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Create a Symbolic Link with ln -s

Point one folder path at another location on macOS with ln -s, so apps read and write through the link automatically.

macOSFileslinksymlinkLow risk
Run ln -s /Volumes/BigDisk/PhotoArchive ~/PhotoArchive to create a link in your home folder that opens the real folder on the external disk.

01Command

Command
$ ln -s /Volumes/BigDisk/PhotoArchive ~/PhotoArchive

02What it does

A symbolic link is a small pointer file: anything that opens ~/PhotoArchive is transparently redirected to the target folder, wherever it really lives. This is the standard trick for redirecting app data to an external drive, keeping config files in sync across projects, or exposing a deep folder at a convenient path. Deleting the link (rm ~/PhotoArchive) removes only the pointer — the target data stays untouched.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
!Warning: Never add a trailing slash confusion when scripting: ln -s fails silently if a file or folder already exists at the link name, and Trash does not follow links — use rm on the link, not Finder.

04Undo

Undo
$ rm ~/PhotoArchive

05Sources

  • ln - Make a hard link or symbolic link
    SS64 · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Documents the syntax 'ln [-fhinsv] OriginalSourceFile [NewLinkFile]' and explains the difference between hard links and symbolic links.
  • LN(1) - macOS manual page
    Apple (Xcode man pages mirror) · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: The manual page describes ln -s as creating a symbolic link that points to the target file or directory.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Files & Folders

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