Understanding Laravel’s replicate() Method: A Deep Dive




Laravel, one of the most popular PHP frameworks, offers a rich set of Eloquent ORM features that simplify database interactions. Among these features is the powerful yet often overlooked replicate() method. This method allows developers to efficiently duplicate an existing Eloquent model instance, excluding its primary key and timestamps by default. Let’s explore how replicate() works, when to use it, and some practical examples.

🔍 What is replicate() in Laravel?

The replicate() method creates a shallow clone of an existing model instance. It copies all attributes except the model’s primary key and other default fields such as created_at and updated_at.

Syntax:

$newModel = $originalModel->replicate();

This method returns a new Eloquent model instance that you can modify or save independently of the original.

📌 Why Use replicate()?

Here are some common use cases:

  • Cloning a product listing without re-entering all its details.

  • Duplicating form templates or user profiles with minor changes.

  • Bulk-creating similar records based on a base model.

✅ Basic Example

Let's say you have a Post model, and you want to create a copy of a specific post:

$post = Post::find(1);

$newPost = $post->replicate();
$newPost->title = 'Cloned Post Title';
$newPost->save();

This will insert a new row in the database with the same attributes as the original, except for the id, created_at, and updated_at fields (which will be set automatically if using timestamps).

🧠 Advanced Usage: Selective Attribute Replication

You can exclude or include specific attributes during replication:

$newPost = $post->replicate([
    'slug',        // exclude the 'slug'
    'published_at' // exclude 'published_at'
]);

Note:

The replicate() method accepts an array of attributes to exclude during cloning.

🔄 Replicating With Relationships

By default, replicate() only duplicates the base model and not its relationships. If you want to clone related models (e.g., a post with its tags or images), you'll need to do that manually:

$newPost = $post->replicate();
$newPost->save();

// replicate tags
foreach ($post->tags as $tag) {
    $newPost->tags()->attach($tag);
}

For hasMany relationships like images:

foreach ($post->images as $image) {
    $newPost->images()->create($image->toArray());
}

⚠️ Things to Keep in Mind

  • replicate() does not persist the new model to the database. You must call $newModel->save() manually.

  • It will not copy relationships automatically—you must handle that separately.

  • When cloning models with unique fields (e.g., slug, email), ensure you modify those values before saving to avoid constraint violations.

🧪 Real-World Example: Cloning a Product With Variants

$product = Product::find(100);
$newProduct = $product->replicate();
$newProduct->name = 'New Product Name';
$newProduct->save();

foreach ($product->variants as $variant) {
    $newVariant = $variant->replicate();
    $newVariant->product_id = $newProduct->id;
    $newVariant->save();
}

This is useful in inventory systems or e-commerce platforms where duplicating existing data saves time and reduces errors.


Laravel’s replicate() method is a handy tool for duplicating model data efficiently. Whether you’re cloning a record for templates, backups, or quick data entry, this method can save time and reduce code duplication. By understanding its behavior and limitations, you can leverage it to streamline many common tasks in Laravel applications.