A symlink or "symbolic link" is a Linux file that simply points at another file. If the referenced file is removed, the symlink will remain but not indicate there's a problem until you try to use it.

Symbolic links (also called a soft link) are a very important tool to understand in Linux. These are special files that point to other files, similar to shortcuts in Windows or aliases in macOS.

For most Unix users, symbolic links are obvious and natural — a means to make connections that span file systems and avoid the need to keep duplicates of files in multiple file system locations.