This is obscure, but I ran across this recently and thought it might help someone else out. I frequently need to copy the path to a file on my Mac or on a server, so that I can include that path in documentation or in a support email with a customer. Here’s how to do it:
- You can also use Automator to create a Service that copies a selected file or folder's path to the clipboard. Launch Automator, select Service, and that it receives selected files and folders in any application.Save, and name it e.g. Copy File or Folder path. Just select a file or folder in Finder or any other program that works in a similar way and invoke your new service from the Application.
- I frequently need to copy the path to a file on my Mac or on a server, so that I can include that path in documentation or in a support email with a customer. Here’s how to do it: 1. Select the file you want in the Finder. Choose File Get Info (command-i) 3. Select the full path next to.
- Navigate to the file or folder you wish to copy the path for Right-click (or Control+Click, or a Two-Finger click on trackpads) on the file or folder in the Mac Finder While in the right-click menu, hold down the OPTION key to reveal the “Copy (item name) as Pathname” option, it replaces the standard Copy option Once selected, the file.
- You can select the path to the file's parent folder in an info window and copy it. Screenshot by Topher Kessler/CNET To copy the file path of a file or folder as a text string that you can paste.
Mac OS X doesn’t have an obvious way to view the exact text based path to a folder (otherwise known as a directory) in the finder window. You can have it show a graphical path, but getting just the text based path to a directory (for use in the Terminal for example) requires a couple of extra steps.
1. Select the file you want in the Finder
2. Choose File > Get Info (command-i)
3. Select the full path next to “Where” in the Get Info dialog box
4. Choose Edit > Copy (command-c)
The file path is now on the clipboard, and can be pasted into a text document or an email. The path will look like this after pasting:
/Users/keithgilbert/Dropbox/Stock/Vector/Open Clipart Library/openclipart-0.18-svgonly/clipart/education
UPDATE:
I just discovered by reading Dan Rodney’s excellent list of Mac Keyboard Shortcuts that if you select a file in the finder and press command-option-c the path name is copied. This method also puts the filename on the end of the path, so in my example above, the result is:
/Users/keithgilbert/Dropbox/Stock/Vector/Open Clipart Library/openclipart-0.18-svgonly/clipart/education/logaritmic_diagram_01.svg
YET ANOTHER UPDATE:
Jamie McKee at MacKey Composition alerted me to this: You can right-click on a file or folder in the Finder, and then hold down the option key and choose “Copy [filename] as Pathname”.
Wow. I had no idea there were so many ways to do this. Good to know!
When you’ve got loads of files — hundreds or even thousands isn’t unusual after a couple years using the same Mac — it can be difficult to get the correct file path. We attempt to solve this problem in this article for those tired of looking for files and file paths on a Mac.
After trying Spotlight Searches or browsing through files, you might be ready to give up. At times, not knowing the right name can cause software conflicts. But don't despair. There is always a way to locate a file path.
How to get a file path on a Mac?
To get a basic understanding where you file is located, just right click the file.
- Right-click the file
- Click Get Info
Look up what’s written under Where:
The selected area shows the enclosed folder of your document.
How to copy the file path
Copying any text from the previous window isn’t easy, obviously. But still you need a complete file address that you can copy and paste anywhere. So you do one extra step:
- Click on Finder
- Click View in the upper bar
- Click Show the Path Bar
Interestingly, the file path will immediately appear underneath the Finder window.
- Now, Control + Click the file you want the location for
- Hold the Option key
You will see the new command that has appeared in the context menu — Copy …. as Pathname
- Click on the selected command
You are now ready to paste. This information is pasted into the Clipboard. Make sure to complete pasting/moving it elsewhere, or this will be lost and you will need to find the folder again.
And that is how to get folder path in Mac. Nice and simple.
How to find the file path using Terminal
Also known as a folder path, or directory path, they aren't always easy to find. When every other method has failed, turn to Terminal as your solution.
- Go to Applications > Utilities.
- Launch Terminal.
- Make sure you are using it as a Super User (which means being logged in as an Admin), so type in
sudo su— then press Return. - Now you need to have something of an idea what this file might be called, so once you do, type in the following (the name in the middle is where you’d put a file name):
find / -name randomfilename -print - Give it time to process the query, which could take several minutes.
- A list of names should appear, some or many of which you can ignore as they will be followed by file-end names, such as “operation not permitted”; so focus on the ones that make the most sense, such as:
/Library/Application Support/randomfilename/settings/ - Now copy and past the full name and drop it into Finder or Spotlight Search.
Hopefully, this will bring you to the file you need.
A shortcut to see unlisted (grayed out) files
For those who love Apple, which for many is more than a tech company, it’s a representation of a lifestyle, a brand that has many fans, we’ve got a fun fact for you. Did you know there is a shortcut combination to see hidden files?
This shortcut should work for anyone running macOS Mojave, High Sierra, and Sierra, and anything beyond OS 10.12. Here is how you access the shorcut:
- From Finder, go anywhere where you suspect there are hidden files, such as the the Macintosh HD root directory, or Home folder
- Next, press down the Command + Shift + Period keys, which should toggle to show hidden files in that folder.
- As you press the shortcut the keys are visible: when you switch it off, they dissapear again.
Any hidden files that have been made visible will have greyed out names and icons.
How to find other hidden files on Mac?
Vba File Path For Mac
It isn't always easy to know where you’ve put every file on your Mac.
After a couple years of constant use, a Mac can start to resemble a cluttered old-school file cabinet. Files in places that once make sense, but are now in the wrong place. Files and folders that should be in the right place, but have been put somewhere else. Files that seemingly don't exist, or are floating around elsewhere.
One solution to this is to download CleanMyMac X. It’s a handy and easy-to-use Mac performance improvement app. It comes with a few tools for finding unlisted, hidden, and large old files that have slipped through the cracks. Here is how you use it:
File Path For Microsoft Edge
- Download CleanMyMac X (download a free edition here).
- Click on Space Lens.
These blue bubbles represent all your documents in relation to their size. You can dive into each of these folders to reveal their contents — a more visual alternative to Finder.
File Path For Mac Desktop
You can also use the Large & Old files scanner (in the same app). Either or both features will highlight a few gigabytes worth of space you can free up, uncovering files that can easily slip through the cracks and become forgotten. By the way, CleanMyMac X is notarized by Apple, which means this app is malware-free and safe to use on your Mac.
File Path Format
For those with a lot of files, or Mac users badly in need of making more hard drive space, CleanMyMac X is an invaluable tool. We hope you found this article useful about how to locate and copy the file path details when searching for what you need.