scp Copy Folder Example

Use scp recursively to copy a local directory to a remote server or pull a remote directory back to your machine.

Copy Local Folder to Remote

scp -r ./dist user@example.com:/var/www/app

Copy Remote Folder to Local

scp -r user@example.com:/var/log/myapp ./logs

With Port and Key

scp -r -P 2222 -i ~/.ssh/deploy_key ./dist user@example.com:/var/www/app

Common Mistake

Use uppercase -P for the SSH port in scp. Lowercase -p preserves file times and modes, which is a different option.

Related

scp Command Guide

More file transfer examples.

ssh Command Guide

Connection and key options used by scp.

Knowledge is power.