{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Relocate",
  "slug": "glossary-relocate",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-relocate",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-relocate.md",
  "category": "Glossary",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary/",
  "tags": [
    "glossary",
    "data parking",
    "external drive"
  ],
  "summary": "To relocate is to move something to your external drive and leave a shortcut in its old place, so it still appears, and opens, where it always did.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:16:37.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:35:44.000Z",
  "headings": [],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "glossary-external-drive",
      "label": "external drive",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-shortcut",
      "label": "shortcut",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-shortcut"
    },
    {
      "slug": "move-merge-or-relocate",
      "label": "Move, Merge or Relocate",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/move-merge-or-relocate"
    },
    {
      "slug": "moving-a-folder-back",
      "label": "Moving a folder back",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-a-folder-back"
    },
    {
      "slug": "moving-an-app",
      "label": "Moving an app",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-an-app"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "the-data-parking-window",
      "title": "A tour of the Data Parking window",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-data-parking-window"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-move",
      "title": "Move",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-move"
    },
    {
      "slug": "move-merge-or-relocate",
      "title": "Move, Merge or Relocate: which to choose",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/move-merge-or-relocate"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-offload",
      "title": "Offload",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-offload"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-shortcut",
      "title": "Shortcut (symbolic link)",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-shortcut"
    },
    {
      "slug": "the-shortcut-left-behind",
      "title": "The shortcut left behind after a move",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/the-shortcut-left-behind"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "To relocate something is to move its contents to your external drive and leave a shortcut in its old place. It frees the space on your Mac without changing where you — or your apps — find things. In Storage Studio: Relocate in Data Parking moves the items and keeps the folder structure where it was: the folders stay as real folders, and each file inside is replaced by a shortcut to its copy on the drive. Tools that look through the folder still find everything they expect. Moving an app from the Apps window relocates it: the app moves to the drive and a shortcut stays in Applications. Automatic moves relocate old items from the folders your rules watch. Relocate only works towards a drive — a cloud account can't hold the shortcuts — so Data Parking offers Move or Merge for a cloud account instead. A relocated item can be moved back. See also: Move, Merge or Relocate · Moving a folder back · Moving an app",
  "markdown": "To **relocate** something is to move its contents to your [external drive](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-external-drive) and leave a [shortcut](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-shortcut) in its old place. It frees the space on your Mac without changing where you — or your apps — find things.\n\nIn Storage Studio:\n\n- **Relocate** in Data Parking moves the items and keeps the folder structure where it was: the folders stay as real folders, and each file inside is replaced by a shortcut to its copy on the drive. Tools that look through the folder still find everything they expect.\n- **Moving an app** from the Apps window relocates it: the app moves to the drive and a shortcut stays in Applications.\n- **Automatic moves** relocate old items from the folders your rules watch.\n\nRelocate only works towards a drive — a cloud account can't hold the shortcuts — so Data Parking offers **Move** or **Merge** for a cloud account instead. A relocated item can be moved back.\n\nSee also: [Move, Merge or Relocate](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/move-merge-or-relocate) · [Moving a folder back](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-a-folder-back) · [Moving an app](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/moving-an-app)\n"
}