{"id":18896,"date":"2022-01-15T08:58:49","date_gmt":"2022-01-15T03:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pythonpool.com\/?p=18896"},"modified":"2026-07-13T12:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T07:08:14","slug":"python-copy-file","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pythonpool.com\/python-copy-file\/","title":{"rendered":"Copy Files in Python: shutil.copyfile(), copy(), copy2(), and copytree()"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quick answer:<\/strong> Use shutil.copyfile() when you need file contents at an exact destination, shutil.copy() when the destination may be a directory and permission mode matters, or shutil.copy2() when you want to attempt to preserve metadata.<\/p>\n

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Pick the smallest shutil function that matches the destination and preservation contract.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The safest standard way to copy a file in Python is the shutil<\/code> module. It handles the byte transfer for you and gives you separate functions for copying file content, permission bits, and metadata.<\/p>\n

The main references are the official shutil documentation<\/a>, pathlib documentation<\/a>, and os.path documentation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Use shutil.copy()<\/code> when you only need file content and permissions. Use shutil.copy2()<\/code> when the destination should keep metadata such as modification time where the operating system supports it.<\/p>\n

Before copying, decide how your program should handle missing source files, destination folders that do not exist, and existing files with the same name. Those choices are more important than the one-line copy call.<\/p>\n

Also decide whether you are copying a single file, a group of matching files, or an entire folder tree. A file copy and a directory copy use different functions. Keeping those cases separate makes the script easier to test and safer to run more than once.<\/p>\n

Use absolute paths for scheduled jobs and automation, or build paths from a known project root. Scripts launched from cron, system services, or task runners may not start in the folder you expect.<\/p>\n

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