rsync Command Generator — Build & Decode rsync Commands

The trailing slash is the whole game

This is the rsync rule that catches everyone: a trailing slash on the source means "the contents of".

• rsync -a src/ dest/ → copies what's inside src into dest. Files land at dest/file.
• rsync -a src dest/ → copies the folder src into dest. Files land at dest/src/file.

The destination's trailing slash doesn't matter; the source's does. When in doubt, the builder above spells out which one you're getting.

Always dry-run before --delete

--delete removes anything in the destination that isn't in the source. Combined with a wrong path or a missing trailing slash, it can wipe a directory. Run it with -n (dry run) first, read every line it would change, then remove -n when you're sure. There is no undo.

Gotchas worth knowing

• -a already includes -r. Archive mode is recursive and preserves permissions, times, symlinks and ownership — it's the flag you want 90% of the time. Don't add -r on top.
• -z helps over a network, not locally. Compression costs CPU; for a local disk-to-disk copy it usually slows things down. Use it for remote/SSH transfers.
• rsync only resends what changed. Re-running the same command is cheap — it compares size and time and skips unchanged files. Add --checksum if you need exact content comparison (slower).
• Remote needs SSH. user@host:/path transfers over SSH automatically; you don't need -e ssh unless you're changing SSH options.

Frequently asked questions

What does rsync -avz mean?

a archive (recursive + preserve everything), v verbose, z compress during transfer. It's the everyday "mirror this folder" command, usually with a remote destination.

How do I copy a folder to a remote server with rsync?

rsync -avz /local/folder/ user@server:/remote/path/. The trailing slash on the source copies the contents; drop it to copy the folder itself.

How do I make rsync delete files removed from the source?

Add --delete, but run it with -n (dry run) first: rsync -avzn --delete src/ dest/ shows what would be removed without touching anything.

What's the difference between rsync src/ and src?

The trailing slash. src/ copies the contents into the destination; src copies the folder itself, creating dest/src/.

Archiving or searching files next? See the tar generator and find generator, or all tools on the home page.