Why are my imported items duplicating on the live site in Webflow, but not in the designer or Collections folder?

When CMS items appear duplicated on the live site but not in the Designer or Collections panel, it's typically due to issues with the page's dynamic list setup or CMS filtering logic.

1. Check for Multiple Collection Lists on the Page

• Go to the page in question within the Designer.
• Look for more than one Collection List element pulling from the same collection.
• If two identical lists are pulling the same CMS items without filters or conditions, they'll show duplicates on the live site.

2. Review Collection List Settings

• Click on each Collection List and check its filter and sort settings in the right panel.
• Ensure you don't have one list showing the same items as another due to missing or incorrect filter settings.
• Especially relevant if using pagination or filtered sections (e.g., “Featured Projects” and “All Projects”).

3. Inspect Page Includes (Symbols and Re-used Sections)

• You might be reusing a Symbol or Component that includes a Collection List, and have it placed more than once on the page.
• Open the Navigator and look for symbols/components with CMS content in multiple locations.

4. Verify Conditional Visibility Rules

• Select the dynamic elements (inside Collection Lists) and look at Conditional Visibility settings.
• If a Collection List's items all have “display always” rules, and you've duplicated the layout, the content will appear twice.

5. Check Custom Code or Third-Party Plugins

• If you're using custom JavaScript or third-party plugins to manipulate content (e.g., filtering, sorting, tabs), it’s possible that script logic is cloning CMS items unintentionally.
• Test by disabling custom scripts temporarily in Project Settings > Custom Code or removing from the Page Settings.

6. Republish Your Site

• Sometimes live site rendering bugs are resolved with a full site republish.
• Go to Site Settings > Publish, and re-publish to all connected domains.

7. Check for Embed or Static Content Duplication

• You may have hard-coded some CMS content via Embed elements or copied static versions manually into other sections.
• Do a pass to verify if any content structures were inadvertently pasted manually.

Summary

The duplication is almost always caused by multiple Collection Lists, Symbols reused with dynamic content, or JavaScript duplication. Review the page content layout, Symbol usage, filters, and disable custom scripts to identify the source. If all else fails, republish to reset the live rendering.