How to Duplicate a Folder in Google Drive (Copy an Entire Folder)

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Google Drive doesn’t have a built-in “copy folder” command. As of September 2026, Make a copy appears when you right-click a file, but not when you right-click a folder. To duplicate a folder, you either copy the files inside it and move the copies into a new folder, or use Google Drive for desktop, which lets you copy a whole folder, subfolders included, with your computer’s normal copy and paste.

For a small folder with no subfolders, the browser method takes a few minutes. For a large folder or one with many subfolders, Drive for desktop is usually the easiest way to copy everything in one go.

Quick Answer

  1. Create a new, empty folder in Google Drive for the copy.
  2. Open the original folder and select all files with Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command + A (Mac).
  3. Right-click the selection and choose Make a copy.
  4. Select the new “Copy of” files, right-click, choose Organize, then Move, and move them into the new folder.
  5. Repeat for each subfolder, or use Google Drive for desktop to copy the whole folder at once.

In This Guide

Before You Start: What a Copy Includes

This guide covers Google Drive in a web browser on Windows, Mac and Chromebook, and the Google Drive for desktop app on Windows and macOS, as of September 2026.

What you need:

  • A Google Account with enough free storage. Copies you make are new files owned by you, so they generally count against your storage.
  • Access to every file you want to copy. You can copy files you own and files shared with you, unless the owner has turned off copying.
  • For Method 2, the Google Drive for desktop app installed on a Windows PC or Mac.

Know what a copy does and doesn’t carry over:

  • Carried over: the file contents and formatting.
  • Not carried over: sharing. The copied folder and files are shared only with you, even if the original was shared with a team. Share the new folder again if others need it.
  • New links: every copy has a new web address, so links pointing to the original files still open the originals.
  • Comments and version history: these generally stay with the original file. Expect the copy to start fresh.

If you only need the same folder to appear in a second place, you don’t need a copy at all. A shortcut points to the original instead. See how to add a shortcut in Google Drive.

Method 1: Copy a Folder’s Files in Your Browser

This method uses only drive.google.com. It works well for a single folder of files with no subfolders.

  1. Go to drive.google.com and open the location where you want the copy to live.
  2. Click New, then New folder. Type a name, such as “Project Files (Copy)”, and click Create. Expected result: An empty folder appears.
  3. Open the original folder you want to duplicate.
  4. Click any file, then press Ctrl + A (Windows or Chromebook) or Command + A (Mac) to select every item. Subfolders are selected too, but they can’t be copied this way. If Make a copy doesn’t appear in the next step, hold Ctrl or Command and click each subfolder to deselect it.
  5. Right-click any selected file and click Make a copy. Expected result: Drive creates a copy of each file in the same folder, with “Copy of” at the start of each name. With many files, this can take a little while.
  6. Select only the new “Copy of” files. Sorting by name or by last modified date helps group them together.
  7. Right-click the selection, point to Organize, and click Move.
  8. Browse to the empty folder you created in step 2 and click Move. Expected result: The copies leave the original folder and appear in the new one.
  9. Optional: rename the copies to remove “Copy of”. Right-click a file, click Rename, edit the name and click OK.

Menu labels can shift slightly as Google updates Drive. Google’s guide to organizing files in Drive explains the current Move and Organize options. For more on that step, see our guide on moving a document to a folder in Google Drive.

Tip for a single Google Doc, Sheet or Slides file: with the file open, click File, then Make a copy. You can name the copy and choose its folder in one step.

Copying Subfolders With the Browser Method

Make a copy only works on files, so each subfolder needs the same treatment:

  1. Inside your new folder, create a subfolder with the same name as the original subfolder.
  2. Open the original subfolder, select its files, and click Make a copy.
  3. Move the copies into the matching new subfolder.
  4. Repeat for every subfolder, working down one level at a time.

This gets slow with deep folder trees. If your folder has more than a few subfolders, switch to Method 2.

Method 2: Copy an Entire Folder With Drive for Desktop

Google Drive for desktop is Google’s free app that shows your Drive as a drive or folder on your computer. Because your computer treats it like any other folder, you can copy a whole folder, including all files and subfolders, with ordinary copy and paste. The app then syncs the new copy back to Google Drive. If you don’t have it yet, see how to install Google Drive on Windows 11.

Before you start: Drive for desktop can either stream files (they stay in the cloud and use very little disk space) or mirror them (a full copy is stored on your computer). Copying a big folder may download its contents temporarily, so check that you have enough free disk space and a stable connection. Google explains both modes on its Use Google Drive for desktop page.

On Windows

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Open the Google Drive location, usually shown as a drive letter such as G:, then open My Drive.
  3. Find the folder you want to duplicate. Right-click it and choose Copy (or press Ctrl + C).
  4. Open the place where you want the copy, still inside My Drive, and press Ctrl + V. Expected result: Windows creates the copy, often named with “- Copy” at the end if it’s in the same location.
  5. Rename the new folder if you like.
  6. Wait for syncing to finish. The Drive for desktop icon in the system tray (bottom right of the taskbar) shows progress.

On a Mac

  1. Open Finder and click Google Drive under Locations in the sidebar, then open My Drive.
  2. Right-click (or Control-click) the folder and choose Duplicate. Expected result: A folder with “copy” added to its name appears next to the original.
  3. Rename it or drag it to another location inside My Drive.
  4. Wait for syncing to finish. The Drive for desktop icon in the menu bar (top right) shows progress.

With this method, only the top folder gets a “copy” label. The files inside keep their original names. Check drive.google.com afterward to confirm every file arrived.

Method 3: Download and Re-Upload the Folder

This works without installing anything, but it’s slower and can change file formats.

  1. In Drive, right-click the folder and click Download. Expected result: Drive prepares a ZIP file and your browser downloads it. Large folders may be split into several ZIP files.
  2. Unzip the download on your computer.
  3. In Drive, click New, then Folder upload, and pick the unzipped folder.

Warning: Google Docs, Sheets and Slides are downloaded as Microsoft Office files (.docx, .xlsx and .pptx). When you upload them again, they stay in Office format unless your Drive setting Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format is turned on. Some formatting may change in the round trip. Use Method 1 or 2 when the folder contains mostly Google files.

Method 4: Scripts and Add-ons for Big Jobs

  • Google Apps Script: a free scripting tool at script.google.com. A short script can loop through a folder and copy every file and subfolder. It suits people comfortable editing code. Scripts have time limits per run, so very large folders may need the script to run several times.
  • Marketplace add-ons: the Google Workspace Marketplace lists third-party “copy folder” tools. Many ask for full access to your Drive and some charge a subscription. Review the requested permissions, and check with your administrator on a work or school account, before installing one.

Copying Folders in Shared Drives and Shared Folders

  • Folders shared with you: you can copy the files you can open, as long as the owner hasn’t disabled downloading, printing and copying. The copies belong to you and land in your My Drive.
  • Shared drives: the browser method (Method 1) works the same way inside a shared drive if you have permission to add files there. With Drive for desktop, shared drives appear in their own Shared drives folder, and you can copy a folder within or between them like any other folder.
  • Moving versus copying: moving folders into a shared drive has stricter rules than copying. Google says only managers of a shared drive can move folders into it, and a single move is limited to 100,000 items.

Which Method Should You Use?

Method Copies subfolders? Best for Drawbacks
Browser (Make a copy) No, one level at a time Small folders with only files “Copy of” names, manual moving
Drive for desktop Yes Large folders and deep folder trees Needs the app and time to sync
Download and re-upload Yes Mostly non-Google files, no app install Google files become Office files
Script or add-on Yes Repeated or very large jobs Setup, permissions, possible cost

Troubleshooting

Make a copy doesn’t appear in the menu

You probably have a folder selected. Make a copy only works on files. Deselect any folders and try again. If a single file still has no copy option, its owner may have turned off copying for viewers and commenters.

The copy is missing some files

Files you can’t access, or that the owner blocked from copying, are skipped. Shortcuts point to other files, so check whether the original target was copied. With Drive for desktop, wait until syncing finishes before checking.

Drive for desktop says there isn’t enough space

Switch to streaming, free up disk space, or copy the folder in smaller batches.

Collaborators can’t open the copied folder

Sharing isn’t copied. Right-click the new folder, click Share, and add people again.

You ran out of Google storage

Copies you own count toward your storage. Delete files you don’t need, or copy only the parts of the folder you actually need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I just right-click a folder and copy it?

Google Drive doesn’t offer a copy command for folders; only files have Make a copy. Drive for desktop is the closest built-in alternative.

Will the copied files keep their names?

In the browser, copies start with “Copy of”. With Drive for desktop, only the top folder is renamed and the files keep their names.

Does copying a folder copy its sharing settings?

No. The new folder is private to you until you share it.

Can I copy a folder to another Google Account?

Share the original folder with the other account, then sign in to that account and copy the files using Method 1 or 2.

Is a shortcut the same as a copy?

No. A shortcut opens the original file or folder, so changes appear in one place. A copy is a separate file you can change independently.

Can I copy a folder on my phone?

Expect the same limitation in the Drive mobile app: you can copy individual files, but not a whole folder in one step. A computer is much easier for whole folders.

Summary

  1. Google Drive has no native copy-folder command; Make a copy only works on files.
  2. For small folders, copy the files in your browser and move the copies into a new folder.
  3. For folders with subfolders, copy and paste the folder in Drive for desktop.
  4. Download and re-upload only when the folder holds mostly non-Google files.
  5. Re-share the new folder, because sharing isn’t copied.

Next step: If you copy folders often, install Google Drive for desktop and try duplicating a small test folder first.

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