Maintaining page layouts throughout your site keeps it consistent—a basic principle in good small business website design—and yet WordPress doesn’t come standard with the ability to duplicate pages. However, the good news is that there’s a plugin for that. There are actually a few plugins that give you a free and simple way to copy a WordPress page or post.
For example, if you’re using the robust Elementor page builder plugin (one of the best page builder plugins available), you can save a page as a template. Then you can use it whenever you create a new page by selecting it from the template library in the Elementor editor.
However, another leading plugin, Duplicate Page, will also let you replicate a WordPress page in as little as three steps without adding more functionality than you might need. We’ll show you how:
1. Add the “Duplicate Page” Plugin on WordPress
Shortcut: Plugins > Add New > Search “Duplicate Page” > Install > Activate
If you don’t already have WordPress up, start by logging in to your WordPress dashboard (e.g., yoursite.com/wp-admin).
From there, navigate to Plugins on the left-hand vertical menu and click “Add New.”
WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New
Use the search bar to find the “Duplicate Page” plugin. Once you’ve located it, click the “Install Now” button, and then click the “Activate” button.
Search “Duplicate Page” > Install Now > Activate
2. Go to Pages & Duplicate the Page You Want to Copy
Shortcut: Pages > Hover over the page you want to copy > Click “Duplicate This”
After installing and activating the “Duplicate Page” plugin, go to Pages from the left-hand vertical menu and select “All Pages.” Here, you will see your list of existing WordPress pages. Find the page you want to make a copy of. Hover over it and select the “Duplicate This” option that appears below the page title.
Pages > Hover over a page > Click “Duplicate This”
3. Edit the Copied Page
Shortcut: All Pages > Edit copied page
After clicking the “Duplicate This” button, you will then be redirected back to “All Pages.” The page you just copied will be listed above the existing version of it, but as a draft.
All Pages > Edit Duplicated Page
Find and click on the draft version, then hover over it and click “Edit” to make changes to the copied page. You will need to change the title of the page as well as the permalink. Depending on your settings, you may find that your permalink automatically updates as you change your page title.
Edit Page > Update Title > Update Permalink
Of course, you will also then want to change all of the copy (or text) on your copied page so that it’s not actually identical to your other page, as duplicate content is frowned upon by Google and may result in lower rankings in search. You can learn more about optimizing your pages for search by visiting our article on to how to rank on Google.
Why You Should Duplicate Your WordPress Pages
While you never want duplicate pages on your site word for word, a plugin like Duplicate Page helps ensure that your pages have the same layout. This then creates a more consistent user experience, which is why it’s another one of those WordPress tips and tricks that can save you a lot of time.
You should also check out the following suggested articles for more advice on how to get the most out of your website:
- Learn how to promote your website and increase traffic with these proven website marketing strategies.
- Turn your website into a marketing machine by using these user experience (UX) web design principles.
