch JSON
Not supported yet. Switch backups use a different plain-JSON format, so they need a separate input mode, validation path, and test fixture.
No official cross-save
Nintendo stores Switch save data in system memory and does not let users copy it to microSD through the normal menu. Do not treat file conversion tools as an official PC-to-Switch sync feature.
Direct answers
Hollow Knight Save Editor FAQ
Does this Hollow Knight save editor upload my save?
No. The PC userX.dat file is read, decrypted, edited, and re-encrypted by code running in your browser. The save is not sent to this site for editing. Analytics can record that an upload succeeded or failed, but not the file contents, filename, or values inside the save.
Is this an HK save editor for the original Hollow Knight?
Yes. Here, HK means the original Hollow Knight game. This page accepts its encrypted PC user1.dat through user4.dat files; use the separate Silksong editor for Hollow Knight: Silksong saves.
What can I edit safely with the quick editor?
The first release deliberately limits Quick Edit to the existing playerData.geo field. Health, nail strength, Essence, charms, and progression can depend on several related values, so they are available for careful inspection in Advanced Mode rather than being presented as one-click safe changes.
Where is the Hollow Knight save file on PC?
Hollow Knight uses numbered files such as user1.dat through user4.dat. On Windows they are under AppData/LocalLow/Team Cherry/Hollow Knight; on macOS under Library/Application Support/unity.Team Cherry.Hollow Knight; and on Linux under .config/unity3d/Team Cherry/Hollow Knight.
How do I back up a Hollow Knight save before editing?
Close the game and copy the entire Hollow Knight save folder to a dated folder outside the live location. Then upload a copy of the intended userX.dat and use Download Original Backup. The browser backup is named like user1.original-backup.dat; rename a copy back to its original userX.dat slot name only when restoring it. Keep both untouched copies until the edited slot loads, saves normally, and still works after a full restart.
Why did my edited Hollow Knight save revert?
Steam Cloud may have restored a different local or cloud copy, or the file may have been placed in the wrong slot or account folder. Preserve both candidates, compare timestamps and in-game progress, then test one copy while the other remains safely outside the live save folder.
Can I edit health, charms, abilities, or 112% completion?
Those values are visible in Advanced Mode, but this page does not offer one-click edits for them. Health, equipment, abilities, and completion depend on related counters and flags; changing one guessed value can create an inconsistent save. Geo is the only guarded Quick Edit in this release.
Can this page convert a PC save to Nintendo Switch?
Not in this release. The editor accepts encrypted Hollow Knight PC userX.dat files. Switch exports use a different plain-JSON format and normally require a compatible homebrew backup workflow before a browser tool can access them. Hollow Knight has no official PC-to-Switch cross-save flow, and Switch save data cannot be copied to a microSD card through the normal system menu.
Can the editor recover a missing or deleted Hollow Knight save?
It can edit a readable file you still have, but it cannot recover bytes that are gone. Preserve the whole folder first, check Steam Cloud carefully, and inspect the matching userX.dat.bak1 or older version-labelled backup without renaming or deleting the only copy.
Reviewed September 16, 2026
Sources and Compatibility Basis
The validator decoded that pinned version 1.5.12620 user1.dat, changed Geo from 6122 to 777, re-encoded it, and decoded it again with every other decoded value unchanged. Its SHA-256 is dec50287208c17ef53ce047a6af75deb0c70466bc5ebe66091612e2a44e373c7. A real in-game load-save-reload pass is still required before claiming complete version-wide compatibility.