Use Finder aliases to put a shortcut to a project file or folder in another location while keeping the original in place. Select the item and choose File > Make Alias, then move the alias into a project access folder. Open the alias to reach the original; editing or saving the original through it does not create a second copy. Apple’s guide to creating aliases

What a Finder alias does

An alias is a link to an existing file, folder, app, or disk. When you open it, Finder opens the original item. That makes aliases useful when a project needs a convenient pointer to a shared reference, source document, or working folder that belongs elsewhere. You can create more than one alias for the same item and place them in different folders. Apple Support

An alias is not a duplicate or a separate working version. If you need an independently editable copy, use File > Duplicate or copy the item instead. Apple documents Option-drag as a way to copy an item while keeping it in its current location, and File > Duplicate as a way to make a copy in the same folder. Apple’s file organization guide

Create a project shortcut folder and add aliases

  1. In Finder, go to a location where you want to keep project shortcuts. Choose File > New Folder or press Shift-Command-N, name the folder something recognizable such as “Project shortcuts,” and press Return. Apple Support
  2. Find the original file or folder you want to access from that project. Select it and choose File > Make Alias. Finder creates an alias beside the original.
  3. Drag the new alias into your project shortcut folder. The original stays in its existing location; the alias gives you a second route to open it.
  4. Rename the alias if a clearer label will help you distinguish its purpose. Keep names specific, such as “Brand guidelines — reference,” so it is clear what opens when you select it.

For a one-step shortcut, hold Option-Command while dragging the original item to the destination folder or desktop. This creates an alias there instead of moving the original. Check the modifier keys before releasing the mouse: an ordinary drag can move an item, depending on where it is dragged. Apple’s alias guide

Put frequently used project items in the Finder sidebar

If you want a shortcut visible in Finder’s sidebar rather than inside a project folder, drag the original folder to the Favorites section. To add a file, hold Command while dragging it to Favorites. Sidebar entries are aliases, so adding or removing one does not relocate or delete the original. If Favorites is missing, open Finder > Settings > Sidebar and select an item in that section; you can then add your project item. Apple’s sidebar guide

To remove a shortcut from the sidebar, drag it out until the remove indicator appears. This removes only the sidebar entry. To check which original an entry points to, Control-click it and choose Show in Enclosing Folder. Apple Support

Keep aliases useful as projects change

Treat the original file or folder as the source of truth. Open the alias and confirm it reaches the expected item before relying on it. If you move or rename the original and an alias stops opening the intended item, locate the current original in Finder and create a replacement alias. Apple describes aliases as shortcuts that open their original; it does not document aliases as project backups or as a way to keep independent versions. For a backup or a separate revision, use an appropriate copy or backup workflow instead.

A simple rule helps avoid mistakes: use an alias when you want another path to the same item; use a copy when you need a separate item. That distinction keeps project shortcuts convenient while reducing the risk of accidentally maintaining duplicate working files.

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