Sometimes you want a second version of a site you already have. Maybe you want a safe place to test a redesign, a starting point for a similar collection, or a sandbox for training new staff. Copy Site does exactly that: it builds a brand new site and fills it with the content of an existing one.
How to copy a site
On the Sites page, find the site you want to copy, open its ... menu, and choose Copy Site.
📷 Screenshot: A site row on the Sites page with the "..." menu open and Copy Site highlighted.
The copy is built in the background, just like a brand new site. It usually takes a few minutes, and you can watch the progress on the new site's page if you like. There is no need to wait around.
What gets copied
The copy receives the original site's content and its uploaded files:
- The content comes from the original site's most recent backup, restored into the new site.
- The uploaded files (your images, documents, and other media) are copied over directly.
Because the content comes from the latest backup, anything you changed on the original very recently may not be included. If you have just made changes you want in the copy, create a fresh backup first, then run the copy. Our guide on manual backups and downloads shows how.
What does not get copied
A copy is a new, independent site, so a few things start fresh on purpose:
- A new temporary web address. The copy gets its own address, and the original keeps its domain. See using your own domain if you want to point a domain at the copy later.
- A new database. The two sites do not share anything, so changes to one never affect the other.
- A new login password. We generate a fresh admin password for the copy. You can reveal and copy it from the new site's Settings tab.
After the copy finishes
When setup completes, the new site appears in your Sites list like any other, with its own Public Site and Admin Site buttons. From there it is a completely separate site: back it up, update it, or delete it without ever touching the original.