Is there a straightforward way to duplicate a Symbol in the symbols list in Webflow? I need to create a duplicate of a navbar to make changes without affecting the original one or its interactions. Unlinking the Symbol causes issues with interactions on desktop view. The duplicated navbars will be used for different screen versions. Thank you!
TL;DR
- Drag the Symbol onto the canvas, right-click to unlink it from the Symbol, then re-save the unlinked elements as a new Symbol with a unique name.
- Ensure interactions are class-based to avoid breaking them, and rename classes or triggers as needed to isolate behavior between the original and new Symbol.
To duplicate a Symbol without affecting the original in Webflow, the native interface doesn’t offer a direct "Duplicate" button in the Symbols panel. However, you can safely duplicate a Symbol’s content and preserve interactions by following a controlled manual method.
1. Place the Symbol on the Canvas
- Drag the Symbol you want to duplicate (e.g., your navbar) from the Symbols panel onto the canvas.
- This will instantiate a linked version of that Symbol, so any changes now affect all instances unless it’s unlinked.
2. Unlink the Symbol Safely
- Right-click the Symbol on the canvas and choose Unlink from Symbol.
- This converts it back to regular elements without deleting styles or interactions.
- Important: If your Symbol includes interactions (e.g., hover, scroll, click), ensure they’re applied to class names and not targeting “Symbol" directly—otherwise unlinking may break the interaction references.
3. Immediately Wrap and Re-Save as a New Symbol
- Select the now-unlinked content on the canvas.
- Click the Create Symbol icon (or press Command/Control + Shift + A) to save it as a new Symbol.
- Name it something like “Nav – Mobile” or “Nav – Alt”.
4. Modify the New Symbol Independently
- You now have two completely separate Symbols.
- The new Symbol can be edited or assigned to limited breakpoints (e.g., mobile only) without affecting the original Symbol or its interactions.
5. Manage Interactions
- If you reused the same class names and interactions, they may still apply unless you change class names or use combo classes.
- To completely isolate behavior, consider duplicating interaction triggers or using different class-based selectors for each version.
Summary
To duplicate a Symbol in Webflow, place it on the canvas, unlink it, and immediately convert it into a new Symbol. This preserves structure and styles while allowing independent edits. Although Webflow doesn’t allow direct cloning in the Symbols panel, this method achieves the same result without breaking interactions if managed carefully.