How to Duplicate a Message

Duplicating a message in eCourtDate copies its subject and body into a fresh send form, so you can reuse the wording for another recipient without retyping it.

### Overview

Every message record has a **Duplicate** button. Clicking it opens the **Duplicate Message** window, which holds the standard **Send a Message** form with the original message's **Subject** and **Message** text already filled in. Everything else starts empty. You choose the recipients, attach any files, and set the schedule yourself. The original message is never changed, and each recipient you add produces its own new message record.

### Prerequisites

Before you duplicate a message, make sure you have:

- Access to the **Messages** tab on the **Dashboard** (your agency administrator controls which navigation items you can see)
- An existing message that has text in its body, because the duplicate form only loads when the original message has content
- The recipient's phone number or email address, or a client record with at least one valid contact that is set to receive notifications
- An active sending number or address for the channel you are using, listed under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Agency Phones** or **Agency Emails**

If you do not have a message to copy yet, see [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message).

### How-To Steps

1. Go to **Dashboard** > **Messages**.
2. Use the search and filter panel on the left to find the message you want to copy.
3. Click **Edit Message** on that row to open the message record.
4. Click **Duplicate** in the button group at the top right of the record.
5. Confirm that the **Duplicate Message** window opened with the original **Subject** and **Message** text already filled in.
6. Enter a phone number or email address in **To (Client, Phone, or Email)**, then click **Add**.
    - To send to a client instead, enter at least three characters of their name and select them from the results list below the field. eCourtDate adds each of that client's contacts that is valid, set to receive notifications, and not opted out.
7. Repeat the previous step for every additional recipient. Each one appears as a badge above the field, and clicking a badge removes it.
8. Click **Show Options** (the grid icon at the top right of the form) to reveal **Send Date**, **Send Time**, **Auto Messages**, **Merge Tags**, and **Insert Files**.
9. Enter a **Send Date** and **Send Time** if you want the duplicate delivered later.
10. Review the **Message** text and edit it for the new recipient.
11. Edit the **Subject** if you are sending on the email channel.
12. Select files under **Attach Files** if the message needs attachments, since attachments are not copied from the original.
13. Click **Send Message**.

![Duplicate button on an eCourtDate message record](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/message-duplicate-button.png)

### What to Expect

eCourtDate creates one new message record for every recipient badge you added, so a duplicate sent to three recipients produces three separate records. A confirmation alert names the new message's status, such as "Message scheduled". The form then clears, but the **Duplicate Message** window stays open, so close it yourself when you are finished or add another recipient and send again.

If you leave **Send Date** and **Send Time** blank, the duplicate queues right away and follows your agency's **Default Message Delay**, set under **Admin** > **Settings** in the **Message Defaults** section. The new records do not appear in the list on the original message record until you reload the page.

![Duplicate Message window with the send options shown](https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecdassets/images/articles/duplicate-message-window.png)

### Best Practices

- Read the copied **Message** text before sending, since any names, dates, or case details typed into the original are copied word for word.
- Use **Merge Tags** under **Show Options** instead of typing client details, so each duplicate personalizes itself for its own recipient.
- Add every recipient before you click **Send Message**, because one send covers all the recipient badges currently listed.
- Set a **Send Date** and **Send Time** when the duplicate needs to land at a specific time rather than after the default delay.
- Use **Bulk Actions** rather than **Duplicate** when you need to reach a large list at once.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is copied from the original message?**

A: Only the **Subject** and the **Message** text. Recipients, attachments, send date, and delivery status all start empty, so set them again in the **Duplicate Message** window.

**Q: Can I send one duplicate to several recipients?**

A: Yes. Add each recipient with **Add**, or by selecting clients from the search results, and eCourtDate creates a separate message record for every badge listed above the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field.

**Q: Does the duplicate stay linked to the original message?**

A: No. Each duplicate is an independent message record with its own delivery status, and the original message is left untouched.

**Q: Why does the window stay open after I send?**

A: The **Duplicate Message** window does not close on its own. The form clears and a confirmation alert appears, so close the window when you are done or send to another recipient.

**Q: How do I schedule the duplicate or add merge tags?**

A: Click **Show Options** at the top right of the form. That reveals **Send Date**, **Send Time**, **Auto Messages**, **Merge Tags**, and **Insert Files**.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The **Duplicate Message** window opens empty.

**Symptoms:** You click **Duplicate**, the window appears with its title, but no **Send a Message** form loads inside it.

**Solution:**

1. Close the window and check the original message for body text. The form only loads when the original message has content.
2. Duplicate a message that has text in its body instead.

**Issue:** The **Add** button stays disabled.

**Symptoms:** You enter a recipient in **To (Client, Phone, or Email)**, but **Add** never becomes clickable, or the field turns red.

**Solution:**

1. Check that you entered at least three characters.
2. Enter a full phone number or a full email address, since **Add** only accepts those two formats.
3. To reach a client by name, enter at least three characters of the name and select the client from the results list below the field rather than clicking **Add**.

**Issue:** The **Send Message** button stays disabled.

**Symptoms:** The **Message** text is filled in, but you cannot click **Send Message**.

**Solution:**

1. Add at least one recipient. The button stays disabled until a recipient badge appears above the **To (Client, Phone, or Email)** field, or you select a file under **Attach Files**.
2. Confirm the **Message** field is not empty.

**Issue:** Selecting a client adds no recipient.

**Symptoms:** You select a client from the results list and see the alert "No contacts found for this client".

**Solution:**

1. Open the client record and review their contacts under **Clients** > **Contacts**.
2. Confirm the client has a contact that is valid, set to receive notifications, and not opted out.
3. Add or correct that contact, then duplicate the message again.

### Related Articles

- [How to Send a One-off Message](/how-to-send-a-one-off-message)
- [How to Send a Message From the Dashboard](/how-to-send-a-message-from-the-dashboard)
- [How to Search for Outbound Messages Using Filters](/how-to-search-for-outbound-messages-using-filters)
- [How to Send a Mass Message using Bulk Actions](/how-to-send-a-mass-message-using-bulk-actions)