<p>It's not very obvious, but now that blocks are entries, you can duplicate a block by going to its entry screen and using the standard &quot;Save as a new entry&quot; option at the top right.</p>
<p>To get to the block's entry screen you have to click on the block's Action menu (three dots at the top right of the block) and select &quot;Open in a new tab&quot;
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mHBFstDs.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mHBFstDs.png" alt="screenshot of block's action menu" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/EDv5mUKZ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/EDv5mUKZ.png" alt="screenshot of entry Save dropdown" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-12T13:09:50.523Z
Thanks! I did think something might happen by opening the Entry in a new tab, but it's not very intuitive. The Smith plugin is much more user-friendly!
Romain P.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-12T12:55:41.087Z
2024-09-12T12:55:41.087Z
James Smith
<p>It seems that Craft CMS 5 introduced a new feature allowing users to copy, clone, and paste Matrix blocks natively, eliminating the need for third-party plugins like <a href="https://github.com/verbb/smith" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Smith</a>. This was hinted at in various announcements, including from the developers of the Smith plugin, who mentioned that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Due to the upcoming changes in Craft 5, Smith will likely be retired,
as all functionality will be available in Craft itself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>However, I cannot find any detailed documentation or guidance on how to use this native feature in Craft 5.</p>
<p>Has anyone successfully implemented this or found official documentation explaining how to copy and paste blocks natively?</p>

<matrix>
How Can We Use the Native Matrix Block Copy Feature in Craft CMS 5?
# How Can We Use the Native Matrix Block Copy Feature in Craft CMS 5?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-09-12)

It seems that Craft CMS 5 introduced a new feature allowing users to copy, clone, and paste Matrix blocks natively, eliminating the need for third-party plugins like [Smith](https://github.com/verbb/smith). This was hinted at in various announcements, including from the developers of the Smith plugin, who mentioned that:

> Due to the upcoming changes in Craft 5, Smith will likely be retired,
> as all functionality will be available in Craft itself.

However, I cannot find any detailed documentation or guidance on how to use this native feature in Craft 5.

Has anyone successfully implemented this or found official documentation explaining how to copy and paste blocks natively?

**Tags:** matrix


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-09-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

It's not very obvious, but now that blocks are entries, you can duplicate a block by going to its entry screen and using the standard "Save as a new entry" option at the top right.

To get to the block's entry screen you have to click on the block's Action menu (three dots at the top right of the block) and select "Open in a new tab"
[![screenshot of block's action menu](https://i.sstatic.net/mHBFstDs.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/mHBFstDs.png)

[![screenshot of entry Save dropdown](https://i.sstatic.net/EDv5mUKZ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/EDv5mUKZ.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks! I did think something might happen by opening the Entry in a new tab, but it's not very intuitive. The Smith plugin is much more user-friendly!  

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