usebruno/bruno · warning · Error

folder: ${newFolderPath} already exists

Error message

folder: ${newFolderPath} already exists

What it means

Thrown by 'renderer:move-folder-item' when fs.existsSync(newFolderPath) is true, where newFolderPath = destinationPath/<folderName>. The handler will not overwrite an existing folder at the destination, because it relies on fs.renameSync which would fail or clobber.

Source

Thrown at packages/bruno-electron/src/ipc/collection.js:1751

    } catch (error) {
      return Promise.reject(error);
    }
  });

  ipcMain.handle('renderer:move-folder-item', async (event, folderPath, destinationPath) => {
    try {
      validatePathIsInsideCollection(folderPath);
      validatePathIsInsideCollection(destinationPath);

      const folderName = path.basename(folderPath);
      const newFolderPath = path.join(destinationPath, folderName);

      if (!fs.existsSync(folderPath)) {
        throw new Error(`folder: ${folderPath} does not exist`);
      }

      if (fs.existsSync(newFolderPath)) {
        throw new Error(`folder: ${newFolderPath} already exists`);
      }

      const requestFilesAtSource = await searchForRequestFiles(folderPath);

      for (let requestFile of requestFilesAtSource) {
        const newRequestFilePath = requestFile.replace(folderPath, newFolderPath);
        moveRequestUid(requestFile, newRequestFilePath);
      }

      fs.renameSync(folderPath, newFolderPath);
    } catch (error) {
      return Promise.reject(error);
    }
  });

  const writeBrunoConfig = async (brunoConfig, collectionPath, collectionRoot) => {
    const transformedBrunoConfig = transformBrunoConfigBeforeSave(_.cloneDeep(brunoConfig));
    const format = getCollectionFormat(collectionPath);

View on GitHub (pinned to 9bdd81c7bd)

Solutions

1. Pre-check for a colliding destination folder and either merge, auto-rename, or prompt the user.
2. Use generateUniqueName to derive a non-colliding destination folder name.
3. Surface the conflict with replace/merge/cancel choices.

Example fix

// before
await window.Ipc.invoke('renderer:move-folder-item', folderPath, destinationPath);

// after
const folderName = path.basename(folderPath);
let dest = path.join(destinationPath, folderName); let i = 1;
while (fs.existsSync(dest)) dest = path.join(destinationPath, `${folderName}-copy-${i++}`);
// move handler derives newFolderPath from folderName internally, so rename source folder first or extend handler to accept an explicit target name

const folderName = path.basename(folderPath);
const newFolderPath = path.join(destinationPath, folderName);
if (await window.ipc.invoke('main:path-exists', newFolderPath)) {
  throw new Error(`a folder named '${folderName}' already exists in the destination`);
}

async function destinationIsClear(dest: string, folderName: string): Promise<boolean> {
  return !(await window.ipc.invoke('main:path-exists', path.join(dest, folderName)));
}

try {
  await window.Ipc.invoke('renderer:move-folder-item', folderPath, destinationPath);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e?.message).includes('already exists')) {
    // rename source folder to a unique name first, then move
    await renameAndRetryMove(folderPath, destinationPath);
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Moving a folder into a destination that already contains a folder of the same name, or re-running a move after a partial earlier attempt.

Common situations: Duplicate folder name in destination, re-triggered drag-drop, or a prior interrupted move left the target folder.

Related errors

• A file with the name "${targetFilename}" already exists in t
• folder: ${folderPath} does not exist
• path: ${newPath} already exists
• folder: ${collectionPath} already exists
• path: ${filePath} already exists

AI-assisted analysis of usebruno/bruno@9bdd81c7bd (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8096b3eba2712835. Report an issue: GitHub.