Copy a content item

What's inside this article:


Basic information

From Pangea CMS, you can instantly copy a story that was originally published by a partner website. The system creates your copy in an unpublished state, so it is possible to localize the content before you publish it. This functionality supports publishing the same story on multiple websites in different languages.

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

We suggest using the instant copy functionality in Pangea CMS, rather than manually copying and pasting text from other sites. The reasons are as follows:

  • You save time, as it is not necessary manually recreate the content.
  • You follow good journalistic practice, as the URL for the original item is automatically added as the canonical URL for the copy.



Copying: Rules

You can copy the following content types from your own website or from a partner website:

  • Text:
    • Article
    • Backgrounder
    • Blog
    • FactCheck
    • Feature
    • Feature story
    • News
    • Transcript

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

  • Multimedia:
    • Photo gallery
    • Slider gallery
  • Interactive:
    • Dynamic infographics
    • Poll
    • Quiz
    • Snippet
    • Static infographics

No. When you make a copy of an item, your copy is separate item that is not connected to the original. This means:

  • Changes to the original item do not affect the copy.
  • Changes to the copy do not affect the original item.

By default, all services can copy content that is published. On request, we can enable the option for your service to copy unpublished content. For details, go to the following chapter in this article:

In Pangea CMS, some content types can only be cloned (not copied). The following content types can only be cloned:

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

Cloning works differently to copying. When you clone an item, some settings on the clone remain connected to the original item and will inherit updates. Cloning is primarily intended for content sharing between partner websites that use the same language. For detailed information, see the alternative article below:



Copy an item

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

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

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

  • The prefix [Copy] - is added to the title.
  • The status of the copy is Draft.
  • If you copied the item from a different site, the following settings are removed in the copy:
    • Authors
    • Categories
    • Related content
    • Tags

No restrictions apply when you edit a copy. The copy is not connected to the original item, so you can freely localize the content and change the settings.



Copy unpublished content

IMPORTANT: Not all services can copy unpublished content. We can enable this option for individual services on request. If your service needs to copy unpublished content from partner websites, contact Pangea Customer Care.

Copying unpublished content is useful when all versions of the same story (original and copies) need to be published at the same time across multiple sites. The following types of content can be copied in an unpublished state:

  • Article
  • Blog
  • Feature
  • Feature item
  • News
  • Transcript

You can copy an unpublished story that has one of the following statuses:

  • Scheduled
  • Edited

NOTE: You cannot copy an unpublished story that has the Draft status. This is because the 'Draft' status signals that the content is still in progress.

Find more details and guidance below:


Copy content with the 'Edited' status

You can copy a story that has the Edited status. The 'Edited' status normally signals that the content is in editorial review. Before copying, it is important to confirm that the content is finalized and ready to publish.

When you copy a story that has the 'Edited' status, the system creates your copy with the Draft status. When you are ready, you will need to publish the copy manually. It is important to publish the copy at the same time as or after the original story. If the copy is published first, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for the original story can be negatively impacted.

TIP: Automate publication by copying content with the Scheduled status.


Copy content with the 'Scheduled' status

The Scheduled status signals that a story is not yet published, but it will be published automatically at a specific date and time in the future. You can copy a story that has the 'Scheduled' status.

When you copy a story that has the Scheduled status, your copy inherits the same publication settings as the original story. This automates publication, ensuring that the copy and the original are automatically published at the same time.

To check the publication settings, click the Pub. options button on the edit page for the copy. The dialog shows the scheduled date and time for publication.

To save your copy with the same publication settings:

  1. Change the status of the copy from Draft to Published.
  2. Select Schedule / Schedule & close on the edit page for the copy.

To learn more about scheduled publication in Pangea CMS, see the following article:



Find copies

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 copied content. For information about cloned 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 copy functionality in Pangea CMS, the URL for the original item is automatically added as the canonical URL in the metadata for the copy. This follows good journalistic practice and general SEO guidance.