# How to copy a list as a new instance

**URL:** <https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654>\
**Category:** Database\
**Created:** [February 5, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654 "2021-02-05T19:53:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![balogh.botond8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@balogh.botond8](https://forum.bubble.io/u/balogh.botond8)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654/1 "2021-02-05T19:53:40Z")

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Hello everyone!

I’m working on a form generator app. In my database I have data type of  
Question with fields of Question, **Answer** ;  
Form template with fields of **List of Questions** ,  
Submited Forms with fields of Form Template name, **List of Questions** etc.  
Project with fields of Form template.

I create a project, attache a form template and when I open that project a new Submitted Form is created filled its List of Questions by the Project’s Form template’s List of Questions. In a repeating group, as I fill out the form by auto binding the data is saved, but in the “Qesution” thing and not in the new “Submitted Forms” thing’s List of Questions. In another project ,if I use the same form template, then the questions are already answered, because the original Question thing was updated and not the list of questions in my subbmitted form… I think because they referencing the same memory

**How can I copy the list of question but not referencing to the original one after that?**

Thank you for every help in advance,  
Boti

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**Author:** ![help](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/bubble/user_avatar/forum.bubble.io/help/32/166707_2.png) [@help](https://forum.bubble.io/u/help)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654/2 "2021-02-05T23:58:41Z")

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Hi Boti,

You can create a Backend Workflow that takes a Question (data type) as a parameter, then has an action in the workflow to create a new question and references the passed original question in the parameter using the Question Title field.

You can then Schedule the workflow on a list of things (the original questions to duplicate) and then it will create a new question based on the original questions as a list of new questions.

You need to create the new questions, because if you reference the old ones when creating new answers it’ll overwrite the already answered ones which is the issue you are currently having.

That was quite hard to explain haha, but does that make sense?

Reece

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**Author:** ![balogh.botond8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@balogh.botond8](https://forum.bubble.io/u/balogh.botond8)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654/3 "2021-02-07T16:59:51Z")

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Thank you for your reply Reece!

It’s working now. I used _Data(Things)_ → _Copy list of things…_ and in next step when I create my new form, _List of Qeustion add list result of step 1_. That’s all, it duplicates my questions.

@help your answer was clear. I was thinking about something like this, but I had to take a little break and think through the whole process again, your reply helped a lot in that. So now I really understand what is going on in the background.

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**Author:** ![eric9178vadim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@eric9178vadim](https://forum.bubble.io/u/eric9178vadim)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://forum.bubble.io/t/how-to-copy-a-list-as-a-new-instance/134654/4 "2023-12-20T20:03:06Z")

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Hi.

I faced same situation but one more step needed.

For example, I need to copy comment of each new answer.

In this case, How should I copy comment?

Please help me

Thanks