How do I duplicate a page in WordPress?

The free, open source WordPress software is insanely popular, currently powering over 40% of the top websites on the internet. But not all features are as obvious as you might want them to be. One such feature is the ability to duplicate a page or post – you can do it but it’s not as obvious, or even as powerful, as you’d like.

There is a manual method – and there are different ways to do do, depending on whether you’re using the new block editor or the classic editor – and an automated one, making use of plugins to give you a quick push-button copying feature.

You may also find, if using a managed hosting solution, that one may have already been implemented and can usually be accessed from the post/page list screen.

Using the block editor to duplicate a page

1. When in a page or post that you wish to duplicate, click the three vertical dots in the top, right-hand corner
2. This shows various document options including, under Tools, one named “Copy all content”

3. Selecting this will copy all the content to the clipboard
4. Now open up a new post/page and paste into the body of the document

Using the classic editor to copy a page

1. Click on the “Text” tab at the top-right of the editor window

2. This shows all the code for the post/page content
3. Select it all and copy it to your clipboard
4. Now create a new post/page and click on the “Text” tab again
5. Move your cursor into the editor window and paste the content of your clipboard

Using a plugin to a duplicate a page

There are numerous plugin available but the one that I use myself, and is used on this site too, is Yoast Duplicate Post. Once installed and activated you’ll find a number of new options available when you go to your post or page list and hover over one of the entries.

• Clone – creates a new duplicate post or page from the article you’ve selected
• New Draft – just the same as the ‘Clone’ option but takes you into the editor so that you start making changes to it
• Rewrite & Republish – this allows you to make changes to an original post or page without taking it offline. It makes a temporary copy and then, when you’re done, replaces the original

In addition to the options being here, you’ll also find them in the admin bar at the top of the screen (if you have this in use) and also in the document settings panel on the right hand side of the editor screen. There’s a lot more information about using it on the Yoast website.