Clone
Clone in Salesforce is the action of creating a copy of an existing record (or metadata component) with most or all of the field values pre-populated from the source.
Definition
Clone in Salesforce is the action of creating a copy of an existing record (or metadata component) with most or all of the field values pre-populated from the source. The Clone button appears on most standard and custom object record pages; clicking it opens the New Record form pre-filled with the source record's values, allowing the user to adjust and save the copy. Clone applies to records (Account, Opportunity, Contact, Case, custom objects), to certain metadata (page layouts, validation rules, flows, profiles), and to specific Salesforce constructs (Quote line items, Opportunity Products, Flow versions).
Clone is one of the most-used micro-actions in daily Salesforce work. Reps clone Opportunities for renewal cycles, clone Quotes for revisions, clone Cases for related issues. Admins clone Permission Sets to derive variants, clone Flow versions to safely edit, clone profile-based page layouts to start customization. The mechanism is simple but the behavior around relationships, lookup fields, and child records is nuanced; understanding what gets copied and what does not is what separates productive clone usage from accidental data duplication.
Why Clone is more nuanced than the button label suggests
The basic Clone behavior on records
Clicking Clone on a record opens the New Record form with the source record's field values pre-populated. The user adjusts fields and saves; the result is a new record with the same field values (minus system fields like Id, CreatedDate, LastModifiedDate, OwnerId which always reset to the cloning user). Standard objects support Clone out of the box; custom objects can be configured to support Clone by adding it to the page layout or the Lightning record page. The clone is a one-time copy; subsequent edits to the source do not propagate to the clone.
Clone with Related and the related-record question
The standard Clone copies the parent record only. Clone with Related extends the action to also copy related child records: an Opportunity Clone with Related copies the Opportunity plus its Line Items, Contact Roles, and Campaign association. The feature is enabled per object through Setup or the Lightning Page configuration. The user typically picks which related lists to include when triggering the clone. Most renewal workflows depend on Clone with Related; without it, reps clone the Opportunity manually then re-add every line item, which is error-prone and slow.
Lookups, master-details, and what does and does not copy
Lookup field values copy by default; a cloned Opportunity references the same Account as the source. Master-detail fields copy the same way. This is usually the desired behavior but occasionally surprises. A Case cloned to track a related issue inherits the same Account and Contact; if the related issue is for a different customer, the user must change the lookups after cloning. The Lightning record page can be configured to clear specific lookups on clone through custom Apex or through the Clone with Related extended configuration.
Auto Numbers and the duplicate-number question
Auto Number fields do not copy. The clone receives a new Auto Number based on the org's current sequence. This is intentional and almost always correct; cloning a Case CASE-1234 should produce CASE-1235, not a duplicate of 1234. The exception: if the clone is for archival or test purposes and the user explicitly wants to preserve the original number, that requires post-clone manual editing (which is blocked because Auto Number is read-only) or a custom workflow that copies the original number to a separate text field.
Permission considerations and the access model
Clone respects the user's Create permission on the object and Edit permission on each field being copied. A user who cannot Create on Opportunity cannot Clone an Opportunity even if they can read the source. A user who cannot Edit a specific field finds that field blank in the clone form. The behavior is consistent with standard record-create permissions; Clone is essentially a record-create with pre-filled values, governed by the same access rules. This catches some teams off-guard when partial-edit profiles clone records and find specific fields unexpectedly blank.
Cloning metadata: Permission Sets, Flows, Page Layouts
Beyond records, Salesforce supports cloning specific metadata. Permission Sets have a Clone button in Setup; the cloned Permission Set is a starting point for a variant (Sales Manager from Sales Rep, for instance). Flows have a Save As New Version option that effectively clones the active version into a draft. Page Layouts can be cloned to start customization for a new record type. Each metadata-clone path has its own quirks; Flow Save As New always creates a new version of the same Flow, while Permission Set Clone creates a fully separate Permission Set. Know the difference before using.
Bulk cloning and the integration patterns
The standard Clone button is one record at a time. Bulk cloning (clone every Opportunity from last quarter into renewal opportunities for next quarter) requires Flow, Apex, or Data Loader workflows. Common pattern: a Flow that triggers on a custom button, queries the source set, creates the clones with adjusted field values (new Close Date, new Stage, link to the source record). Bulk cloning at scale needs governor limit awareness; cloning 5,000 records with related children is a Batch Apex job, not a simple Flow.
How to use Clone effectively across records and metadata
Clone is a daily micro-action for most users; the value is in knowing exactly what gets copied so the user can adjust the right fields. For admins, knowing when to use record Clone, Clone with Related, or a custom bulk-clone Flow saves hours over months.
- Confirm Clone is available on the relevant object
Standard objects support Clone by default. Custom objects need the Clone action on the page layout or Lightning record page. Check before assuming the button is there.
- Use Clone with Related for parent-child workflows
Renewal opportunities, related cases, quote revisions: Clone with Related is the right tool. Enable per object; users pick which related lists to include on each clone.
- Adjust lookups after cloning if the relationship changed
Lookups copy by default. A cloned record references the same Account or Contact unless the user changes it. Treat lookup review as part of the post-clone discipline.
- Use Permission Set Clone to derive variants
For role variants (Sales Rep, Sales Manager, Senior Sales Rep), clone the base Permission Set and add or remove specific permissions. Cloning prevents drift between related role configurations.
- Use Flow Save As New Version for safe Flow editing
Editing the active version risks production behavior. Save As New Version creates a draft, edit and test the draft, activate when ready.
- Build a bulk-clone Flow for repeated patterns
Renewal cycles, quarterly opportunity rollovers. A Flow with a custom-button trigger plus the right field adjustments is a one-time build that saves hours every quarter.
- Document non-obvious clone behavior in admin training
Auto Number not copying, lookups copying, Edit permission affecting visible fields. Reps who do not know these defaults occasionally create data quality issues.
Standard copies the parent only; Clone with Related copies the parent plus selected related records.
Standard objects support Clone by default; custom objects need explicit page layout or Lightning record page configuration.
Setup-side action that derives a new Permission Set from an existing one as a starting point.
Flow-specific clone that creates a draft version for safe editing.
Flow, Apex, or Data Loader pattern for cloning many records at once.
- Lookup fields copy by default. A cloned Case keeps the same Account and Contact; if the clone is for a different customer, the user must change the lookups.
- Auto Number fields do not copy. The clone receives the next sequence number, which is usually desired but occasionally surprising.
- Edit permission on fields determines what the user sees in the clone form. Partial-edit profiles find some fields unexpectedly blank.
- Flow Save As New Version always creates a new version of the same Flow; it does not create a separate Flow. Use Clone on the Flow definition for a separate Flow.
- Bulk cloning at scale needs governor limit awareness. Flow handles small batches; Apex Batch handles thousands.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Record creation referenceSalesforce
- Clone with Related referenceSalesforce
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Clone.
- Create and Clone RecordsSalesforce Help
- Clone with RelatedSalesforce Help
- Permission SetsSalesforce Help
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What does the Clone button do?
Q2. Does standard Clone copy related child records?
Q3. What should users watch out for when cloning records?
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