Finder fixes and how-tos

Jump to any path with Go to Folder

Updated 2026-10-30 · 3 min read

Go to Folder takes a typed or pasted path and opens it in Finder, hidden folders included. Here is how to use it, and what to check when it says the folder can't be found.

Open it and type a path

1. In Finder, press ⇧⌘G, or choose Go > Go to Folder… from the menu bar.
2. Type or paste a path, such as ~/Library/Preferences or /usr/local.
3. Press Return.

Apple's keyboard shortcut list gives ⇧⌘G as “Open a Go to Folder window”. Start with / for the top level of the disk, or ~ for your home folder. A trailing / tells Finder the path is a folder rather than a file.

What helps while you type

Apple's guide describes these behaviours:

• Matching folders appear as you type. Suggestions can match the beginning, middle or end of a folder name.
• Suggestions forgive small spelling mistakes.
• Tab accepts the suggestion you've partly typed.
• Up Arrow and Down Arrow scroll through suggested and recent paths.

That last one means a path you used before is a couple of arrow presses away. For folders you opened by clicking, the Go menu's Recent Folders submenu does a similar job.

It reaches folders Finder hides

Go to Folder doesn't care that a folder is hidden. These all work:

~/Library
/Library/Fonts
/usr/local
/private/var

Your Library folder is also reachable from the Go menu: hold Option and Library appears. Go to Folder is faster when the folder is deeper, such as ~/Library/Application Support/<AppName>. Folders on the sealed system volume, such as /System/Library, open too, but they are read-only. Look, don't change. For more on what lives where, see how macOS file paths work.

In Open and Save dialogs

Open and Save dialogs accept ⇧⌘G too and show a path box of their own, since they share Finder's code for it. This is how you save a file straight into a hidden folder or pick one from there. If the shortcut does nothing, click in the dialog's file list first, so the keystroke doesn't go to a text field, and try again.

When it says the folder can't be found

Finder's message is “The folder “…” can’t be found.” Check these in order:

1. A typo or a folder that doesn't exist. Use the suggestions as a spelling check; if nothing suggests, the path may be wrong.
2. Quotes around the path. A path pasted from a document or a script often brings its quote marks along. Delete them; Go to Folder doesn't need them, even for names with spaces.
3. Backslashes. Terminal escapes spaces as \ , so a path copied from Terminal can read My\ Files. Remove the backslashes: My Files.
4. A trailing space after a pasted path.
5. A folder you can't read. Finder says “The folder “…” can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents.” That's a permissions or privacy matter, not a typing one. See file permissions on a Mac.

Getting a path to paste

If the folder is already on screen, you don't need to type its path. Select it, open the Edit menu and hold Option: Copy turns into Copy “name” as Pathname. The result pastes straight into Go to Folder, with no quotes or backslashes. View > Show Path Bar displays the current folder's path along the bottom of the window as well. More on this in copying a file's path.

Apple also lists shortcuts for the common destinations, which are quicker than typing:

• ⇧⌘D opens Desktop and ⇧⌘O opens Documents.
• ⇧⌘H opens your home folder.
• ⌥⌘L opens Downloads and ⇧⌘I opens iCloud Drive.

The Terminal equivalent

open does the same job from Terminal, and there the backslashes are fine, because the shell reads them before open sees the path:

open ~/Library/Preferences
open -R ~/Desktop/Report.pdf

The first opens the folder in Finder. -R reveals a file in its folder with the file selected. Quote a path with spaces, or escape them: open "/Users/Shared/My Files".

When you don't know the path

Go to Folder needs a path you already have. If you only remember a folder's name, type it into Everywhere, for example folder:Invoices, and press ⌘↵ to reveal the folder in Finder. Everywhere indexes ~/Library and hidden folders, but folders inside Desktop, Documents and iCloud Drive appear only once it has Full Disk Access.

Common questions

What is the shortcut for Go to Folder on a Mac?

Press Shift-Command-G in Finder, or choose Go > Go to Folder… from the menu bar. Open and Save dialogs accept the same shortcut and show a path box.

How do I open the Library folder with Go to Folder?

Press Shift-Command-G, type ~/Library, and press Return. You can also hold Option while opening the Go menu and choose Library.

Why does Go to Folder say the folder can't be found?

The path has a typo, carries quote marks or backslashes from a paste, has a trailing space, or doesn't exist. Remove quotes and backslashes first, then use the suggestions as a spelling check.

How do I use Go to Folder in Terminal?

Run open followed by the path, such as open ~/Library. It opens the folder in Finder. Add -R to reveal a file in its folder instead.