---
title: "Alias"
description: "Remote Aliases"
versionIntroduced: "v1.40"
---

# Alias

The `alias` remote provides a new name for another remote.

Paths may be as deep as required or a local path,
e.g. `remote:directory/subdirectory` or `/directory/subdirectory`.

During the initial setup with `rclone config` you will specify the target
remote. The target remote can either be a local path or another remote.

Subfolders can be used in target remote. Assume an alias remote named `backup`
with the target `mydrive:private/backup`. Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:desktop`
is exactly the same as invoking `rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/desktop`.

There will be no special handling of paths containing `..` segments.
Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:../desktop` is exactly the same as invoking
`rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/../desktop`.
The empty path is not allowed as a remote. To alias the current directory
use `.` instead.

The target remote can also be a [connection string](/docs/#connection-strings).
This can be used to modify the config of a remote for different uses, e.g.
the alias  `myDriveTrash` with the target remote `myDrive,trashed_only:`
can be used to only show the trashed files in `myDrive`.

## Configuration

Here is an example of how to make an alias called `remote` for local folder.
First run:

```console
rclone config
```

This will guide you through an interactive setup process:

```text
No remotes found, make a new one?
n) New remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
n/s/q> n
name> remote
Type of storage to configure.
Choose a number from below, or type in your own value
[snip]
XX / Alias for an existing remote
   \ "alias"
[snip]
Storage> alias
Remote or path to alias.
Can be "myremote:path/to/dir", "myremote:bucket", "myremote:" or "/local/path".
remote> /mnt/storage/backup
Remote config
Configuration complete.
Options:
- type: alias
- remote: /mnt/storage/backup
Keep this "remote" remote?
y) Yes this is OK
e) Edit this remote
d) Delete this remote
y/e/d> y
Current remotes:

Name                 Type
====                 ====
remote               alias

e) Edit existing remote
n) New remote
d) Delete remote
r) Rename remote
c) Copy remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
e/n/d/r/c/s/q> q
```

Once configured you can then use `rclone` like this (replace `remote` with the
name you gave your remote):

List directories in top level in `/mnt/storage/backup`

```console
rclone lsd remote:
```

List all the files in `/mnt/storage/backup`

```console
rclone ls remote:
```

Copy another local directory to the alias directory called source

```console
rclone copy /home/source remote:source
```

<!-- autogenerated options start - DO NOT EDIT - instead edit fs.RegInfo in backend/alias/alias.go and run make backenddocs to verify --> <!-- markdownlint-disable-line line-length -->
### Standard options

Here are the Standard options specific to alias (Alias for an existing remote).

#### --alias-remote

Remote or path to alias.

Can be "myremote:path/to/dir", "myremote:bucket", "myremote:" or "/local/path".

Properties:

- Config:      remote
- Env Var:     RCLONE_ALIAS_REMOTE
- Type:        string
- Required:    true

### Advanced options

Here are the Advanced options specific to alias (Alias for an existing remote).

#### --alias-description

Description of the remote.

Properties:

- Config:      description
- Env Var:     RCLONE_ALIAS_DESCRIPTION
- Type:        string
- Required:    false

<!-- autogenerated options stop -->
