How to Create a New Folder on a Mac (Keyboard Shortcut)

One folder per year and an “Attic” for good measure? Even with ubiquitous search, having files and documents somewhat organized in folders helps bring up stuff fast when it’s needed. Find out here how to use the “New Folder” keyboard shortcut in Finder to create new folders fast on a Mac, and how to use Terminal to create directory hierarchies flexibly.

First, Make a Room Seem Bigger

Any room looks bigger, says a rule of common interior design knowledge, if more of its floor is visible.

So, to make a room look bigger,

• undress your chairs’ legs,
• get tables with slender legs,
• find couches on stilts and
• avoid long tablecloths, for instance.

Now, while I go looking for furniture—want to make a folder seem bigger on your Mac?

Make more of its “room” visible by moving files to a sub-folder. On your Mac, there’s a shortcut for that—and to just create a new folder, of course:

How to Create a New Folder on a Mac

Using the “New Folder” Mac Keyboard Shortcut

Need space for new folders? How to Empty the Trash on a Mac

Create a New Folder and Move Selected Items to It with a Mac Keyboard Shortcut

To both create a new folder in the current directory and move selected Finder items to it in one go with a Mac keyboard shortcut:

1. Open the folder where you want to create the new directory in Finder; see above.
2. Highlight the files and existing directories you want to move to the new folder.
   Selecting multiple files: Hold down Command while you click individual items to change your existing selection. You can also drag around items with the mouse, of course.
3. Press Command Control N.
4. Type the name you want to use for the newly created folder over New Folder With Items.
5. Now press Enter.

Create a New Folder Using the Mouse on a Mac

To make a new folder on a Mac using the mouse and menu:

1. Go to the folder that should hold the new folder (see above).
2. Click somewhere in the folder’s empty space.
   Alternatives: You can also select File from the menu or click the three dots Action button in the toolbar.
3. Select New Folder from the list.
   
4. Type the name for the new folder.
5. Press Enter.

Create a New Folder in Mac Terminal

To create a new directory from a Terminal prompt on a Mac:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Navigate to the parent folder for the new folder.
   Here’s how: Type cd followed by the path to the parent folder.
   Example: cd ~/Downloads will take you to your Downloads folder.
   From Finder: You can also open Terminal at a folder right from Finder.
3. Type mkdir <new folder name>, replacing <new folder name> with the name to use for the new foler.
   Whitespace: To use whitespace characters in the folder name, surround the entire name with quotation marks.
   Example: mkdir "La De Du" will create a folder named La De Du.
   Create folder hierarchy: You can use Terminal to create a whole hierarchy of folders; see below.
4. Press Enter.
   

How to Create a New Folder on a Mac (Keyboard Shortcut): FAQ

With a folder selected, will the new folder be created inside that folder?

No.

The Mac New Folder keyboard shortcut will always create the new folder in the current folder. You do not have to worry about having anything selected.

Can I move entire folders to a new folder using the “New Folder” Shortcut?

Yes.

If you create a new folder with select files using the Command Control N keyboard shortcut (see above), you can select existing directories together with files and documents and move them (including the files and folders in them).

How can I create a hierarchy of Mac folders easily?

To set up a hierarchy of folders without creating each level individually:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type mkdir -p <hierarchy/of/folders> (replacing </hierarchy/of/folders> with the folder names in order, separated by slashes (‘/’).
   Example: mkdir -p ~/Downloads/La\ De\ Du/Trips/Badab-e\ Surt will create
   – the folder Badab-e Surt
   – inside the folder Trips
   – inside the folder La De Du
   – inside the folder Downloads.
   Whitespace: You can also use \  (slash followed by a whitespace character) to insert white space in a folder name.
3. Press Enter.
   

To create multiple folders at once, you can make use of a shell script.

Example

#!/bin/sh

range_in_years=5

current_year=$(date +%Y)
current_month=$(date +%-m)
end_year=$((current_year+range_in_years))

for year in $(seq "$current_year" "$end_year"); do
   for month in $(seq 1 12); do
      if [[ $year -eq $current_year && $month -lt $current_month ]]; then
         continue
      fi
      month_string=$(printf "%02d" "$month")
      mkdir -pv Archive/"$year"/"$month_string"
   done
done

This example script will create folders under the current directory named Archive/YYYY/MM starting with the current month and till the end of the year 5 years in the future.

(How to create a new folder with a keyboard shortcut on a Mac tested with macOS Sonoma 14.3, Ventura 13.3 and Monterey 12.3; updated April 2024)