Creating forms with multiple similar fields can feel tedious. Wouldn’t it be great if you could quickly copy an existing field and customize it for your needs?
Well, with the CF7 Skins Visual Editor, you can! This user-friendly plugin for ‘Contact Form 7‘ in WordPress offers a handy duplicate icon to minimize your form-building process.
This article dives into usage of the duplicate icon to streamline your workflow and save your time.
How to Use the Duplicate Icon
The duplicate icon allows you to quickly create copies of existing form elements, saving your time and effort when building your forms. By using a copy, you minimize the risk of introducing typos or inconsistencies in field properties when creating multiple fields of similar type.
Here, we create two similar form fields using the Duplicate Icon. Duplicating the “First Name” field to create a new “Last Name” field is much faster than adding a new field individually. Duplicating saves time compared to adding both one by one.
Step by Step Instructions
To duplicate a field by using the Duplicate Icon, please follow the steps mentioned below:
1- First locate the desired field i.e. identify the field you want to duplicate within the Visual Editor. This can be a single text field, a dropdown menu, checkbox, or even a group of fields. Here, we want to duplicate the field “First Name”.
2- Look for the duplicate icon next to the field you want to copy. Its usually shown as two overlapping squares or sheets of paper 
3- Now Click on the duplicate icon to create a copy of the field. The new copy will appear directly below the original field by default.
4- Make any changes in the newly obtained copy of the field to tailor it as you require.
For example, in the above screenshot, you just created a duplicated field for the “First Name”, to change it as required, first edit this newly duplicated field, and then simply change the word First with Last.
Quick Video:
The duplicate icon in ‘CF7 Skins’ is a tool that allows you to instantly create copies of existing form elements, saving your time and effort when creating your forms.
Diving Deep in the Duplicate Icon:
When to Use Duplicate Icon?
There are several situations when using the duplicate icon can significantly improve your workflow:
- Creating Repetitive Fields: If you need multiple instances of the same field type (e.g., multiple text fields to collect first name, last name, and middle name), duplicating an existing field is much faster than adding them individually. Duplicating saves time compared to adding them one by one.
- Modifying Similar Fields: When you have several fields with similar properties but need slight variations, duplicate a field and then modify the label, placeholder text, validation rules, or other options for the copied field. This saves you time from setting up the basic structure.
- Building Multi-Step Forms: If your form involves multiple sections or steps, duplicating a group of related fields within a section can be an efficient way to create parallel sections for additional information.
- Maintaining Consistency: Duplicating fields ensures a uniform look and feel for your form by replicating layout and styling, especially if you have multiple fields of the same type.
Where to Use Duplicate Icon?
The duplicate icon is your friend for form elements. There are a couple of reasons where the duplicate icon can be used for various form elements within the CF7 Skins Visual Editor:
- Individual Fields: Text fields, email fields, URLs, dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc.
- Groups of Fields: You can duplicate a cluster of related fields that appear visually grouped together in the editor. This is useful for frequently used sets of information, like name and address fields, to save time and maintain consistency.
