Merge Folders with ditto (No Replace Dialog)

Add every file from one folder into another, overwriting name collisions silently.

macOSFilesMedium risk

Run ditto source-folder destination-folder to copy all contents in, merging with what is already there.

01Command

Command

$ ditto ~/Downloads/NewFiles ~/Documents/Combined

02What it does

Unlike Finder, which forces you to pick "Stop", "Replace", or "Keep Both" for every conflict, ditto merges in one pass: files that exist only in the destination stay, matching names are overwritten, and macOS metadata and resource forks travel along. Use -n to keep the older destination file instead of overwriting, or add -v to see each file as it goes.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk

!Warning: Name collisions are overwritten without confirmation — test with a dry copy first if the files are irreplaceable.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

ditto – Copy files and directories preserving metadata
ss64.com · technical · 2026-09-17
Evidence: ditto copies directory contents into a destination directory; when the destination exists, new files are added alongside existing ones and matching files are overwritten.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Files & Folders