Clone a content item

What's inside this article:


Basic information

From Pangea CMS, you can instantly clone an item that was originally published by a partner website. The system creates your clone in an unpublished state, so it is possible to update the settings for your clone before you publish it.

NOTE: Cloning is available between partner websites under the same entity. For example, if your website is under the entity RFE/RL, you can clone content from other RFE/RL websites.

Only the following types of content can be cloned:

  • Text:
    • Live blog
  • Multimedia:
    • Audio clip
    • Document
    • Loop video
    • Video

When you clone an item, your clone remains connected to the original item. If the original item is updated, your clone might inherit the changes. For this reason, cloning is primarily intended for content sharing between partner websites that use the same language. Loop videos might be shared between more websites, as they are silent and do not typically include text.



Cloning: Rules

You can clone the following content types from a partner website (not your own website):

  • Text:
    • Live blog
  • Multimedia:
    • Audio clip
    • Document
    • Loop video
    • Video

No. The clone can inherit updates from the original item, but the original item never inherits updates from the clone.

Maybe. It depends which settings on the original item are updated. The following general rules apply:

  • On the clone, some settings are restricted (not editable). These settings always match the original item and will inherit changes.
  • On the clone, some settings are fully editable. These settings do not need to match the original and will not inherit changes.

For example, you cannot add new posts to a Live blog clone. However, when a new post is added to the original Live blog, the post is also added to the clone.

To learn about the restrictions for different content types, go to the following chapter in this article:

No. Cloning is only available for published content.

In Pangea CMS, most content types can only be copied (not cloned).

Copying works differently to cloning. When you copy an item, your copy is a separate item that is not connected to the original. Copying supports publishing the same story on multiple websites in different languages. For detailed information, see the alternative article below:



Clone an item

To make a clone of an item, first find the item on the main Search page.

To find an item from another site:

  1. In the Sites selector, select the name of the site.
  2. Hit Search to refresh the search results.

The results refresh to show only content from the selected site.

To make a clone of an item, hit the Make a clone of item button. If you do not see this button, it is not possible to clone the item. To learn which content types it is possible to clone, go to the following chapter in this article:

If you see Make a copy of item instead of Make a clone of item, the item can only be copied (not cloned). To learn about copying, see the alternative article below:

The edit page for the clone opens in the same tab. The settings and content exactly match the original item, with the following exceptions:

  • The prefix [Clone] - is added to the title.
  • The status of the clone is Draft.
  • The following settings are removed in the clone:
    • Authors
    • Categories
    • Related content
    • Tags

Restrictions apply when you edit a clone. For details, go to the following chapter in this article:



Clones: Editing restrictions

The restrictions for editing a clone vary, according to the type of content:

When you edit the clone of an Audio clip, the Replace option is not available to replace the audio file. Other settings are editable and do not need to match the original.

If the audio file is replaced in the original Audio clip, it is also replaced in the clone.

When you edit the clone of a Document, the Replace option is not available to replace the document file. Other settings are editable and do not need to match the original.

If the document file is replaced in the original Document, it is also replaced in the clone.

When you edit the clone of a Live blog, you cannot perform the following actions:

  • Add new posts.
  • Edit or delete existing posts.
  • Update Live broadcasting settings.
  • Update Highlights settings.

The clone inherits updates to the above settings from the original Live blog. Other settings are editable and do not need to match the original.

When you edit the clone of a Loop video, you cannot perform the following actions:

  • Adjust the Thumbnail.
  • Use the Replace option to replace the video file.

The clone inherits updates to the above settings from the original Loop video. Other settings are editable and do not need to match the original.

When you edit the clone of a Video, you cannot perform the following actions:

  • Add or remove the Watermark.
  • Adjust the Thumbnail.
  • Use the Replace option to replace the video file.

The clone inherits updates to the above settings from the original Video. Other settings are editable and do not need to match the original.



Find clones

On the main Search page in Pangea CMS, the following rules apply:

  • Copies: All copies are marked with the 'Copy' chip. This chip signals that the item is a copy of another item.
  • Clones: All clones are marked with the 'Clone' chip. This chip signals that the item is a clone of another item.

You can set the filters, so the results will show only copies and clones. Follow these basic steps:

  1. Ensure Content is selected in the search filters.
  2. Under Other, tick Content sharing.
  3. Hit Search.

The results refresh to show only copies and clones.

This article mostly provides information about cloned content. For information about copied content, see the alternative article below:



Canonical URLs: Overview

The metadata for a webpage might include a canonical URL. The canonical URL tells search engines which URL represents the original version of the content. This is useful when the same content is shared on multiple pages. Only the canonical URL is indexed by search engines and included on search engine results pages.

When you use the instant clone functionality in Pangea CMS, the URL for the original item is automatically added as the canonical URL in the metadata for the clone. This follows good journalistic practice and general SEO guidance.