How to Create a New File in a Folder on a Mac

Q: How do I create a new empty file on a Mac?

Right-click the empty space in a folder and choose New ▸ File , then the type — or use the New button in the command bar, which opens the same menu. The file appears with its name selected, so you can type the real name straight away. Finder has no such command at all: the usual workaround is to open an app, save an empty document into the right folder, and close it again.

Finder has no “new file”. To get an empty .txt into a folder you open TextEdit, save into that folder, and close it — three steps for a thing that should be one.

ComfortFiles has the command, and the list of types is yours.

Making one

Right-click the empty space in a folder → New ▸ File → the type. The same menu is behind the New button in the command bar.

The file lands with its name already selected, so the first thing you type is the name you meant. Press Return and it is done.

The list is yours

At the bottom of that submenu: Manage File Types…. Add a type, remove one, drag to reorder — the order in the window is the order in the menu, so the one you make most often can be first.

Adding is forgiving on purpose. md, .MD and notes.md all add the same type, because the difference between them is nothing a person should have to think about.

What it starts with

Plain text and Markdown, and nothing else. That is a decision rather than a limitation: .js and .css in a default list say “this app is for developers”, and the person we are thinking about is writing notes, not code. Whoever needs them adds them once.

The command bar — the New button, and everything else in that row.
Renaming files — including renaming many at once.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a new empty file on a Mac?

Right-click the empty space in a folder and choose New ▸ File, then the type — or use the New button in the command bar, which opens the same menu. The file appears with its name selected, so you can type the real name straight away. Finder has no such command at all: the usual workaround is to open an app, save an empty document into the right folder, and close it again.

Which file types are offered?

The ones you put there. It starts with plain text and Markdown, and Manage File Types… at the bottom of the menu lets you add, remove and reorder. Type an extension, a name, or even a filename — notes.md, .MD and md all mean the same thing.

Why are .js and .css not in the list by default?

Because the default list is not a developer’s list. Text and Markdown are what most people need first; a person who wants .js adds it in ten seconds and it stays there.

Does it create the file with any content?

No — the file is empty, and it is a real file on disk with the extension you chose. Nothing is templated, and nothing is opened.