> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.gpmautomate.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.gpmautomate.com/automate-en/action-guide/file-and-folder/copy-file.md).
# Copy file
Copy file is an action used to copy a file from one location to another on the computer's hard drive. This action will create an entirely new copy at the destination while keeping the original file intact at its initial location.
🎥 Watch the tutorial video: [Here](https://youtu.be/EH7olDLAb9c).
#### Configuration parameters:
* Source File: The absolute path of the source file to be copied (e.g., `D:\data\template.xlsx`).
* Destination File: The absolute path of the destination file where it will be copied to (e.g., `D:\backup\report_2026.xlsx`).
#### Real-world example: Automatically duplicate the sample Excel file before writing data
When creating a data scraping script or filling out reports, you often have a sample Excel file (`template.xlsx`) that has pre-formatted header columns. You do not want the script to overwrite the new data directly, which would ruin this sample file. The solution is that each time the script runs, the system will automatically duplicate a new file for use:
* Configuration:
* Source File: Enter the path of the sample file: `D:\GPM\template.xlsx`
* Destination File: Enter the path of the new file to be used for writing data: `D:\GPM\data_output.xlsx`
* Result: The system will take the file `template.xlsx`, create an exact copy, and name it `data_output.xlsx` in the specified directory. Subsequent actions of the script (such as *Write excel file*) will only interact with and write data to this `data_output.xlsx` file, keeping your sample file safe and clean for future runs.
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