Shopify Menus Copy: Duplicate Menus Within or Across Stores
To copy a menu within your Shopify store, open the menu under Content > Menus and use the duplicate action, which creates an exact copy with all its links. To copy menus to a different Shopify store, you need a menu app, a bulk import and export app, a browser extension or Shopify’s Admin API, because the admin has no built-in way to move menus between stores.
Copying menus saves hours of rebuilding when you’re testing a new navigation, preparing seasonal menus or launching a second store. The main thing to plan for is that menu links point to products, collections and pages, so the target store needs those items in place before copied menus will work properly.
Shopify added a duplicate action for menus in June 2025, so copying a menu within one store no longer means rebuilding it by hand. The copy includes every link and the full nested structure of the original.
- Open your menus. In the Shopify admin, go to Content > Menus.
- Select the menu to copy. Click the menu name to open its detail page.
- Duplicate it. Choose the duplicate action, and Shopify creates an exact copy of the menu with its links intact.
- Rename the copy. Give it a clear title, such as “Main menu – holiday,” so it’s easy to tell apart from the original.
- Edit and assign it. Make your changes, then select the new menu in your theme’s header or footer settings when you’re ready to use it.
Duplicating is useful whenever you need a variation of an existing menu. Common examples include a seasonal main menu, a test version of a redesigned navigation, a footer variant or a simplified menu for a landing page, all built without touching the live menu until you switch over.
Copying menus between stores takes an extra tool, since Shopify’s duplicate action only works within the same store. The right choice depends on how often you copy menus and how many stores you manage.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu apps | Export menus from one store and import them into another, or push them directly between connected stores | Regular menu copying between a few stores | Many are new, with few or no reviews |
| Bulk import and export apps | Export menus to a spreadsheet, then import the file into the other store | Store migrations or copying menus along with other data | A learning curve and paid plans for larger jobs |
| Browser extensions | Copy, export or import menus from inside the Shopify admin, often as JSON files | Occasional copies and quick backups | Small user bases and access to your admin session |
| Admin API | Read menus from one store and create them in another with a script | Developers managing many stores | Requires building and maintaining code |
| Manual rebuild | Recreate the menu by hand in the new store | Small, simple menus | Slow and error-prone for large menus |
Several small apps focus only on menus. MenuMonkey – Menu Duplicator, from codelayer GmbH, duplicates menus with one click and exports and imports them so you can move menus to another store or keep backups, with plans from $2.99 per month and menu export on its $5.99 Exporter plan.
Meecrobe Nav Sync takes a store-to-store approach. You connect two stores once, then push menus in either direction, with checks for broken links and duplicate menu handles and a choice to replace existing menus or keep both, for a one-time charge of $9.99.
These apps are narrow and inexpensive, but most are new with few or no reviews, and availability can change. Test with a non-critical menu first and confirm the app is still listed before relying on it.
Bulk import and export apps
General import and export apps often handle menus alongside products, collections and pages. Matrixify, Altera and Exportify all include menus among the data types they export and import, which makes them a natural fit when you’re copying a whole store’s setup rather than a single menu.
The usual process is to export menus from the source store to a spreadsheet, review the file and import it into the target store. Because these apps also move the products, collections and pages that menus link to, you can copy everything in the right order with one tool.
Browser extensions
Chrome extensions such as Shopify Menu Copier and Menufy add copy, export and import buttons to the Shopify admin. Shopify Menu Copier, for example, exports menus with their nested items to JSON and imports them from a JSON file, working within your existing admin session.
They’re quick for occasional jobs, but they have small user bases and run inside your logged-in admin. Check an extension’s permissions, reviews and update history before installing it, and remove it when you no longer need it.
Shopify’s Admin API
Developers can read menus from one store and recreate them in another through Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API, which includes a menuCreate mutation for building menus with nested items. Links to products, collections and pages use resource IDs, so a script usually looks up the matching items in the target store by handle first.
Prepare the Target Store Before Copying
A copied menu is only as good as the links inside it. Menu items that point to products, collections, pages or blogs need matching items in the target store, or they’ll break or link to the wrong place.
- Create linked content first. Copy products, collections, pages and blogs before menus, so menu links have something to point to.
- Keep handles consistent. Many tools match linked items by handle, so use the same handles in both stores where possible.
- Check external and custom links. Full URLs that point to the source store’s domain need updating to the new store’s domain.
- Plan for existing menus. New stores come with default menus, such as a main menu and footer menu, so decide whether to replace them or import alongside them to avoid handle conflicts.
- Stay within the nesting limit. Shopify menus support a top-level item with up to two levels of drop-down menus beneath it.
Review every copied menu before customers see it. A quick check catches broken links and missing items that are easy to miss in a large menu:
- Compare the structure. Open the copied menu and confirm every item, sub-item and level matches the original.
- Test the links. Click through each link on the storefront, including drop-down items, and fix any that lead to missing pages.
- Assign the menu in your theme. Copied menus don’t appear on the storefront until you select them in your theme’s header, footer or other navigation settings.
- Check translations and markets. If you sell in several languages, confirm menu item titles are translated in the new store.
- Review mobile navigation. Make sure nested menus open and display correctly on smaller screens.
The same tools that copy menus also make good backups. Before redesigning navigation, switching themes or bulk-editing menus, duplicate the current menu in the admin or export it to a file, so you can switch back quickly if something goes wrong.
Keep exported menu files with clear names that include the store and date. When you manage several stores, a shared folder of current menu exports also makes it easier to keep navigation consistent across them.
Conclusion
Making a Shopify menus copy is quick within one store, thanks to the built-in duplicate action, while copying menus between stores takes a menu app, an import and export tool, a browser extension or the Admin API. Preparing the linked products, collections and pages first, then checking every copied menu before it goes live, keeps your navigation working in every store. We hope this guide helps you copy your Shopify menus quickly and safely.
