Cloning (Duplicating) Content
In some cases, it can be helpful to duplicate, or "Clone," content. This guide reviews cases where this could be useful, as well as the process steps.
Jump to:
Examples of When Cloning Content is Helpful
Any content, from events to news items to full webpages, can be cloned. Sometimes it's faster to clone an existing item or page and make a few edits than it would be to recreate the content entirely from scratch. Cloning also allows for consistency in wording and layout, which provides a cohesive feel to your content.
Here are just a few examples of when cloning content might be helpful:
Multiple iterations of an event: For example, your unit may host a faculty-student lunch seminar every week. The faculty speaker, topic, and/or location may change week to week, but the basics are the same. Cloning the event and making the necessary date and other changes saves time versus starting from scratch.
Similar news items: Perhaps 3 of your faculty members recently won different awards. You could create a news item and clone it, personalizing the content as needed.
Copying full pages as templates: If you want multiple pages to have the same appearance but don't want to spend the time setting up the layout (e.g. adding Text Areas, Accordions, Vertical Timelines, choosing images, etc.), cloning the page and personalizing it will speed up your process. For example, if your undergraduate major has multiple subplans from which students can choose, you might make a page for one subplan and clone it as a template for the others.
Steps for Cloning Content
Go to your Manage Content page (Shortcuts → Manage Content). Scroll to find the content you wish to clone. Optionally, you can use the search bar to locate your content.
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
Once you've located the content you wish to clone, check the checkbox to the left of the title. You can clone more than one item at a time if you wish.
In the "Actions" dropdown menu at the bottom of the page, select "Clone selected content" and click the button to "Apply to selected items."
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
You will be asked how many copies you wish to create. Update the number, if necessary, and click "Apply."
This will create an exact duplicate of your page, so you will see two items in your list with the same title and authoring information. Even though one page was just created, it will show the original author and publication date.
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
Caution: Because the cloned copy is exactly the same as the original, it is impossible to tell which is which. You'll need to open both for editing and look at the menu settings to discern old and new.
Distinguishing the Cloned Content from the Original
Now that you have two copies of the same content, it is critical to identify the original and the duplicate. Why? The original will maintain it's navigation links, but the copy will not. As a result, the new version won't have an assigned "home" in the sense that it will just be a free floating page on your website. You'll want to make your edits to the cloned version, as well as assign it a place on your site. Additionally, any links that directed users to the original page will continue to direct users to the original page.
To determine which version is which, open both in separate tabs or windows. Here is a screenshot of each:
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
There are two ways to identify the original.
The original version has a navigation panel on the left of the page, whereas the duplicate does not. Again, this is because the new content hasn't been assigned a home within your website's structure; the content was duplicated but the menu settings weren't.
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
You can also discern which is which by looking at the url. The original content will likely have a longer url because it is housed in a particular section of your website. For example, if your content was duplicated from a page within the undergraduate academics section, it might look something like: samplesite.stanford.edu/academics/undergrad/original-page . The clone might look something like: samplesite.stanford.edu/original-page . In some cases, especially with individual News or Events items, your content might not be tied to the main menu. In these cases, the original url might look like: samplesite.stanford.edu/original-page . The clone will simply add a -0 or -1 to the end: samplesite.stanford.edu/original-page-0 .
Editing the Newly Cloned Content
Editing the newly cloned page is exactly the same as editing any other content. However, a best practice is to begin by renaming and "housing" the new page in the appropriate menu area.
To start, you'll go into the Edit tab, then change the title in the Title box.
Next, change the Menu Settings. Start by clicking on the arrow next to "Menu Settings" and check the box for "Provide a menu link."
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
This will pull up additional options.
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
When you check "Provide a menu link," the "Menu link title" box is automatically populated to match the content of the Title box. Since you updated the title of this page first, this box is now populated with your new title.
In the event that you forget to change the title first, the menu link title will be a copy of the page you had duplicated. Make sure to change this to match the title of the new page to the menu link.
Next, select where your new content will appear in the box titled "Parent link." The default option is "<Main navigation>" which is the toolbar at the top of the home page. Expand the dropdown list to view additional options.
Once you've selected the appropriate parent link, you can choose where in the list your content will be placed. Drag and drop to the desired order by clicking the + icon and dragging to the desired spot.
.png?apiToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjIwMjMtMDUtMDQifQ.eyJzY29wZSI6Im5vdGUtZXhwb3J0IiwibmlkIjoiaTFVYWNRRjc3RDVZemciLCJpYXQiOjE3MTYyMzM5MTksImlzcyI6Imh0dHBzOi8vc2xpdGUuY29tIiwianRpIjoiN09kNmFSQ2JhNk5heVMiLCJleHAiOjE3MTg4MjU5MTl9.P8MSLbtL_0U4Koc_U265hP1vJC3guSxJgso7pPQJr-Y)
After following these steps, your duplicated content is ready for editing!
Be sure to save your work when you've finished!