How to duplicate Word documents

Duplicating Word documents is (thankfully) a quick and painless process that can save you an awful lot of time.

You can duplicate Word documents in several ways, from utilizing keyboard shortcuts to creating copies from within the document itself.

You can even use online tools to make the process more convenient and efficient. 

We all know that keeping your workflow management running smoothly and your documents organized can be a nightmarish labyrinth of files, folders, edits, variations, and vague and frustrating file names.

So being able to effectively duplicate Word documents is a vital skill to learn.

Here are the most common ways to duplicate Word documents:

• Copying and pasting
• Saving the document under a different name
• Opening a copy in a word processor
• Opening a copy from the file itself

Let’s look at these methods in more detail

Why you should know how to duplicate Word documents

At some point in your life, you’ll need to know how to make a copy of a Word doc. 

Whether it’s to back up a document, create multiple edits of the same file, or for document sharing purposes, learning how to duplicate a document in Word is an essential skill. 

In this article, we’ll provide detailed instructions on how to achieve this in both Windows and Mac.

How to make a copy of a Word document: A step-by-step guide

There are a few ways to copy a Word document in Windows.

Copy and paste

1. Open the document location in Windows
2. Right-click on the document and click Copy or highlight it and press Ctrl + C on your keyboard
3. Choose the new location you wish to save the document in
4. Right-click in the window and click Paste or Ctrl + V on your keyboard
5. The document will appear, usually called something like “Document Name (2)”

Save the document under a different name

1. Open the document
2. Click File and Save as
3. Rename the file and save it in the location of your choice (like “Document Name Copy” etc) 
4. It will now save as a new file

Open a copy in a word processor

1. Open your word processor of choice
2. Click File and Open 
3. Find the document you wish to open and highlight it
4. Click the down arrow beside the Open button and select Open as copy
5. A new document will open, named something like “Copy(1)ofDocumentName”
6. Click File and Save as to name and save this new document in your chosen location

Open a copy from the document file itself

1. Locate the document in your Windows browser
2. Right-click on it
3. Select New
4. A copy of the document will now open without a name. It will be called something like “Document 1”
5. Click File and Save as to name and save the document

How to duplicate a Word document on Mac

Like Windows, there are also a few ways to duplicate a document on a Mac.

Copy and paste

1. Locate your document in Finder
2. Select your document and press Command + C on your keyboard
3. Choose the location you wish to copy the document to and press Command + V
4. A new copy of the document will appear with a name such as “Document Name Copy”

From the file itself

1. Locate the file in Finder
2. Right-click on it
3. Select Copy“Document Name”
4. Locate the folder you want to save to and right-click anywhere in the space
5. Click Paste Item

In a word processor

1. Open the document
2. Click File
3. Locate Save as a cope and click
4. Name and save the file in your chosen location

The benefits of duplicating a Word document

Reasons why you might want to duplicate a Word document include: 

• Having secure backups of important documents 
• Having multiple versions of a document
• Editing documents while keeping the original
• Strengthening authentication and compliance through proper document control

Cover all your bases with robust document management software

Manual document duplication works just fine, but there are some more comprehensive solutions to document management out there too.

Not only can tools like PandaDoc’s document management software duplicate your Word documents for you, but they can manageall of your documents as well. 

Being able to store, edit, share, and analyze your entire archive from one location simplifies document management for your business, keeping things safe, organized, and easily verifiable.