A successful atomic manipulation may be influenced by many factors such as bias voltage, tip structure and manipulation modes et al. Here, performing atomic-scale simulations with ab initio based many-body potentials, we have studied the vertical and lateral manipulation of a single Co adatom on metallic Cu surfaces using STM tips at zero bias voltage. A suitable scheme for manipulating the Co adatom on a Cu(554) surface is proposed. The optimum tip height for a successful lateral manipulation is determined and the reliability of the lateral manipulation of the adatom on the stepped surface is assessed. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.