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.
Yosemite users special note
Apple removed the ability to easily copy the file path in OS X Yosemite. Yosemite users must now follow a complicated procedure of creating a Service to do this simple task or take the path directly from the command line.
El Capitan - Built in file path copy function
If you are a El Capitan user you are in luck, Apple has now created a specific command to capture the file path. Instructions on how to use this can be found here.
Classic Mac Os Finder
Apple’s macOS Finder has evolved slowly over the years. It started simple, got faster and more refined, but never evolved dramatically. But Cocoatech’s Path Finder, now at version 8, has. 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.
Mavericks and below - How to find the Absolute Path to a folder on Mac OS X
Here are the instructions for finding the file path on Mavericks and below...
The first thing to do is identify the folder you need to know the full path for. In this example it’s the “month 1″ folder of my Insanity Workout folder (and yes, I did buy Insanity, directly from Amazon actually and these are my back-ups. It’s not pirated like so much Beachbody stuff unfortunately is!):
Now we can simply press the “cmd+i” keys together to open up the “Get Info” window. This displays various bits of info about the folder as you can see below:
You can see that the Get Info window contains the line “Where:” followed by the text folder path. This is the path to the folder we have been looking for. The path to the folder is highlighted and made clearer in the screenshot below:
You can now copy this text based absolute folder path and paste it into your Terminal window. NOTE – If the directory path contains spaces, as the example i have used in this post does, you MUST use ” quotation ” marks around the path when typing it into the Terminal. The screenshot below demonstrates this:
Why might I need to know how to find the path to a folder on Mac?
Knowing the text based absolute path to a folder can be useful for a number of reasons. Being able to locate the precise path allows you to unlock the full power of the Terminal, which can often be faster and more efficient that using the Graphical User Interface.
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.
Yosemite users - special note
Apple removed the ability to easily copy the file path in OS X Yosemite. Yosemite users must now follow a complicated procedure of creating a Service to do this simple task or take the path directly from the command line.
El Capitan - Built in file path copy function
If you are a El Capitan user you are in luck, Apple has now created a specific command to capture the file path. Instructions on how to use this can be found at teh link below:
Mavericks and below - How to find the Absolute Path to a folder on Mac OS X
Here are the instructions for finding the file path on Mavericks and below...
The first thing to do is identify the folder you need to know the full path for. In this example it’s the “month 1″ folder of my Insanity Workout folder (and yes, I did buy Insanity, directly from Amazon actually and these are my back-ups. It’s not pirated like so much Beachbody stuff unfortunately is!):
Now we can simply press the “cmd+i” keys together to open up the “Get Info” window. This displays various bits of info about the folder as you can see below:
You can see that the Get Info window contains the line “Where:” followed by the text folder path. This is the path to the folder we have been looking for. The path to the folder is highlighted and made clearer in the screenshot below:
You can now copy this text based absolute folder path and paste it into your Terminal window. NOTE – If the directory path contains spaces, as the example i have used in this post does, you MUST use ” quotation ” marks around the path when typing it into the Terminal. The screenshot below demonstrates this:
Why might I need to know how to find the path to a folder on Mac?
Knowing the text based absolute path to a folder can be useful for a number of reasons. Being able to locate the precise path allows you to unlock the full power of the Terminal, which can often be faster and more efficient that using the Graphical User Interface.
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:
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/1/7/8/117804673/738366386.jpg)
Path Finder Mac Os X
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.
![Path Finder For Mac Os X Path Finder For Mac Os X](/uploads/1/1/7/8/117804673/971882897.jpg)
Any hidden files that have been made visible will have greyed out names and icons.
How to find other hidden files on 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:
- 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.
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.
Os X Version Mac For Free
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.