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To duplicate an existing Intune Settings Catalog policy, open Devices > Manage devices > Configuration, select the source profile’s ellipsis menu (or right-click it), choose Duplicate, enter a new name and description, and save. The new profile keeps the source settings and scope tags, but it has no assignments. You must review the copied values, target the correct users or devices, and verify per-setting reporting after deployment.
Microsoft documents this operation as copying a profile. The interface wording can change, so the labels in your tenant may differ slightly from the current documentation.
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What duplicating a Settings Catalog profile actually does
Intune creates a separate Settings Catalog profile based on the one you selected. The duplicate is an editable policy, not a live alias: changes made later to the original do not automatically update the copy, and changes to the copy do not alter the original.
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The practical reason to use Duplicate is to start with a known set of settings instead of rebuilding a related policy manually. You can then remove, add, or change values for a different pilot ring, business unit, device type, or security scenario.
What the duplicate keeps and what it leaves behind
The copy has the same setting configurations and scope tags as the source profile. Assignments are deliberately excluded, so no users or groups are targeted until you select them for the new profile.
| Profile element | Result in the duplicate | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Configured Settings Catalog values | Copied from the source profile | Inspect every value and edit those that differ for the new scenario. |
| Scope tags | Retained | Confirm that the tags match the administrators who should be able to view or manage the copy. |
| Assignments | Not copied | Select the intended users or groups after saving the profile. |
| Profile name and description | Replaced with values you enter during duplication | Use a unique, descriptive naming convention and document the purpose. |
The same retention rule is described for endpoint security policies: configuration and scope tags carry over, while assignments do not. Microsoft’s endpoint-security guidance is available at Manage endpoint security policies in Microsoft Intune.
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Before you duplicate: identify the source and the change you need
Write down why the new profile exists before opening the menu. For example, you might need a less restrictive pilot policy, a version for a separate department, or a copy that changes only one setting. This prevents a near-identical profile from becoming difficult to distinguish later.
- Locate the exact source profile and confirm that its current settings are the baseline you want.
- Note which settings must remain identical and which must change.
- Decide which users or groups should receive the new policy; they will not be inherited.
- Choose a unique name that identifies the platform, purpose, ring, and revision where your team uses those conventions.
- Check the source profile’s scope tags and decide whether the same administrative visibility is appropriate.
Settings Catalog availability and labels can change as Intune evolves. If a menu item is missing, verify that you are in the Configuration profile list and consult the current Microsoft documentation rather than assuming the profile cannot be copied.
Step-by-step: duplicate an existing Settings Catalog profile
- Open the profile list. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center and go to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration.
- Find the source profile. Use the list and its filters or search to locate the Settings Catalog profile that contains the baseline settings.
- Open the profile actions. Right-click the profile, or open its ellipsis (…) context menu.
- Choose Duplicate. Microsoft labels this action Duplicate. It creates a new profile based on the selected configuration.
- Enter identity details. Provide a new name and description. Make the description explain the intended audience and the differences from the source.
- Save the copy. Saving creates the separate profile with the source settings and scope tags, but without assignments.
- Open the new profile for editing. Review the settings, make the changes required for the target scenario, and save those edits.
- Configure assignments. Add the users or groups that should receive this profile. Do not rely on the source profile’s targeting, because it was not carried over.
- Monitor the rollout. Use policy status and per-setting reporting after devices check in. Investigate conflicts or errors before treating the copy as production-ready.
Review and edit the copied settings
A duplicate is useful only if you validate what it contains. Open the new profile and compare its configured values with the change plan you made before duplication. Pay particular attention to settings that look similar but apply to different operating-system components, user contexts, or security behaviors.
Understand “Not configured”
In the Settings Catalog, a setting left as Not configured is not managed by that policy. It does not actively force a default. If you remove a configured value from the copied profile, that setting is no longer locked by this policy after devices check in; another policy or the device user may then change it. Removing a value is therefore a functional policy change, not cosmetic cleanup.
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Do not retain settings merely because they were present in the baseline. If the new profile is for a distinct scenario, remove values that should be controlled elsewhere and document that decision. Conversely, check that every setting needed for the new use case is still configured; a duplicate can preserve an accidental baseline just as easily as a deliberate one.
Document the relationship
Use the description to identify the source profile, the intended target, and the meaningful differences. A clear description helps administrators distinguish two profiles that share most of their settings but must be managed independently.
Assign the new profile deliberately
Assignments are a separate operation. Select the intended users or groups for the copied profile only after reviewing its settings. Avoid assigning both profiles to the same population unless you have a specific reason and understand which settings overlap.
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When two policies configure the same setting to different values, Intune can report a conflict. Plan the target groups with existing policies in mind, especially when the duplicate changes a value that the source or another profile still applies.
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After assignment, allow targeted devices to check in, then open the profile’s monitoring or policy-status views. Intune reporting includes device counts for successful application, conflict, and error at the individual-setting level, with drill-down to affected users or devices. This is more informative than checking only whether the profile itself appears assigned.
Use the status categories as a decision tree
- Successful: The setting applied to the reported device. Confirm that the result matches the intended value.
- Conflict: Another policy is configuring the same setting differently. Identify the competing profile and decide which policy should own that setting.
- Error: The setting did not apply as reported. Open the affected-user or affected-device details, verify applicability and value syntax, and correct the copied profile or assignment before expanding the rollout.
Review the report at the setting level because a profile can contain many settings and only a subset may be problematic. Keep a record of the final assignment and any settings intentionally left Not configured.
Alternative reuse method: export and import JSON
For Windows Settings Catalog policies, Microsoft also documents an export/import route. You can export a Windows Settings Catalog policy to a .json file, import that file to create a new policy, and then adjust the imported configuration.
| Method | Workflow | Best fit | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplicate | Choose Duplicate from the existing profile’s action menu in the Intune admin center, then rename, edit, and assign. | Quick, in-console creation of a related profile. | Assignments are not inherited; review and target the new profile. |
| JSON export/import | Export a Windows Settings Catalog policy to .json, import it as a new policy, then modify the imported profile. |
Processes that require a portable file or a repeatable file-based handoff. | The cited Microsoft instructions specifically describe Windows. Do not assume the same export path is available for every platform. |
Both methods produce a policy that can be edited. The documentation does not establish that they are equivalent for every platform, setting type, or tenant workflow, so choose the method supported for your target operating system and process.
How to choose between Duplicate and JSON
Choose Duplicate when the source is already in your tenant
Use the in-console action when you are making a nearby variant of an existing profile and want the shortest path from a known baseline to an editable policy. The profile remains visible in the Configuration list, where you can immediately rename it, change settings, and configure assignments.
Choose JSON when a Windows file workflow is useful
Use export/import when your process calls for moving a Windows policy through a file, keeping a file-based handoff, or creating a new policy from an exported definition. Treat the imported result as a starting point: open it, inspect the values, and make the same assignment and reporting checks as with a directly duplicated profile.
Do not treat either method as automatic change management
Neither route removes the need for ownership, naming, assignment review, and deployment monitoring. A copied definition can still conflict with another policy or leave a setting unmanaged if you remove its value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common problems
The Duplicate command is not visible
Return to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration and open the profile’s ellipsis menu or right-click menu. Confirm that you selected the profile row rather than a different list element. Because the admin center changes over time, compare the available action labels with the current Microsoft Settings Catalog page.
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This is expected when a profile was duplicated. Open the copied profile’s assignments and add the intended users or groups. A copied configuration and scope tag do not create deployment targeting.
Devices show a conflict
Use per-setting reporting to identify the exact setting and affected devices. Find the other policy that configures that setting, then remove the overlap, align the values, or define a clear ownership model. Do not assume the duplicate should automatically win.
A setting appears to have disappeared
Check whether it was changed to Not configured or removed during editing. In that state, this policy no longer manages the setting after the next device check-in; another policy or the user may control it.
The profile is assigned but settings report errors
Open the error drill-down for affected users or devices, review the specific setting and value, and verify that the profile is appropriate for the targeted platform. Correct the copied profile, save it, and monitor the next check-in rather than expanding assignments while errors remain unexplained.
A practical operating pattern for copied policies
- Baseline: Keep one clearly named profile as the approved starting point.
- Branch: Duplicate it only when the new scenario needs a separate lifecycle or audience.
- Describe: Record the source and intended differences in the new profile’s description.
- Edit: Change only the settings required for the target scenario, and treat removals as deliberate management changes.
- Target: Assign the new profile to a defined group instead of inheriting assumptions from the source.
- Validate: Check policy status and per-setting success, conflict, and error counts after devices check in.
- Promote or revise: Resolve conflicts and errors before widening the assignment; if the scenario changes, edit this copy rather than silently changing the baseline.
This pattern keeps related policies understandable while preserving the independent control that duplication is designed to provide.
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