How to duplicate a SharePoint list

Duplicating a SharePoint list lets administrators and site owners quickly replicate a list’s structure, columns, and settings—and optionally its data—without rebuilding everything from scratch. This is useful when rolling out the same list across multiple sites, creating a backup before making major changes, or using an existing list as a starting point for a new project.

This article explains how to duplicate a SharePoint list using SharePoint Online and Windows PowerShell, and how you can copy SharePoint lists from one site to another effortlessly with ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus, a SharePoint management and reporting tool

Method 1: SharePoint Online browser UI

This method is best suited for site owners who need to copy a SharePoint list once or who prefer a visual interface without writing scripts.

Prerequisites

• You must have Edit or Full Control permissions on the source SharePoint site.
• You need to enable Custom Scripts for the list you are duplicating since this feature may be disabled in some modern SharePoint environments.

Steps to duplicate a SharePoint list using the SharePoint Online browser UI

1. Open the SharePoint site and navigate to Site Contents from the left navigation panel or the gear icon.
2. Hover over the list you want to duplicate, click the ... (ellipsis) menu, and select Settings.
3. On the List Settings page, scroll down to Permissions and Management and click Save list as template
4. On the Save as Template page, fill in the following fields:
   1. File name: The internal file name for the template (no spaces).
   2. Template name: A display name for the template.
   3. Template description: An optional description.
   4. Include Content: Check this box if you want to duplicate the SharePoint list with data (i.e., existing list items). Leave it unchecked to copy only the structure.

      Note: The Include Content option copies list items at the time of template creation. Any items added after saving the template will not be included.

5. Click OK. SharePoint will create a .stp template file and notify you when it is ready.
6. Go to Site Contents and click New > List.
7. Select From existing list or navigate to From your organization under Templates, then choose the template you just saved.
8. Enter a name for the new list and click Next. SharePoint will generate a duplicate list in the current site.

How to manage a duplicated SharePoint list from the SharePoint Online browser UI

Once the duplicate SharePoint list is created from the template, you can edit the following from List Settings.

• Edit columns by going to List Settings > Columns.
• Update permissions under List Settings > Permissions for this list.
• Rename the list from List Settings > List name, description and navigation.
• Delete the template from the List Template Gallery (Site Settings > List templates) if you do not want to use it as a list template.

Method 2: Windows PowerShell

PowerShell allows administrators to copy a SharePoint list programmatically, making it ideal for duplicating lists across multiple sites or automating list provisioning as part of a larger deployment workflow.

Prerequisites

• You must have the PnP PowerShell module for Windows PowerShell installed.
• You must have Edit or Full Control permissions on the source SharePoint site.
• You must have access to both the source and destination SharePoint sites.

PowerShell scripts to duplicate a SharePoint list using Windows PowerShell

Duplicate a SharePoint list without data using Windows PowerShell

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://.sharepoint.com/sites/ -Interactive  # Export schema $list = Get-PnPList -Identity "Project Tracker" $template = Get-PnPProvisioningTemplate -ListsToExtract "Project Tracker" -Handlers Lists  # Create new list from template Apply-PnPProvisioningTemplate -InputInstance $template

Duplicate a SharePoint list with data using Windows PowerShell

# Get source & target lists
$sourceList = Get-PnPListItem -List "Project Tracker" -PageSize 500
$targetListName = "Project Tracker - Copy"

foreach ($item in $sourceList) {
    $values = @{}

    foreach ($field in $item.FieldValues.Keys) {
        if ($field -notmatch "^(ID|GUID|Created|Modified|Author|Editor)$") {
            $values[$field] = $item[$field]
        }
    }

    Add-PnPListItem -List $targetListName -Values $values
}

Supported parameters

Replace the values in the following parameters with your own data to copy a SharePoint list in your environment.

Limitations of using PowerShell to duplicate SharePoint lists

• Writing and debugging scripts can be time-consuming for administrators who are unfamiliar with PowerShell.
• Even with provisioning templates, certain elements such as custom forms (Power Apps), Power Automate flows, advanced JSON formatting, and complex calculated columns may not be carried over correctly.
• PowerShell for SharePoint Online requires specific admin roles and access to the PnP module, which may not be available in all environments.

Method 3: SharePoint Manager Plus

If you are looking to duplicate multiple SharePoint lists in a single operation, a third-party SharePoint administration tool such as ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus that combines the potential of PowerShell with the ease of use of a GUI might be what you are looking for.

Steps to duplicate SharePoint lists with SharePoint Manager Plus

1. Log in to SharePoint Manager Plus and navigate to the Migration tab.
2. Select the Copy Site Contents field and click Add New Task.
3. In the Select Source tab, after selecting the farm or tenant and the site, you can select the SharePoint lists that you want to duplicate by clicking them while holding the Ctrl key. After you select them, click Next.
4. In the Target Location tab, select the same farm or tenant and the site you selected for the source. You can then navigate to the same folder as the original SharePoint lists or select a different folder. Once done, click Next.
   1. In the Settings tab, select Copy Action as Keep Both Files.
   2. Use File Extensions to restrict the migration to specific file formats if required.
   3. Enable Date Filter to migrate only files created or modified within a specific time range.
   4. Choose the Operation Mode:
      • Run Now to duplicate your SharePoint lists immediately.
      • Schedule to duplicate your SharePoint lists regularly for list template updates.
   5. Configure Email Notification to receive updates on task completion.
   6. Click Apply to create and start duplicating all of your selected SharePoint lists in a single operation.

How SharePoint Manager Plus simplifies SharePoint list management

After you duplicate a SharePoint list, maintaining control over permissions, tracking changes, and keeping list access structured is critical for collaboration and compliance. ManageEngine SharePoint Manager Plus provides a script-free, intuitive GUI for managing all aspects of your SharePoint lists.

Best practices when duplicating SharePoint lists

Frequently asked questions