---
title: "copyItem(at:to:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/filemanager/copyitem(at:to:)"
---

# copyItem(at:to:)

Copies the file at the specified URL to a new location synchronously.

## Declaration

```swift
func copyItem(at srcURL: URL, to dstURL: URL) throws
```

## Parameters

- `srcURL`: The file URL that identifies the file you want to copy. The URL in this parameter must not be a file reference URL. This parameter must not be nil.
- `dstURL`: The URL at which to place the copy of srcURL. The URL in this parameter must not be a file reference URL and must include the name of the file in its new location. This parameter must not be nil.

## Mentioned in

About Apple File System

## Discussion

Discussion When copying items, the current process must have permission to read the file or directory at srcURL and write the parent directory of dstURL. If the item at srcURL is a directory, this method copies the directory and all of its contents, including any hidden files. If a file with the same name already exists at dstURL, this method stops the copy attempt and returns an appropriate error. If the last component of srcURL is a symbolic link, only the link is copied to the new path. Prior to copying each item, the file manager asks its delegate if it should actually do so. It does this by calling the fileManager(_:shouldCopyItemAt:to:) method; if that method is not implemented (or the process is running in OS X 10.5 or earlier) it calls the fileManager(_:shouldCopyItemAtPath:toPath:) method instead. If the delegate method returns true, or if the delegate does not implement the appropriate methods, the file manager proceeds to copy the file or directory. If there is an error copying an item, the file manager may also call the delegate’s fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:copyingItemAt:to:) or fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:copyingItemAtPath:toPath:) method to determine how to proceed. note: In Swift, this method returns Void and is marked with the throws keyword to indicate that it throws an error in cases of failure. You call this method in a try expression and handle any errors in the catch clauses of a do statement, as described in Error Handling in The Swift Programming Language and About Imported Cocoa Error Parameters.

## See Also

### Moving and copying items

- [copyItem(atPath:toPath:)](foundation/filemanager/copyitem(atpath:topath:).md)
- [moveItem(at:to:)](foundation/filemanager/moveitem(at:to:).md)
- [moveItem(atPath:toPath:)](foundation/filemanager/moveitem(atpath:topath:).md)