How to go to a folder in Finder on Mac: shortcut, steps and fixes

Finder has a box for typing a location straight in. You skip the clicks through Documents, then a project folder, then a subfolder you need once a month. You type the path, press Return, and Finder opens the folder. Nothing needs installing. The box is part of macOS, and it works as long as Finder is the active app.

The fastest route: Go to Folder and a typed path

Apple's current guide describes the method in one line. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, then start typing a pathname. Matching folders appear as you type. Press Return or double-click the destination, and you are there. The rest of this page fills in the details the one line leaves out, such as how the path characters behave and what to do when nothing matches.

How the path box reads what you type

A path is a list of folder names separated by slashes. Finder reads it from left to right. The first character decides where the path starts. A leading slash (/) starts at the top level of the folder structure. The tilde (~) means your home folder, the one that usually holds Documents, Music and Pictures. Those two starting points cover most of the paths you will type.

A trailing slash is a small detail with a real effect. Apple's guide says a trailing slash marks the entry as a folder. So ~/Documents/ tells Finder you mean the folder itself. Get in the habit of ending a path with a slash when you know the last part is a folder. The list then treats that last part as a folder.

Long paths are easier when you type them in pieces. Type the first folder name, check the list, then add the next name and a slash. The list narrows with every character. You rarely need to recall the full path from memory, which is where typos creep in.

Shortcuts for the folders you open most

Apple's Mac keyboard shortcuts page lists shortcuts for several standard folders. Each one skips the path box entirely. Use them when the folder is one of the standard places. For a folder inside a project, the path box is still faster than clicking through the sidebar.

• ⇧⌘H opens your home folder.
• ⇧⌘O opens Documents.
• ⇧⌘C opens Computer.
• ⌥⌘L opens Downloads.
• ⌘K opens Connect to Server, for a network share.
• ⌘↑ opens the folder that contains the current folder.

Apple's shortcuts page shows a published date of September 14, 2026. If a shortcut does nothing on your Mac, check that page against your macOS version before you assume the shortcut is broken. Keep the ones you use most in a note until they feel automatic.

Open Library, the hidden folder

The Library folder is hidden by default, so it does not show up in the normal Finder views. Apple's guide gives a menu route to it. Hold the Option key, click the Go menu, and choose Library. You can also type ~/Library in the Go to Folder box to reach the same place.

Paste a path from another app or a note

Sometimes the path is already in front of you. A colleague sends a path in a chat, or a log file lists where something lives. Copy the path, open the Go to Folder window, press ⌘V, and then press Return. You avoid retyping, and you avoid typos in long folder names with spaces or odd characters.

Check the first character after you paste. A path that starts with ~ or / works as written. If you copied only part of a path, Finder may not find the folder, so compare the text with the path shown in the source. Apple's guide confirms that you can paste a copied pathname and press Return.

Use recent folders instead of retyping

Finder remembers folders you have used. Inside the Go to Folder window, the Up and Down arrows scroll through suggested and recent pathnames. That is faster than typing a folder you visited yesterday. How many recent items the Go menu keeps is a setting. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Menu Bar, and look at Recent documents, applications, and servers. Raise the number there if you want a longer list.

Mistakes people make with Go to Folder

• Leaving out Shift. The shortcut needs Shift and Command together. Apple lists it as ⇧⌘G.
• Typing a name with no starting character. Type ~/Documents, not Documents. Finder reads the first character to decide where to start.
• Mixing up / and ~. /Documents starts at the top level of the folder structure. ~/Documents starts in your home folder. They are different places.
• Forgetting the trailing slash on a folder. Add a slash after the last name so Finder treats the entry as a folder.
• Using Go to Folder to find a file by name. Go to Folder opens folders. To find a file, use Finder search instead.
• Assuming the path works on another Mac. A path points to a location on this Mac, so a colleague's Mac may hold a different layout.

When a folder opens with no files or no access

Sometimes the path is correct and the folder still shows nothing useful. Finder may open the folder but show no files, or it may refuse changes inside. The usual cause is permissions. Apple's Get Info window controls who can read and change a folder.

Select the folder, choose File > Get Info, and open the Sharing & Permissions section. Click the lock at the bottom of the panel and authenticate. Pick a user or group, then choose Read & Write, Read only, Write only (Drop Box), or No Access. Read & Write lets you add and change files. Apple's permissions page covers these changes, but it does not explain every error message, so read any dialog closely before you act on it.

Which macOS version this page follows

This page follows Apple's guide, which is labeled macOS 27 Golden Gate. The guide shows no explicit version number or update date, so check your own version. Apple's Mac Help welcome page also covers macOS 27. A 2018 MacMost article describes the same Go to Folder command and the same ⇧⌘G shortcut, so the feature is not new.

Where to go next in Finder

Once the folder is open, you may want it closer. The path bar shows where you are at the bottom of the window, which helps when you jump between paths. The sidebar lets you pin a folder you use often. Both have their own steps. See how to show the path bar in Finder and how to change the sidebar in Finder.

If the same folder opens every morning, make it the default for new windows. The default folder guide walks through that setting. If you need a file and cannot recall its folder, use search for a file in Finder instead of guessing paths. Hidden files have their own steps in how to show hidden files in Finder.

Finder is part of macOS, so this method works only on a Mac. Windows uses File Explorer and its own address bar. For a broader look at what Finder does, read the Finder overview.