Make A Copy of your Manus Built Websites
Website changes are easier to make when your original project stays safe. A new homepage, checkout flow, app structure, or market-specific version can be useful, but testing those ideas directly on a working site can create unnecessary risk.
Manus Website Builder’s Make a Copy feature lets you duplicate an existing WebDev project into a new, independent session. The copy carries over the project foundation, while the original remains unchanged, so you can experiment, reuse strong work, and publish only when you are ready.
When to Duplicate a Web Development Project
Duplicating a project is useful when an existing website or app is already close to what you need. You might have a working site that needs a redesign, a reusable landing page structure, a data-backed app that needs clean test data, or a payment flow that should be tested separately.
If You Have | A Copy Helps You |
A working site | Try larger changes without disrupting the original. |
A reusable structure | Turn one project into a base for future pages, portfolios, dashboards, or tools. |
A data-backed app | Keep the app structure while starting with a fresh database. |
A payment-enabled project | Test payment flows in a separate project where applicable. |
The workflow is simple: keep the stable version, create a copy, make changes in the copied project, and decide later what should move forward.
How to Duplicate a Project
You can make a copy from two places. In the Library, open the three-dot menu on a project card and select Make a Copy. In the WebDev editor, open project settings, go to the General tab, and select Make a Copy under Project Actions.[1]
Before the copy is created, Manus shows a Duplicate project dialog. The dialog lets you confirm or edit the new project title, such as “Copy of AI News Platform,” and explains that your project’s foundation will carry over to a brand new session.
The dialog also shows what gets transferred: project code, database schema, and secrets and values. This helps you understand what will carry over before you click Make a copy. You get the foundation needed to keep building, but not a hidden clone of every production record.
Try Changes Without Affecting the Original
Some edits are small enough to make directly. Larger changes, such as a redesign, framework shift, new onboarding flow, or payment-flow test, are safer in a separate copy.
A copied project gives you that space. The documentation explains that copied projects are independent: changes to code, database, or settings in the copy do not affect the original project. This means you can test a new direction, review it, and decide whether it is worth using.
For example, a team could copy a live SaaS landing page before testing a different message for small teams. The copied project becomes the place to update the homepage, adjust pricing, and review the sign-up flow, while the original remains stable.
Reuse a Project as a Template
Make a Copy also helps when you build similar websites often. Instead of starting from a blank project each time, you can create a strong base project and copy it for each new version.
An agency might keep a polished service-page project as a template, then copy it for each client and update the copy, testimonials, calls to action, and FAQ. A creator could do the same with a portfolio template, while a startup could reuse a launch-site structure for different audiences.
This works best when the project already contains patterns worth preserving, such as layout structure, component organization, page hierarchy, styling choices, or integration setup.
What gets Copied into the New Project
When you make a copy, Manus carries over the core project foundation: project code, database schema, and secrets. A short summary of the source session’s conversation history also carries over, so Manus has context on what was happening in the original session. The full conversation history is not transferred. The documentation also notes a few important boundaries: database rows are not transferred, custom domain settings are not inherited, the copied project starts unpublished, and GitHub connections are not transferred.[1]
Project Element | What Happens in the Copy |
Project code | The full codebase from the latest checkpoint or commit is transferred. |
Secrets and values | Secret keys and their values are copied, so API integrations can continue to work. |
Database schema | The structure and tables are copied. |
Database data | Existing rows are not transferred; the copy starts with a fresh, empty database. |
Publishing and domains | The copied project starts unpublished and does not inherit custom domain settings. |
GitHub connection | The connection is not transferred. |
AI chat history | A short summary carries over for context, but the full conversation history is not transferred. |
This keeps the copy useful without carrying over everything from the original environment. If your app needs sample data, you can recreate or seed it in the copied project after the copy is made.
Common Questions
Q: Does making a copy affect my original project?
A: No. The copied project is independent. Changes made to code, database, or settings in the copy do not affect the original project.
Q: What does the Duplicate project dialog show before I make the copy?
A: It shows the new project title and a transfer summary. The current dialog highlights project code, database schema, and secrets and values as the foundation that carries over to the new session.
Q: Why is the database empty in the copied project?
A: Manus copies the database schema, not the actual rows of data. This gives the copied project a clean slate and helps avoid unintended data corruption or privacy issues.
Q: Will the copied project be live right away?
A: No. Copied projects start unpublished, so you can review and test the copy before publishing it separately.
Q: Are custom domains copied?
A: No. The copied project does not inherit custom domain settings from the original project. If needed, you can configure a domain separately. If you wish to use the same domain, disconnect the domain from the original project first.
Q: Is the GitHub connection copied?
A: No. The GitHub connection is not transferred. If you want the copied project connected to GitHub, connect it to its own repository.
Q: Can I copy a teammate’s project or a community template?
A: Currently, users can only make copies of their own projects. Support for copying team projects and public community templates is on the roadmap.
Q: When should I make a copy instead of editing directly?
A: Make a copy when the change is large, uncertain, or reusable. Redesigns, structural changes, framework experiments, payment-flow tests, and template-based new sites are all good candidates.
Copy. Test. Reuse.
Make a Copy gives Manus Website Builder users a simple way to protect what already works while still moving quickly. You can preserve a stable project, test a new direction in an independent session, reuse proven structures as templates, and publish only when the copied project is ready.
