# Cloning Feature

SIMKL’s **Clone This List** button is a small feature that enables you to duplicate any list and is huge time-saver: with one click you can take someone else’s public or shared list—whether it’s a watch order, a franchise marathon, any community-curated seasonal list or a friend’s personal recommendations—and move the entire thing into your own account.

Below you’ll find a complete explanation of how the feature works, what gets copied, when it is useful, and a few tips to avoid common pitfalls.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Why it matters:** Instead of rebuilding a Watch-Order, Top-100, or challenge list by spending extra time, you can use the community’s work as a starting point, then adjust it to your taste.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2Fm7uQSO58Z5ftqYM0QbCy%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6fd01c00-3fe5-43d3-acb5-1ac99862ad66" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% content-ref url="../../../../getting-started-with-simkl/basic-navigation/custom-lists" %}
[custom-lists](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/getting-started-with-simkl/basic-navigation/custom-lists)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="importing-custom-lists" %}
[importing-custom-lists](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/core-features/watchlists-and-custom-lists/custom-lists/creating-and-managing-custom-lists/importing-custom-lists)
{% endcontent-ref %}

“**Clone This List**” is a one-click tool that copies **someone else’s public or shared list** into **your own SIMKL profile**.&#x20;

Duplicate existing lists effortlessly with the clone lists feature. Whether you want to create variations of your favorite lists or start fresh with a similar structure, this feature simplifies the process.

### Feature Overview

When you press **Clone This List** on any **public** or **shared-by-link** custom list, SIMKL instantly creates an independent duplicate inside **your** profile.

* <mark style="color:green;">**What gets copied?**</mark>\
  • All titles (TV, Anime, or Movies) in their exact order\
  • The list’s title name.
* <mark style="color:red;">**What does**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**not**</mark>*<mark style="color:red;">**&#x20;**</mark><mark style="color:red;">**get copied?**</mark>\
  • The original owner’s progress (Watched / In-Progress / Dropped)\
  • Personal memos, comments, or ratings\
  • Likes and follower count\
  • Descriptions, Tags, Note, Source URL.
* <mark style="color:purple;">Limits & Known Non-Working Areas</mark>\
  •  **Private Lists** – If the owner has set privacy to *Private*, the Clone button is suppressed.\
  •  **System Lists** – Trending, Popular, Network Originals, Best of Year pages are generated by SIMKL's Official List; cannot be cloned.

You receive a “blank-slate” version so you can track progress or redesign the list however you like.

***

### Types of Lists on Simkl

<table><thead><tr><th valign="top">Regular Lists</th><th>Auto Lists</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td valign="top">Manually curated by SIMKL Members.</td><td>System-generated lists based on dynamic criteria (e.g., “Recently Ended Anime”). Always up-to-date.</td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Examples: “My Studio Ghibli Favorites,” “Top 100 Classic Films.”</td><td>Examples: “Now Streaming on Netflix,” “Summer 2025 Anime Premieres.”</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Why You’d Use It

| Scenario                                                                        | Benefit                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chronological Watch Guides** – MCU, Star Wars, Attack on Titan, etc.          | Save hours of manual entry; list is ready in one click.                             |
| **Club / Challenge Lists** – Monthly horror marathon, 2020 Oscar nominees, etc. | Everyone tracks the same titles in their own space without editing a shared master. |
| **Backup / Fork** your own public list                                          | Safely experiment with a new ordering or filter set without changing the original.  |

***

### How to Clone a List on Simkl & What Happens Next

Cloning a list in Simkl instantly duplicates any public list—whether it’s a friend’s custom collection or one of Simkl’s dynamic Auto Lists—directly into your own profile.

This feature saves you from manually adding each title, letting you **customize**, **track progress**, and **share** without extra hassle.

1. Click **Clone this list**.

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FGpeyMzUHKz8IRRSJSblN%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=28b0b644-ba20-48d4-8503-25bbf65679df" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. A New Window/Tab will open:

When the **Clone List** dialog appears, you’ll see:

| Field                | Description & Options                                                                                   |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**             | Auto-filled as `Original List Name]`. Edit and enter your own title.                                    |
| **Privacy Settings** | Choose who can view this list:                                                                          |
|                      | • **Public** – Visible to everyone.                                                                     |
|                      | • **Shared (Friends)** – Only your Simkl friends can see.                                               |
|                      | • **Private** – Only you can view and edit.                                                             |
| **Item Order**       | Cloned items appear in the **same order** as the original list.                                         |
| **Description**      | Optional field to add context—what makes this list unique (e.g., “Top Sci-Fi Classics I Haven’t Seen”). |
| **Tags & Notes**     | Add tags (e.g., “cyberpunk,” “award-winners”) or personal notes on why you’re watching these titles.    |

* **Name field** pre-filled with “\[Original List Name]”. Rename if you wish.
* **Privacy toggle** (Public / Shared / Private). Choose your visibility now or change it later.
* All the items in that Original List, in the exact same order.

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FTDUcp9dsWgtQt6EduQ2M%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c8431848-da01-4a94-9249-7f59c0a89ce9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

3. #### Review & Customize

   Before finalizing, take a moment to:

   1. **Reorder** items by dragging titles in the desired sequence.
   2. **Remove** any unwanted entries using the **“–”** icon on the thumbnail.
   3. **Add** new titles by searching and clicking the **“+”** icon.
   4. **Update** tags, short description, or notes to personalize the list further.<br>

4. Click on "Save Changes' to **Create your new cloned list**. (Simkl automatically copies all items and settings into your **new** list.)

5. Congratulations your new Cloned list has been created.

> **Tip:** After cloning, the list appears under My **Profile → My Lists or in** [**https://simkl.com/lists/discover/**](https://simkl.com/lists/discover/)

***

### Conclusion

Simkl’s **Clone This List** is SIMKL’s fastest bridge between “Wow, that’s a great curated list!” and “Now it’s part of my own tracking workflow.”

In a single click you duplicate all titles and descriptive context but none of the other person’s personal data, giving you a clean slate to track, refine, and enjoy.

Combine cloning with custom layouts, advanced filters, and private sharing to craft a library experience that’s uniquely yours—while still taking inspiration from the community’s best collections. Copy, customize, and start watching!