How to Duplicate Menu in WordPress Without Plugin (Step-by-Step Guide)

Managing menus in WordPress can quickly become frustrating — especially when you need to recreate the same structure for different pages, languages, or layouts.

By default, WordPress does not provide a built-in option to duplicate menus.

So what do most developers do?

Install a plugin

But here’s the problem:
Plugins add bloat, slow down performance, and increase maintenance.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
✔ Duplicate any WordPress menu instantly
✔ Add a “Duplicate Menu” button inside admin
✔ Avoid plugins completely

Why You Should Avoid Plugins for This

Using plugins like “Duplicate Menu” may seem easy, but:

• ❌ Adds unnecessary load
• ❌ Can break after updates
• ❌ Not optimized for custom workflows

If you’re building high-performance sites (like we do at KAS Web Technology), custom solutions are always better.

Step-by-Step: Duplicate Menu via Code

Step 1: Add Duplicate Button in Admin

Add this code to your theme’s functions.php:

<?php
add_action('admin_notices', function () {
    global $pagenow;

    if ($pagenow !== 'nav-menus.php' || !isset($_GET['menu'])) return;

    $menu_id = intval($_GET['menu']);
    $duplicate_url = wp_nonce_url(
        admin_url('admin-post.php?action=duplicate_menu&menu_id=' . $menu_id),
        'duplicate_menu_' . $menu_id
    );

    echo '<div class="notice notice-info">
        <a href="' . esc_url($duplicate_url) . '" class="button button-primary">
            Duplicate Menu
        </a>
    </div>';
});
?>

Step 2: Add Menu Duplication Logic

<?php
add_action('admin_post_duplicate_menu', function () {

    if (!isset($_GET['menu_id'])) return;

    $menu_id = intval($_GET['menu_id']);

    if (!wp_verify_nonce($_GET['_wpnonce'], 'duplicate_menu_' . $menu_id)) {
        wp_die('Security check failed');
    }

    $menu = wp_get_nav_menu_object($menu_id);

    $new_menu_id = wp_create_nav_menu($menu->name . ' (Copy)');

    $items = wp_get_nav_menu_items($menu_id);

    $item_map = [];

    foreach ($items as $item) {
        $new_item_id = wp_update_nav_menu_item($new_menu_id, 0, [
            'menu-item-title'     => $item->title,
            'menu-item-url'       => $item->url,
            'menu-item-status'    => $item->post_status,
            'menu-item-type'      => $item->type,
            'menu-item-object'    => $item->object,
            'menu-item-object-id' => $item->object_id,
            'menu-item-parent-id' => 0,
        ]);

        $item_map[$item->ID] = $new_item_id;
    }

    // Maintain hierarchy
    foreach ($items as $item) {
        if ($item->menu_item_parent) {
            wp_update_nav_menu_item($new_menu_id, $item_map[$item->ID], [
                'menu-item-parent-id' => $item_map[$item->menu_item_parent]
            ]);
        }
    }

    wp_redirect(admin_url('nav-menus.php?action=edit&menu=' . $new_menu_id));
    exit;
});?>

What This Solution Does

✔ Instantly duplicates menu
✔ Preserves dropdown structure
✔ Adds admin button
✔ No plugin required
✔ Lightweight & fast

Pro Tips (Advanced)

• Assign duplicated menu automatically to theme location
• Convert into reusable plugin (recommended)
• Add AJAX duplication (better UX)
• Combine with custom mega menu system