Need to know how to copy an entire folder in Google Drive? You’re not alone! Many teachers find themselves needing to duplicate folders filled with lesson plans, templates, or resources to share with colleagues or modify for different classes. While Google Drive doesn’t offer a one-click “copy folder” button, several workarounds achieve the same result. Explore these methods, including my unofficial Add-on “Copy My Folder” to streamline your workflow and ensure you have the right materials exactly where you need them.
Copy Multiple Files At Once
Click on a folder in Google Drive and try to use the 3 dots menu to “Make a copy” and that option is not there. The option is available if you select a file or multiple files. Create a new folder in your folder. Select multiple files at once by clicking on the first file and holding down the Shift key to click on the last file.
This will select all the files in between. From the toolbar at the top, click on the 3 dots menu to show the “Make a copy” option. All of the selected files will be copied. Drag the copies into your folder you created.
Copy Folders Between Accounts
If you are wanting to copy a folder from one account (A) to another (B), start by creating a new folder in your destination account. Share this folder with your account you are copying from. The account that makes the copy, owns the file. If you are wanting the account B to own the copy of the folder, account B will need to be shared on the files in account A to copy the files and drag into the destination folder. Share the folder to be copied in account A with account B.
Try Copy My Folder
I coded an unofficial Add-on to copy folders between accounts. Making a copy ensures that you are the owner of the code and you’re only authorizing yourself to access your files.
Make a copy of the spreadsheet and use the Extensions
Make a copy of the Google Sheets spreadsheet
Copy Files from One Account to Another
If you want to copy your Google Drive files from one account to another the trick is to put the files in account A into a folder. Share the folder with account B. In account B go to “Shared with Me” and start copying the files in that folder. This is tedious. Obviously you would like to copy the entire folder all at once. Currently, this is not a feature in Drive. Use my Add-on Copy my Folder to make this possible.
Copy my Folder
This is NOT available in the Google Marketplace. You MUST make a copy of my template. It collects NO user data!
When you want to copy a Google Drive folder simply to go to alicekeeler.com/copyfolder. It will prompt you for a copy. You want to do this on account B, the one you want to make the copies to.
Wait For It
Because the Add-on is not permanently installed it can take a full minute for the code to load and be added to the bottom of the Add-on menu.
Authorizing the Add-on
You are the owner of the spreadsheet. The authorization screen can be intimidating. It is letting you know that Google has not reviewed my code. You will need to click “Advanced” and “unsafe” to acknowledge that Google has not reviewed the code. You are authorizing YOURSELF access to your Google Drive. No one else has access to your files.
Sidebar
After authorizing, click on “Copy Folder” in the sidebar.
Choose Your Folder
Click on “Select a folder” and SINGLE CLICK on the folder you wish to copy from your Google Drive.
Hang Tight
Google Apps Script is not super fast to run and copy all of the files. There is nothing else to do besides wait for it to finish copying the files. You will see the complete list of copied files.
Timed Out
Gmail accounts are only allotted 5 minutes of run time for Google Apps Script Add-ons. If you have a lot of files that need copying and the Add-on times out simply click on “Copy More” in the sidebar to resume they copying.
Pro Version
This Add-on is free and only allows you to copy the files within one folder. The PRO version also copies subfolders and creates the copies in a folder in MyDrive rather than as a subfolder of the original folder.
If you would like more advanced features or just to help me continue to develop free Add-ons please consider purchasing the PRO version for a one time cost of $5.
Tech Tools to Support Differentiation in the Classroom
But Wait There’s More… in Bluesky
-
My Mac Won’t Connect to Non-Secure Wifi
-
How to Name a Google Doc
