Google Drive shows a shortcut instead of a copy: check what you created

Decide what the project actually needs

Use a shortcut when several project folders should lead to the same maintained item. Use a separate file copy when you intentionally need a new document that can diverge, such as a new project's working version of a template.

A move serves another purpose: changing where the original is organized. Google notes that when you lack permission to move an item between locations, Drive can create a shortcut in the destination instead. That explains why the destination may contain something without the original having moved. Google's organization controls

Before making changes, open the item and inspect its file information and owner. Identify the intended original rather than relying on a matching filename.

Create the right kind of item

For a pointer, right-click the original file or folder and choose Organize > Add shortcut, then select the destination. For a separate file, use Make a copy where the command is available and you have permission.

Drive's web file-copy action does not copy an entire folder in the same way. Do not assume a folder shortcut duplicates everything inside it. If the job is a full project archive, establish an actual backup or transfer process and verify the result separately.

Name a deliberate copy clearly so collaborators understand which document should receive future edits. Otherwise, copying to solve an organization problem can create competing versions.

Check access to the original

People who can see a shortcut's folder can see the shortcut title, but that does not automatically give them access to the target. A shortcut is therefore neither a permission bypass nor a private way to conceal a sensitive filename.

If someone cannot open it, ask the owner to inspect access to the original. Grant only the access required for the work. Adding more shortcuts will not repair a missing permission. Google's shortcut behavior

Clean up carefully

Deleting the shortcut itself does not delete its target. However, first verify that the selected item really is the shortcut, not the original it opened. If you cannot remove it from a shared location, ask the owner or manager instead of changing wider folder permissions.

A broken shortcut can also mean the target was trashed or deleted. Locate or restore the original, or ask its owner what changed. Recreating a pointer cannot recreate missing content.

Copies of shared files can use your account's storage, while files merely shared with you count against their owner's storage. Decide whether a copy is necessary before duplicating large assets. Google's storage explanation

If the behavior remains unclear

Give Drive support the action you used, item type, source and destination ownership, and whether the target opens directly. Remove private file titles from public screenshots. These distinctions were reviewed against Google documentation; no live sharing or deletion tests were performed.