How to Add "Copy Full File Path to Clipboard" to Finder's Services Menu

When working in Finder, you often need to copy the full path of a file to the clipboard. Using the built-in Automator on macOS, you can create a Quick Action that lets you do this with a single right-click.

Steps

1. Launch Automator

Open Spotlight (⌘ + Space), type "Automator", and launch it.

2. Create a New Document

Select "New Document" → "Quick Action".

3. Configure Settings

• Change "Workflow receives current" to files or folders
• Set "in" to Finder.app

4. Add a Shell Script

Double-click "Run Shell Script" from the action list on the left, then configure:

• Set the shell to /bin/bash
• Change "Pass input" to as arguments
• Enter the following script:

export LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8
for f in "$@"
do
    echo -n "$f" | pbcopy
done

Note: The export LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 line is needed to prevent garbled characters in non-ASCII file names. Automator's shell environment doesn't have locale settings enabled by default.

5. Save

Save with ⌘ + S. Name it something like "Copy Full Path".

Save Location

The workflow is saved as a .workflow file in ~/Library/Services/.

Usage

Select a file in Finder → Right-click → Find it under "Quick Actions".

Note: Since macOS Monterey, the "Services" menu has been consolidated into "Quick Actions".

Troubleshooting

If the action doesn't appear:

• Restart Finder: killall Finder
• Check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Services → Files and Folders to ensure the service is enabled

Copying Multiple File Paths with Newline Separators

Replace the script with:

export LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8
printf '%s\n' "$@" | pbcopy

This copies the paths of all selected files, separated by newlines.