How can I copy one file to multiple folders, at same time?

Without any changes, the original code in an Automator Quick Action works for me on Sequoia v15.5.

Here, I chose the file first, then using the cmd-key, selected three folders on my Desktop as targets for the copy. I then right-clicked on the file icon and chose Quick Actions > Copy 1 File to n-Tuple folders.

If I find time, I may update this to an Apple Shortcut Quick Action.

And there is now an Apple Shortcuts Quick Action by the name below that I have only tested on Sequoia v15.5, and it may work on Sonoma, Ventura, and potentially Monterey. Click on that link to install it and select OK to any dialogs about access on your Mac. This shortcut is based on the original code that I used in 2021.

Ok. I have made some syntax adjustments and it tests fine here on Sequoia v15.5 — both in sending one file to n-tuple folders, but also the final display of those folders affected.

The tilde (~) is UNIX shorthand for /Users/username and improves on the limited horizontal space of this dialog.

The (revised) Run Shell Script contents for Automator:

#!/bin/zsh

: <<'COMMENT'

Reference: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253031808

Script to receive a Finder selected filename as a first argument followed by one
or more folders where the file is to be copied. Displays an AppleScript dialog
showing the copied filename, and the sorted list of recipient folders.

Usage[1] file2nfolder.zsh ./filename ./folder1 ./folder2 ./foldern
Usage[2] An Automator Service or Quick Action with a Zsh shell and arguments
         In the Finder, select the filename first, followed by one or more folders

Assumption: file to copy and folders are in the same directory
Tested: macOS 11.5.1; zsh v5.8; macOS 10.13.6, zsh v5.3; macOS 10.14.6, zsh v5.3
Tested: macOS Sequoia v15.5
VikingOSX, 2021-08-09, Apple Support Communities
VikingOSX, revision (2025-07-17, Apple Support Communities

COMMENT
# initialize two arrays
typeset -a ARGS=() DIRS=()

function show_results () {
    osascript <<-AS
    use scripting additions

    set afile to "${1}"
	-- note that this is a string of folders separated by white space
    set afolders to "${2}"

    set {TID, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {AppleScript's text item delimiters, {return, " "}}
    set adirs to (text items of afolders) as list

    set aformat to "Copied:  " & afile & return & return & "To Folders:" & return & return & (items of adirs) as text
    display dialog aformat with title "Copy of single file to multiple folders"
    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to TID
AS
    return
}

# first argument is a file and there must be at least one folder
[[ $# -ge 2 ]] && [[ -e "${1}" ]] || { osascript -e 'display dialog "You must select a file to copy and at least one folder."';exit 1 }


OS_VERS=$(/usr/bin/sw_vers -productVersion | cut -d. -f1-2)

ARGS=( "${@}" )

if [[ $OS_VERS -lt "10.14" ]]; then
    # High Sierra Finder/Automator reverses selection order. A file selected first is last.
    FILE="${@[-1]}"
    # all but the last argument which is a filename
    DIRS=( "${ARGS[@]:0:$((${#ARGS} - 1))}" )
else
    # Mojave and later maintain Finder/Automator selection order. A file appears first in arguments.
    FILE="${@[1]}"
	-- use (o) to sort array of dirs alphabetically
    DIRS=( "${(o)ARGS[@]:1:${#ARGS}}" )
fi

# two variations on how to copy one file into n-tuple folders
# find "${(@F)DIRS}" -maxdepth 0 -exec cp -a "${FILE}" {} \;
/usr/bin/xargs -n 1 cp -a "${FILE:a}" <<<"${DIRS}"

-- the print -Dr -- sends the tilde dirs separated by a space as a text string to AppleScript
-- if you want full directory paths, then omit the -D switch
show_results "$(print -D "${FILE:a}")" "$(print -Dr -- "${DIRS[@]}")"
unset ARGS DIRS
exit 0

Ironically, I wrote this in a much shorter AppleScript that worked in Script Editor, but the same exact code failed without error in Automator or a Shortcuts implementation. Hard to debug without any error indication.

Here is an Automator solution that is written in AppleScript-Objective-C that handles regular folder names as well as folder names with spaces. Less code, less arcane syntax than the previous Zsh shell coding exercise. Still same output with sorted folder names regardless of their order of selection in the Finder:

The AppleScript source that replaces the default content of a Run AppleScript action in Automator:

use framework "Foundation"
use scripting additions

property NSMutableArray : a reference to current application's NSMutableArray
property NSString : a reference to current application's NSString
property NSSortDescriptor : a reference to current application's NSSortDescriptor


on run {input, parameters}
	
	set folderList to {}
	
	tell application "Finder"
		set theStuff to input
		-- not a folder
		if not my is_folder(item 1 of theStuff) then
			set outfile to item 1 of theStuff
		end if
		repeat with f in rest of theStuff
			repeat 1 times
				if my is_folder(f) is true then
					copy f as alias to the end of folderList
				else
					-- if not a folder
					exit repeat
				end if
			end repeat
		end repeat
		
		repeat with i from 1 to count of folderList
			duplicate outfile to (item i of folderList) with replacing and exact copy
		end repeat
		set outfile to POSIX path of (outfile as text)
		set poutfile to (NSString's stringWithString:outfile)'s stringByAbbreviatingWithTildeInPath()
		
		try
			display dialog "File Copied: " & poutfile & return & return & "To: " & return & return & my tilde_folders(folderList) with title "Copy one file to n-tuple selected folders"
		end try
		
	end tell
	
	return input
end run

on is_folder(arg)
	-- returns false if not folder
	-- because System Events will return false if testing for a package folder on a folder
	return (folder of (info for (arg as alias)))
end is_folder

on tilde_folders(alist)
	-- process list of folder paths to their alphabetically ascending POSIX tilde equivalents
	set ascending to NSSortDescriptor's alloc()'s initWithKey:(missing value) ascending:true
	set nsm to NSMutableArray's array()
	repeat with anItem in alist
		set thisFile to POSIX path of (anItem as text)
		(nsm's addObject:((NSString's stringWithString:thisFile)'s stringByAbbreviatingWithTildeInPath()))
	end repeat
	-- because it is a mutable Array, we can sort ascending in place
	nsm's sortUsingDescriptors:{ascending}
	-- a text string with one item per line
	return (nsm's componentsJoinedByString:return) as text
end tilde_folders

The script is not designed nor easy to recode to handle folders with spaces in their name. Replace the space with an underscore in the folder names and it will work as designed.

I am looking into this now…

You are welcome. A case of never giving up… 😉