# importDocument(at:toParentItemIdentifier:completionHandler:) Imports a file or package into the given parent directory. ``` func importDocument(at fileURL: URL, toParentItemIdentifier parentItemIdentifier: NSFileProviderItemIdentifier, completionHandler: @escaping @Sendable (NSFileProviderItem?, (any Error)?) -> Void) ``` ## Parameters `fileURL` A security-scoped URL for the file to import. Call on the URL before accessing it and when finished. `parentItemIdentifier` The persistent identifier for the directory where the item will be imported. `completionHandler` A block that takes the following parameters: - `importedDocumentItem`: A provider item that describes the newly imported item, or `nil` if an error occurred. - `error`: An error object. If an error occurs, pass in an object that describes the error; otherwise, set it to `nil`. ## Discussion > Important: > You can call this method from synchronous code using a completion handler, as shown on this page, or you can call it as an asynchronous method that has the following declaration: > > ```swift > func importDocument(at fileURL: URL, toParentItemIdentifier parentItemIdentifier: NSFileProviderItemIdentifier) async throws -> NSFileProviderItem > ``` > > For information about concurrency and asynchronous code in Swift, see . This method is called when the user imports a document or directory. Override this method to move the file at the provided security-scoped URL to the file provider’s storage. Your implementation should return immediately. Call the completion handler before performing any network activity or other long-running tasks. Defer these tasks to the background. The `importedDocumentItem` instance that you pass to the completion handler must define the following properties: - [`itemIdentifier`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/itemIdentifier): This identifier may be temporary. If you later receive a permanent identifier from your server, delete the temporary item and add the permanent one. - [`parentItemIdentifier`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/parentItemIdentifier): Set to the value passed to the `parentItemIdentifier` parameter. - [`filename`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/filename): Set to the `fileURL` parameter’s resource value. - [`creationDate`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/creationDate): Set to the `fileURL` parameter’s resource value. - [`contentModificationDate`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/contentModificationDate): Set to the `fileURL` parameter’s resource value. - [`typeIdentifier`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/typeIdentifier): Set to the `fileURL` parameter’s resource value. - [`documentSize`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/documentSize): For a flat file, set to the `fileURL` parameter’s resource value. For a package, set to the sum of the contents’ file sizes. - [`capabilities`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemProtocol/capabilities): Set to define the actions that the user can perform on the directory (for example, [`allowsReading`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemCapabilities/allowsReading) and [`allowsWriting`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemCapabilities/allowsWriting)). The user’s ability to import an item into a directory is controlled by the parent directory’s [`allowsAddingSubItems`](/documentation/FileProvider/NSFileProviderItemCapabilities/allowsAddingSubItems) capability. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)