Copy, move and rename

Copying creates items at the destination and keeps their sources. Moving transfers each item, then removes its source only after success. A skipped or failed transfer leaves its source in place. In S3Client, renaming an S3 object or prefix uses a copy followed by a deletion.

Prepare the source and destination#

You need permission to read the source and write to the destination. Moving also requires permission to delete the source. An S3 folder requires permission to list its contents. Retention, versioning or archive restrictions can prevent some steps; see versions and deletions and archives.

Open the source folder in one pane and the destination folder in the other. You can select several files and folders. Each item keeps its name under the destination: copying images into backup creates or merges backup/images. The Source and Destination paths in the options dialog are read-only.

The destination must be a writable folder, bucket or S3 location that accepts objects. A selection containing both a folder and one of its descendants, two references to the same item, or a copy onto itself is rejected. Delete markers have no content to transfer.

Source conditions for S3 copies#

In the destination account’s File > Accounts… > Edit… > Capabilities > Transfers, Copy only if the source ETag matches protects CopyObject requests; Copy parts only if the source ETag matches protects each UploadPartCopy request. Enable each capability only if the service enforces that condition for every usable source, including objects created by multipart uploads.

Unchecking a capability directly permits copying without that condition. This also affects moves, renames, property rewrites and synchronization. An unversioned or mutable source can change after observation: a single-request copy can read a later revision, and a multipart copy can combine revisions. Both Google presets disable these capabilities.

S3Client retains its preliminary checks, selected versions and destination validation. Downloads, destination writes and deletions retain their own conditions when available. These checks do not replace the missing source condition; a move deletes its source only after the copy succeeds and is validated.

Copy or move using the clipboard#

A failed step can leave a moved folder tree partly at the source and partly at the destination. Moving a selected historical version permanently deletes that version after a successful copy. Check replacements before confirming them.

1. Select the files or folders in the source pane.
2. Choose Edit > Copy (Ctrl+C on Windows) to keep the sources, or Edit > Cut (Ctrl+X) to move them.
3. Activate the destination pane and open the target folder.
4. Choose Edit > Paste (Ctrl+V) to use default options, or Edit > Paste with options... to open Transfer options - S3Client.
5. If the dialog opens, check the paths and source list, select Copy or Move, set the options, and click the matching button.
6. Respond to any merge or overwrite prompts and check the operation result.

In the context menu, Paste into targets the selected folder; Paste uses the target location indicated by that context. On macOS only, Move items here (Option+Command+V) forces a move of the clipboard items when that action is available. Copy URL to Clipboard retrieves an address and is separate from the transferable selection created by Copy.

Drag and drop#

Drop the selection onto the destination folder. Without a modifier, S3Client selects a move on the same local volume or within the same physical bucket, and a copy between different storage locations. Use the keys below to choose the action explicitly.

Dragging with the right mouse button also requests the options dialog. Copy and Move are disabled when the selection or destination does not allow that action.

Merge folders#

If a folder with the same name exists, Merge folders shows the affected source and destination paths. Merge combines their contents and keeps destination-only items. Cancel declines the merge. Merging does not automatically authorize overwriting files with matching names; those require a separate decision.

Copies preserve the folder tree and empty folders. Local folder traversal depends on the hidden-file, system-file and link options described in transfer options. Exclusions can leave items in the source folder after a move.

Rename an item#

On S3, a new name creates new keys and may create new versions. If renaming a folder fails, some objects may already be in the folder with the new name while others remain in the old folder. Older versions are not moved along with the current object.

1. Select an editable file or folder in its pane.
2. Choose Rename from its context menu, or press F2.
3. Enter the new name in the row and press Enter.
4. Check that the operation has finished, the new name is present, and the current source entry has disappeared.

An occupied name is a rename conflict, not permission to replace the existing item. S3 renaming aims to preserve the source metadata, ACL, storage class and encryption. If an encryption decision or SSE-C key is requested, provide it before continuing. Account and bucket constraints may prevent preservation.

ACL preservation is requested only when Enable ACL operations for this account is enabled. Otherwise, renaming objects and folders uses the destination default without ACL requests or headers, including for children and folder markers. Preservation of the ACL and owner is not guaranteed if the service still uses ACLs, even within the same bucket. See local ACL deactivation.

Understand source deletion#

Moving a current S3 object deletes it according to bucket versioning. It may create a delete marker and leave earlier versions, so moving is not a history purge. Moving a selected historical version permanently deletes that version. Retention can prevent deletion.

If source deletion fails, the destination copy and the source may both exist. After an error or interruption, check both locations and the errors, then transfer the remaining items.