Copy a File in Python with shutil

A CSV file may need a second copy in another directory while the original stays available. Python’s shutil module provides file-copy functions, and shutil.copy() writes the file at the destination while leaving the source in place.

I’ll show you how to copy a file with shutil.copy() and read the output to see that the source remains in place.

TL;DR: Use shutil.copy for a file

Use shutil.copy(source, destination) to copy a file and retain its permission mode. Choose copy2() when timestamps matter, or copyfile() when only the contents matter.

• Pass a directory to copy() to keep the source filename.
• Pass a full filename to copyfile().
• Use copytree() for a directory and its contents.

What does copying a file in Python do?

A file copy writes the source file’s data to a separate destination path, leaving the source in place. The shutil module provides these operations in Python’s standard library, so a text file or CSV can be copied without reading or parsing its contents. I chose a directory target for the example because copy() keeps the source filename there.

copy2() attempts to preserve more metadata than copy(), but no shutil function promises to reproduce every platform-specific detail. Python’s shutil documentation notes that ownership and access-control data may not carry over.

How to copy a file in Python step by step

The example uses pathlib paths for a source file and destination directory, then calls copy() because the copied file should keep its name.

Step 1: Choose a source file and destination directory

The source path names notes.txt. The destination path names the directory that will hold the copy, so copy() can retain the source filename.

Step 2: Copy the file with shutil.copy()

Save this as copy_file_demo.py and run python3 copy_file_demo.py from the same directory to see the copied path, contents, and source status.

from pathlib import Path
import shutil
import tempfile

with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
    root = Path(temp_dir)
    source = root / "notes.txt"
    destination_dir = root / "backup"
    destination_dir.mkdir()
    source.write_text("Copying keeps the source file in place.\n", encoding="utf-8")

    copied_path = Path(shutil.copy(source, destination_dir))
    print(f"Copy path: {copied_path.name}")
    print(f"Copy contents: {copied_path.read_text(encoding='utf-8').strip()}")
    print(f"Source still exists: {source.exists()}")

adityagupta@askpython:~$ python3 copy_file_demo.py
Copy path: notes.txt
Copy contents: Copying keeps the source file in place.
Source still exists: True

[exit 0]

Step 3: Verify the copy and source

The output shows the copied filename and contents, then confirms the original still exists. I ran this example with Python 3.14.7 and all three checks printed as expected.

What should you check before copying a file?

Check the destination first, because an existing file can be overwritten and the required destination form depends on the function.

For batch renames, derive each target path from its source name before copying. The AskPython shutil reference and os module guide explain related file and path operations.

Conclusion: choose the shutil method by its job

These methods cover ordinary files, streams, and directory trees without shell-specific commands, and the Python shutil reference documents platform-specific metadata and symlink behavior.

FAQ

These answers cover destination paths and the source file after a copy.