How to sync files and directories with rsync - Rocketeers app [ Rocketeers ](/) [Login](https://rocketeersapp.com/login) On this page Knowledge --------- How to sync files and directories with rsync ============================================ ### [\#CommandLine](https://rocketeersapp.com/knowledge/command-line) Learn how to sync files and directories with rsync, including syncing over SSH, dry runs, deleting, excluding, and the trailing-slash gotcha. Published by [Mark van Eijk](https://rocketeersapp.com/author/mark-van-eijk) on June 23, 2026 · 3 minute read 1. [Why rsync instead of scp](#content-why-rsync-instead-of-scp) 2. [The basic local sync](#content-the-basic-local-sync) 3. [The trailing-slash gotcha](#content-the-trailing-slash-gotcha) 4. [Syncing over SSH](#content-syncing-over-ssh) 5. [Always dry-run first](#content-always-dry-run-first) 6. [Mirroring with --delete](#content-mirroring-with---delete) 7. [Excluding files](#content-excluding-files) 8. [A practical deploy command](#content-a-practical-deploy-command) [\#](#content-why-rsync-instead-of-scp "Permalink")Why rsync instead of scp --------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I need to move a directory between machines, my first instinct used to be `scp`. It works, but it copies everything every single time. The moment I started syncing a large project folder repeatedly, that got painfully slow. `rsync` is smarter. It compares source and destination and only transfers the parts that actually changed (the deltas). The first sync is a full copy, but every sync after that is fast because it skips files that are already identical. That makes it perfect for backups and deploys. If you only need a one-off file copy, [scp](/copy-files-over-ssh-scp) is still fine, but for anything you run more than once, reach for rsync. [\#](#content-the-basic-local-sync "Permalink")The basic local sync ------------------------------------------------------------------- The command I use most is short: ``` rsync -av source/ destination/ ``` The flags: - `-a` is archive mode. It's a bundle that preserves permissions, timestamps, symlinks, and ownership, and recurses into subdirectories. This is what you want 95% of the time. - `-v` is verbose, so you see which files are being transferred. Add `-h` if you want human-readable sizes in the output (`-avh`). [\#](#content-the-trailing-slash-gotcha "Permalink")The trailing-slash gotcha ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This one bites everyone once. A trailing slash on the **source** changes the meaning: ``` # Copies the CONTENTS of source/ into destination/ rsync -av source/ destination/ # Copies the source FOLDER itself into destination/ (destination/source/) rsync -av source destination/ ``` With the slash, you get `destination/file.txt`. Without it, you get `destination/source/file.txt`. When something ends up one level too deep, this is almost always why. [\#](#content-syncing-over-ssh "Permalink")Syncing over SSH ----------------------------------------------------------- rsync runs over SSH by default for remote paths, so syncing to a server is straightforward: ``` rsync -avz -e ssh local/ user@host:/var/www/app/ ``` - `-z` compresses data during transfer, which helps a lot over slower connections. - `-e ssh` sets SSH as the transport. You can pass options here too, like a custom port: `-e "ssh -p 2222"`. Pulling from a server to your machine is just the two paths swapped: ``` rsync -avz user@host:/var/www/app/ ./backup/ ``` If you haven't set up key-based access yet, see [connecting to a server with SSH](/connect-to-server-ssh-command) first so you're not typing a password on every sync. [\#](#content-always-dry-run-first "Permalink")Always dry-run first ------------------------------------------------------------------- Before any sync that deletes or overwrites, I run it with `--dry-run` (or `-n`). It shows exactly what would happen without touching a single file: ``` rsync -av --dry-run source/ destination/ ``` Pair it with `--progress` once you're happy and want to watch a real transfer: ``` rsync -av --progress source/ destination/ ``` [\#](#content-mirroring-with---delete "Permalink")Mirroring with --delete ------------------------------------------------------------------------- By default rsync never removes files from the destination. If you want a true mirror, where files deleted from the source also disappear from the destination, add `--delete`: ``` rsync -av --delete source/ destination/ ``` This is powerful and dangerous. Run it with `--dry-run` first, every time. A misplaced trailing slash plus `--delete` is how people wipe a backup. [\#](#content-excluding-files "Permalink")Excluding files --------------------------------------------------------- You rarely want to sync everything. Skip `node_modules`, `.git`, and friends with `--exclude`: ``` rsync -avz --exclude '.git' --exclude 'node_modules' --exclude '*.log' \ ./app/ user@host:/var/www/app/ ``` For longer lists, put patterns in a file and use `--exclude-from`: ``` rsync -avz --exclude-from='.rsyncignore' ./app/ user@host:/var/www/app/ ``` [\#](#content-a-practical-deploy-command "Permalink")A practical deploy command ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Putting it together, here's the kind of one-liner I keep around for deploying a build: ``` rsync -avz --delete --progress \ --exclude '.git' --exclude '.env' \ ./public/ user@host:/var/www/app/public/ ``` Run it once with `--dry-run` appended, confirm the file list, then run it for real. Once you've done that a couple of times, rsync becomes the tool you never think twice about. ### Subscribe to our newsletter Do you want to receive regular updates with fresh and exclusive content to learn more about web development, hosting, security and performance? Subscribe now! 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