OS X Mavericks: Create and use aliases
To make it easier to find a file, folder, app, or disk, you can create an alias for it and place the alias in an easy-to-find location. When you open an alias, the original item opens.
Create an alias
- Select the item, then choose File > Make Alias or press Command (⌘)–L.
You can create as many aliases as you need for an item, and move them to other folders or the desktop.
- To create an alias and move it in one step, press the Option and Command (⌘) keys while you drag the item’s icon to another folder or to the desktop. Release the mouse button before releasing the Option and Command keys.
Put an alias in the Finder window sidebar or in the Dock
The items you see in the Finder window sidebar and the Dock are aliases. For example, the Documents folder icon is an alias for the Documents folder located inside your home folder. You can add aliases to the sidebar or the Dock.
- To add an alias to the Finder window sidebar, drag a folder, app, or disk icon to the Favorites section. If you’re adding an app, hold down the Command (⌘) key while you drag.
You can’t add an alias for an individual file to the sidebar.
To remove an alias you added, hold down the Command key while you drag the alias out of the sidebar.
- To add an alias to the Dock, drag a file, folder, app, or disk icon into the Dock.
Drop files and folders to the right of the Dock’s separator, and apps to the left. If you moved the Dock to the right or left of your desktop, files and folders go below the separator, and apps above.
To remove an alias you added, drag it out of the Dock.