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It’s helpful to know how to find file path on Mac, either to fix a problem or to get to a file quickly. This copies the name of the path to your clipboard so you can use it elsewhere, like in Notes as a reference or in Terminal to do more things. Over time, your Mac probably gets a huge number of files. As you make, download, and save documents, your filesystem can become cluttered and confusing.
Even people who keep a deep file tree system in good shape sometimes need help finding files. When you need to find a file that is deep in a folder, knowing the file path can help you find it quickly. We’ll show you how to get the path of a file on a Mac, how to use a Mac’s built-in file directory, and why a stand-alone app may be better than your Mac’s Finder. You can also go to the official Apple support site for more information about this.
Ways to find file path on Mac
- Right-click the file.
- Click Get Info.
Copy the file path
Obviously, it’s not easy to copy any text from the previous window. But you still need a full address for the file that you can copy and paste anywhere. So you do one extra step:
- Click on Finder.
- Click View in the upper bar.
- Click Show Path Bar.
Find the file path using Terminal
- 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.
- Enter your password.
- Now, you need to have something of an idea of 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
- 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 paste the full name and drop it into Finder or Spotlight Search.
Your Mac doesn’t think you need to know everything about a file or folder; it would rather you hunt and peck around to find what you need. This is fine for many users. Many people find it easy to find a file, but more and more Mac users want more from their Mac and the Finder app. People who have a lot of files and folders are looking for a faster, better way to keep track of them.
FAQ
How do I copy a file path on a Mac?
In Finder, click on the file whose path you want to copy while holding down the Control button. Press the Option key. In the menu that appears after step 1, you’ll see Copy become Copy [file path name] as Pathname when you press the Option key. Click Copy [name of file path] as Pathname.
How do I Copy a local file path?
- When you right-click on the item whose path you want to copy, the Windows 11 context menu will appear.
- From the context menu, click on Show more options.
- This will now bring up something that looks like the context menu in Windows 10.
- Next, choose the option “Copy as path.”
What is file path command?
With the realpath command, the absolute file names are resolved. It can show the full path to a file, among other things.