File Watcher

Monitor folders for file changes and automatically trigger copy, move, or sync operations in real time.

Overview

The File Watcher monitors one or more folders for changes (file created, modified, renamed, or deleted) and automatically triggers configured operations. Use it to maintain a live mirror, auto-backup new files, or trigger processing pipelines when files arrive.

Watch Rules

Each watch rule specifies a folder to monitor, the change types to react to (create, modify, rename, delete), optional file filters (extension, name pattern), and the action to perform (copy, move, sync, or run script). Multiple rules can watch the same folder with different filters.

Configuration

Configure the watcher buffer size, debounce delay (to coalesce rapid changes), recursive monitoring, and error handling. The watcher uses Windows FileSystemWatcher with automatic recovery from buffer overflow. Start and stop watching from the toolbar or via the CLI: brutalcopy watch C:\Docs --dest D:\Mirror.

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Sync & Compare

Folder synchronisation with five direction modes, four compare methods, real-time folder watching, and persistent sync jobs.

Scripting Engine

Built-in script engine with 75+ commands across 15 categories, a visual block editor, syntax highlighting, and autocomplete for automating file operations.