Copy and move items

Project items in an ArcGIS Pro project include items stored on local or network drives and items stored inside the project file (.aprx). File geodatabases, toolboxes, notebooks, and database and server connection files are examples of items stored on the file system. Maps, layouts, and reports are examples of items stored inside the project file. The ways in which these two item types can be copied or moved is slightly different.

Some items stored on the file system have a different representation in the ArcGIS Pro catalog than in Microsoft File Explorer. For example, in ArcGIS Pro a toolbox displays toolsets and tools that can be individually copied and moved; the same toolbox in File Explorer appears as a single file.

Project items can be copied and moved using the following methods:

• The Copy, Cut, and Paste commands on item context menus or the ribbon
• The keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C (copy), Ctrl+X (cut), and Ctrl+V (paste)
• Drag and drop

Note:

Projects don't appear in the catalog and can't be copied or moved with ArcGIS Pro commands. You can save a project with a new name using the Save As command. This makes a copy of the project file (.aprx) only. To copy the project file, its default geodatabase and toolbox, and the data referenced by map layers, create a project package.

Copy items stored in the project file

Items stored in the project file include maps, scenes, layouts, reports, and tasks. These items can be copied within a project or copied from one project to another. They cannot be moved within a project or from one project to another.

Copy an item within a project

The following steps describe how to copy a map in the Catalog pane. The steps are the same for other item types. You can also copy and paste items in a catalog view or the Contents pane of a catalog view.

1. In the Catalog pane, browse to the Maps container . Click a map to select it or press the Shift or Ctrl keys to select multiple maps.
2. Right-click the selected map and click Copy .
3. Right-click the Maps container and click Paste .

   A copy of the map appears in the Maps container with a numeric suffix. For example, a copy of a map named Redlands is named Redlands1.

   You can also use the following methods:

   • Press Ctrl+C to copy the map and press Ctrl+V to paste it
   • Drag the selected map to the Maps container.

Copy an item from one project to another

The following steps describe how to copy a map from the Catalog pane of one project to another. The steps are the same for other item types. You can also copy and paste items between projects in a catalog view or the Contents pane of a catalog view.

1. In the Catalog pane of one project, browse to the Maps container . Click a map to select it or press the Shift or Ctrl keys while clicking to select multiple maps.
2. Right-click the selected map and click Copy .
3. In the Catalog pane of the other project, right-click the Maps container and click Paste.

   A copy of the map appears in the Maps container with the same name.

   You can also use the following methods:

   • Press Ctrl+C to copy the map and press Ctrl+V to paste it.
   • Drag the selected map to the Maps container in the other project.

   Note:

   To paste an item, you must select the appropriate item container in the target project. If the container does not exist, for example, to copy a layout to a project that doesn't have a Layouts container , drag the item to the Catalog pane. The container appears with the copied item inside it.

Copy and move items stored on the file system

Items stored on the file system include geodatabases, toolboxes, server connection files, shapefiles, .csv files, style files, and so on. When you copy these items, a new item appears on the file system in the target location. When you move these items, a new item appears on the file system in the target location and the original item is deleted.

Some items that you work with in ArcGIS Pro exist within containers, such as feature classes in a geodatabase or model tools in a toolbox. These items are accessible through the catalog but not through File Explorer. When these items are copied or moved, new items don't appear on the file system.

You can copy or move any item in the catalog if you browse to it from a folder connection. If you browse to an item from a project container, such as Databases or Toolboxes , the following rules apply:

• You may be able to copy the item. For example, you can copy a file geodatabase from the Databases container to a folder. However, this capability is only available for some item types.
• You cannot move the item.
• If the item is a container, such as a geodatabase, toolbox, or folder, you can copy and move items that it contains.

Note:

The Copy geoprocessing tool and other tools may be able to copy items that can't be copied with commands on the user interface.

Copy an item stored on the file system

The following steps describe how to copy an item accessed from a folder connection in the Catalog pane. You can also copy and paste items in a catalog view or the Contents pane of a catalog view.

1. In the Catalog pane, under Folders , expand a folder connection, browse to an item, and click the item to select it or press the Shift or Ctrl keys while clicking to select multiple items.
2. Right-click the selected item and click Copy .
3. Browse to the folder to which you want to copy the item and click the folder to select it.

   The target folder may be accessible from the same folder connection or from a different folder connection.

4. Right-click the selected folder and click Paste .

   A copy of the item appears in the target folder.

   You can also use the following methods:

   • Press Ctrl+C to copy the item and press Ctrl+V to paste it.
   • Drag and drop.

Move an item stored on the file system

The following steps show how to move an item accessed from a folder connection in the Catalog pane. You can also move items in a catalog view or the Contents pane of a catalog view.

1. In the Catalog pane, under Folders , expand a folder connection, browse to an item, and click the item to select it or press the Shift or Ctrl keys while clicking to select multiple items.
2. Right-click the selected item and click Cut .
3. Browse to the folder to which you want to move the item and click the folder to select it.

   The target folder may be accessible from the same folder connection or from a different folder connection. (You can't move an item to the folder in which it currently exists.)

4. Right-click the selected folder and click Paste .

   A copy of the item appears in the target folder. The original item is deleted from disk.

   You can also use the following methods:

   • Press Ctrl+X to cut the item and press Ctrl+V to paste it.
   • Drag and drop.

Use drag and drop to copy or move items

A convenient way to copy or move items is to drag them to new locations. When you drag an item to a valid target, a ScreenTip indicates whether the item is copied, moved, or added to the project.

The selected geodatabase, Inputs.gdb, is copied to the home folder.

Whether an item is copied, moved, or added to the project is determined by the following rules:

• Items dragged from a folder to a folder on a different disk drive are copied.
• Items dragged from a folder to a folder on the same disk drive are moved.
• Database and toolbox items dragged to different databases or toolboxes are copied (whether the target is on the same drive or a different drive).
• Database and toolbox items dragged within the same container are moved.
  • Example: A model tool dragged from one toolset to another within a toolbox is moved.
  • Example: A feature class dragged from one feature dataset to another within a geodatabase is moved.
• Items dragged to project containers are neither copied nor moved; they are added to the project.
  • Example: A geodatabase dragged from a folder to the Databases container is added to the project.
• Items dragged to invalid targets can't be dropped.
  • Example: A geodatabase can't be dropped on the Toolboxes container .

You can override the default drag and drop behavior. Press Ctrl and drag an item to force it to be copied. Press Shift and drag an item to force it to be moved.

Copy an item's path

You can copy the path to an item's location and paste it from the clipboard to other resources, such as text files, emails, the File Explorer address bar, or web browsers.

1. In the Catalog pane, under Folders , expand a folder connection, browse to an item, and click the item to select it.
2. Right-click the selected item and click Copy Path or press Ctrl+Alt+P.
3. Paste the path into the application of your choice using the application's paste command or by pressing Ctrl+V.

   Tip:

   You can copy an item's path using ribbon commands when a map or catalog view is active. Click the Map tab or Catalog tab depending on the active view. In the Clipboard group, click Copy Path . You can also copy the path for selected items on a browse dialog box. Browse to an item and select it. Click the Organize drop-down arrow and click Copy Path or press Ctrl+Alt+P.

Copy and move items in the Favorites collection

If a designated favorite item contains other items, it's possible to copy and move the contained items to new locations. For example, you can browse to an item inside a favorite folder and copy or move it to another folder (but not to an item that is itself a designated favorite). However, the recommended practice is to copy and move items on the Project tab of the Catalog pane, in a catalog view, or in the Contents pane of a catalog view.