Copy and move items

Some items in a project can be managed in ArcGIS Pro by copying and moving them to new locations. You can copy and paste items in the catalog view and the Catalog pane. Items that support copy and paste can be copied as follows:

• Click an item to select it and click Copy on the Catalog tab or the Map tab on the ribbon, in the Clipboard group.
• Click an item to select it and press Ctrl+C.
• Right-click an item in the Catalog pane or catalog view and click Copy .
• The Copy geoprocessing tool and other related tools may be able to copy and paste items that cannot be copied using the other methods listed above.

Copied items can be pasted into appropriate containers using similar techniques:

• View the contents of the destination container in the catalog view and do one of the following:
  • Click Paste on the Catalog tab on the ribbon.
  • Press Ctrl+V.
  • Right-click in the white space around the contents list and click Paste .
• Select the destination item and press Ctrl+V.
• Right-click the destination item and click Paste .

Items can also be copied or moved by dragging them to new locations. Whether the item is copied or moved is determined by a variety of rules:

• When you drag items stored in a project to another open project, a copy of the item is created in the other project.
• When you drag file-based items from one folder to another and the drop location is on another disk, a copy of the item is created in the new location. However, if the drop location is on the same disk, the item is moved.
• When you drag database items from one database to another, a copy of the item is made in the other database. When you drag an item to a new location in the same database, such as from one feature dataset to another, a copy of the item is created in the new location.
• When you drag tools from one toolbox to another, a copy of the item is made in the new toolbox. When you drag a tool to a new location in the same toolbox, such as from one toolset to another, the tool is moved to the new location.

The following project items can be copied and moved:

• Maps—Create a new map by copying and pasting an existing one to the Maps project category. A new map is created and added to the project. Maps can also be copied to a different project using the standard copy and paste methods or by dragging them from one project to the Maps category in another project.
• Layouts—Create a new layout by copying and pasting an existing one to the Layouts project category. A new layout is created and added to the project.
• Enterprise database connections—Create a new connection file by copying an existing one that has been added to the project. Copy the enterprise database in the Databases project category and paste it into the Databases project category. A new connection file is created in the same location as the original file and added to the project.
• Server connections—Create a new connection file by copying an existing one that has been added to the project. Copy the server in the Servers project category and paste it into the Servers project category. A new connection file is created in the same location as the original file and added to the project.
• File geodatabases—Create a new file geodatabase by copying an existing one that has been added to the project or that is available from a folder connection. Paste the geodatabase into the Databases project category or a folder. When the geodatabase is pasted to the Databases project category, a new geodatabase is created in the same location as the original geodatabase and added to the project. When the geodatabase is pasted to a folder, a copy of the geodatabase is created in that folder; the geodatabase is not added to the project. You can drag a file geodatabase to a folder—it will be copied or moved as appropriate.

The following items can also be copied:

• Database items—Create a new database item by copying an existing one. When the item is pasted into a database, a copy of the item and any related items are created in that database. For example, if a feature class has a relationship with a table and the feature class is copied to another database, a copy of the feature class, relationship class, and table are all created in the other database. You can also drag the item to another database or feature dataset, as appropriate, to create a copy of the item in the new location.
• File-based items stored in a folder—Create a new item by copying an existing one that is available from a folder connection. When the item is pasted into another folder, a copy of the item is created in that folder. You can also drag the item to a folder—it will be copied or moved as appropriate. All files associated with the item are copied or moved.
• Tools—Create a new model or script by copying an existing one. When the tool is pasted into a toolbox, a copy of the tool is created in that toolbox. You can also drag the tool to a toolbox or toolset—it will be copied or moved as appropriate.

Projects cannot be copied or moved in ArcGIS Pro. However, you can create a copy of the current project file (.aprx). Click the Project tab on the ribbon and click Save As. The new project file will have a copy of all items stored in the original project, such as maps, and its project items will reference all of the same resources on local or network disks. To create a copy of the project file along with a copy of all resources that are referenced by the project, create a project package.

Copy an item's path

Sometimes what you need is not the item itself, but the item's location. You can copy the selected item's location to the clipboard from the catalog view and the Catalog pane. From the clipboard, you can paste the item's location in the desired location, such as an email or the address bar of Windows Explorer or a web browser.

If the active view is the catalog view or the map view, the Copy Path button is available on the ribbon.

1. In the Catalog pane or the catalog view, select the items whose path you want to discover.

   Select items referenced by the project, items accessed from a folder connection, portal items, or favorite items.

2. Click the Copy Path button on the ribbon, in the Clipboard group.
   • If the catalog view is active, click the Catalog tab on the ribbon.
   • If the map view is active, click the Map tab on the ribbon.

Note:

When you are using a browse dialog box such as Add Data to interact with your content, you can copy the path for all selected items. Click Organize and click Copy Path.