Jump to any folder with Cmd+Shift+G

Know the path to a folder? Then just type it — no need to click through Desktop, Documents, and three subfolders. Clicking through several levels at once is needlessly slow, especially if you already know the exact path by heart. Finder has a hidden path-entry field that activates with a single shortcut and acts like a fast teleport to anywhere in the file system. It's especially useful for hidden folders that Finder normally doesn't show at all.

A typical scenario

You need to get to the "~/Library/Application Support" folder to edit some app's configuration file. Without the shortcut, that means: open your home folder, hold Option in the Go menu so the hidden Library folder shows up, click through more subfolders — and hope you didn't take a wrong turn anywhere.

With Cmd+Shift+G, you type the whole path in one go and you're there instantly, even for a folder Finder normally hides. It's just as handy when a colleague sends you the exact path to a file on a shared drive — instead of hunting through the folder tree, you just paste it in and you're there.

How to do it

1. In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G — a small window with a text field opens.
2. Start typing the path, like "~/Documents" or "/Library" — Finder suggests matching folders as you go, and Tab confirms the suggestion.
3. Press Enter and the window closes, taking you straight to the destination folder, even if it's normally hidden in the system.
4. It also works for file paths — enter a path to a file and Finder just selects it within its folder.
5. The shortcut also works in the save and open dialogs of most apps — handy when saving a file deep inside a project structure and you don't want to click through it.
6. If you don't know the exact path, just type the beginning and let Finder suggest options — it works similarly to command completion in Terminal.

The best tools

• The built-in Cmd+Shift+G shortcut — the fastest route, works anywhere a macOS file dialog is open.
• Terminal (the cd command) — a natural alternative for anyone who works in the command line just as often.
• Alfred or Raycast — third-party launchers that can open a folder by name without needing to know the full path.
• Finder's sidebar with pinned favorite folders — for places you visit regularly, pinning them once is faster.
• The recent folders history — the Go menu also has a list of recently visited locations, handy when you don't remember the exact path but know you were there recently.

What you get out of it

• Time: with a more complex project structure, you can easily save a full minute on every jump that would otherwise mean clicking through folders.
• Access to hidden places: the user library and other system folders suddenly become as accessible as Documents.
• Precision: a typed path can't lead you astray the way clicking can, where it's easy to end up one folder off.
• Less frustration with developer tools: config files, caches, and logs tend to hide exactly in the places that are hardest to click your way to — this shortcut makes them just as easy to reach as Documents.

Pro tip

The tilde "~" stands for your home folder, so "~/Downloads" works from anywhere in Finder regardless of where you currently are. Combine it with Tab completion — type just the first few letters of a folder name and let Finder fill in the rest.