WordPress Duplicate Page or Post: 3 Methods Explained

Sometimes you want to use an existing page or post as a basis for new content. In WordPress, there are multiple ways to do this. We discuss three options: with a plugin, manual copying, and via code.

Why Duplicate Pages?

Common reasons to duplicate:

• Reuse template: Same layout for similar pages
• Consistent structure: Product pages or team members
• A/B testing: Compare two versions
• Backup for major changes: Keep the original
• Translation preparation: Base for other language versions

Method 1: With Plugin (recommended)

The easiest way is with a plugin. We recommend Duplicate Post (by Yoast).

Installation

1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for "Duplicate Post"
3. Install the plugin by Yoast
4. Click Activate

Duplicate a Page

After installation, new options appear:

1. Go to Pages > All Pages

2. Hover over the page you want to copy

3. You'll now see extra options:

   • Clone: Creates a direct copy as draft
   • New Draft: Opens the editor with a copy
   • Rewrite & Republish: For revising a live page

4. Click Clone for a quick copy

5. Your copy appears as a draft

Duplicate a Post

Works identically:

1. Go to Posts > All Posts
2. Hover over the post
3. Click Clone or New Draft

Plugin Settings

Customize what gets copied:

1. Go to Settings > Duplicate Post
2. Configure:

What to copy:

• Title (on)
• Date (off - gets new date)
• Status (draft recommended)
• Slug/permalink (on)
• Excerpt (on)
• Content (on)
• Featured image (on)
• Template (on)
• Categories and tags (as needed)

Prefix/suffix:

• Prefix: "Copy of" (optional)
• Suffix: "(copy)" (optional)

Where to display:

• Post list (on)
• Edit screen (on)
• Admin bar (as needed)

Set Permissions

Determine who can duplicate:

1. Go to Settings > Duplicate Post > Permissions
2. Check which user roles can copy
3. Choose which post types (posts, pages, etc.)

Method 2: Manual Copying

No plugin needed? You can also copy manually.

Via the Code Editor

1. Open the page/post you want to copy
2. Click the three dots at the top right (...)
3. Click Code Editor (or press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Alt + M)
4. Select all code (Ctrl/Cmd + A)
5. Copy (Ctrl/Cmd + C)

Now create a new page:

1. Go to Pages > Add New
2. Switch to Code Editor
3. Paste the copied code (Ctrl/Cmd + V)
4. Switch back to Visual Editor
5. Adjust the title and content
6. Save as draft

Note About Manual Copying

This does NOT copy:

• Featured image
• SEO settings
• Categories and tags
• Page attributes (template, order, parent page)
• Custom fields

You'll need to set these manually again.

Method 3: Via Database (for developers)

For technically proficient users or developers.

Warning

Never work directly on the live database without a backup. Only use this method if you know what you're doing.

SQL Query

-- Step 1: Copy the post
INSERT INTO wp_posts (post_author, post_date, post_date_gmt, post_content,
post_title, post_excerpt, post_status, comment_status, ping_status,
post_password, post_name, to_ping, pinged, post_modified, post_modified_gmt,
post_content_filtered, post_parent, guid, menu_order, post_type, post_mime_type,
comment_count)
SELECT post_author, NOW(), NOW(), post_content,
CONCAT(post_title, ' (copy)'), post_excerpt, 'draft', comment_status,
ping_status, post_password, CONCAT(post_name, '-copy'), to_ping, pinged,
NOW(), NOW(), post_content_filtered, post_parent, '', menu_order, post_type,
post_mime_type, 0
FROM wp_posts
WHERE ID = 123; -- Replace 123 with the original post ID

-- Step 2: Copy the post meta
INSERT INTO wp_postmeta (post_id, meta_key, meta_value)
SELECT LAST_INSERT_ID(), meta_key, meta_value
FROM wp_postmeta
WHERE post_id = 123; -- Same original post ID

Via WP-CLI

If you have WP-CLI installed:

# Install a duplicate plugin via CLI
wp plugin install duplicate-post --activate

# Or export and import
wp post get 123 --format=json > post.json
# Edit post.json (remove ID, adjust title)
wp post create post.json --porcelain

Bulk Duplicating

Need to duplicate many pages at once?

With Duplicate Post Plugin

1. Go to Pages > All Pages
2. Select multiple pages with the checkboxes
3. Choose Bulk Actions > Clone
4. Click Apply

With WP-CLI (developers)

# Duplicate all pages in a category
for id in $(wp post list --post_type=page --format=ids); do
  wp post create --post_type=page --post_status=draft \
    --post_title="$(wp post get $id --field=post_title) (copy)" \
    --post_content="$(wp post get $id --field=post_content)"
done

After Duplicating

Checklist for Duplicated Content

After duplicating, don't forget:

• [ ] Adjust title
• [ ] Change URL (slug) to something unique
• [ ] Check/adjust featured image
• [ ] Adjust SEO title and description
• [ ] Check internal links (do they point to the right page?)
• [ ] Check date (if relevant)
• [ ] Check category/tags

Avoiding Duplicate Content

Google doesn't like duplicate content. Make sure:

• Each page has unique content
• The duplicated version differs substantially
• Or one of them is "noindex" while editing

Frequently Asked Questions

Are images also duplicated? The image blocks are copied, but they refer to the same media files. The files themselves are not duplicated.

Are SEO settings copied? With Duplicate Post: yes (if you check that in the settings). Manually: no.

Can I duplicate WooCommerce products? Yes, WooCommerce has a built-in duplicate function. Hover over a product and click "Duplicate".

Will the published page be affected if I modify the draft? No, the copy is a completely separate post. Changes to the copy do not affect the original.

How do I duplicate only a specific part of a page? Select the blocks in the editor, click the three dots, choose "Copy blocks". Paste in the new page.

Conclusion

For most users, the Duplicate Post plugin is the best option:

• Easy to use
• Configurable what gets copied
• Works with bulk actions
• Free and reliable

Need help with WordPress? Contact us.

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