aws-s3-mv

Move a file from local to a specified bucket

$ aws s3 mv [path/to/local_file] s3://[bucket_name]/[path/to/remote_file]

$ aws s3 mv s3://[bucket_name1]/[path/to/file] s3://[bucket_name2]/[path/to/target]

$ aws s3 mv s3://[bucket_name1]/[path/to/file] s3://[bucket_name2]

$ aws s3 mv help

aws s3 mv SOURCE [SOURCE...] DESTINATION [options]

--recursive
    Recurse on source directory or S3 prefix

--dryrun
    Show what would be moved without executing

--exclude
    Exclude files matching shell pattern (can repeat)

--include
    Include files matching shell pattern (can repeat)

--acl
    Canned ACL: private|public-read|etc.

--content-type
    Set MIME content type for destination

--storage-class
    Storage class: STANDARD|STANDARD_IA|ONEZONE_IA|INTELLIGENT_TIERING|GLACIER|etc.

--sse
    Server-side encryption: AES256|AES128-KMS|aws:kms

--metadata-directive
    COPY|REPLACE metadata on destination

--quiet
    Suppress non-error output

--debug
    Display debugging information

--no-progress
    Disable progress meter

--follow-symlinks
    Follow symlinks as directories (local sources only)

The aws s3 mv command moves Amazon S3 objects and local files to new locations. It combines copy and delete operations: first copying the source to the destination, then deleting the source. This supports S3-to-S3, S3-to-local, local-to-S3, and local-to-local transfers.

It handles directories and buckets recursively with --recursive. Large files use multipart uploads/downloads for efficiency. Filters like --exclude and --include allow pattern-based selection. Metadata, ACLs, encryption, and storage classes can be set on the destination.

Unlike local mv, S3 moves incur API request costs and are not atomic, risking inconsistency if interrupted. Use --dryrun to preview operations. Requires AWS credentials configured via aws configure or environment variables.

Not atomic in S3 (copy-then-delete); costs apply to operations; interruptions may leave duplicates. No true rename for S3 objects.

aws s3 mv s3://mybucket/foo.txt s3://mybucket/bar.txt
aws s3 mv s3://mybucket/dir/ s3://otherbucket/dir/ --recursive
aws s3 mv ./localfile s3://mybucket/ --storage-class STANDARD_IA

0: success
1: general error
2: misuse of shell builtins or syntax error

Introduced in AWS CLI v1.7.0 (2014) as high-level S3 command; enhanced in v2.0+ (2020) with better performance and multipart handling.

aws s3 cp(1), aws s3 rm(1), aws s3 sync(1), mv(1), cp(1)