Catalog

Clone an Existing Item Safely

Clone is a fast starting point for a genuinely similar product, but copied identity, stock and operating settings must be checked before the duplicate reaches a cashier.

Menu path: Inventory -> Items -> select item -> More -> Clone
Verified from: Posnic demo and current POS source reviewed on 2026-09-08

Technical source evidence

frontend/static/script/js/routes.js generic item clone route and showClone action, frontend/static/script/js/modules/js/items.js cloneItem copied-field mapping and Duplicate & Save form, api/src/repositories/item.repository.js branch barcode uniqueness and SKU assignment, demo.posnic.io item list, item detail and Clone form reviewed on 2026-09-05

Live Posnic item detail with the More menu open and Clone action visible — **Open the Clone action**Select the source item, open More, then choose Clone. The source record remains unchanged.

Live Posnic Clone Item form showing copied name price opening stock category supplier SKU and barcode fields with Duplicate and Save button — **Review the clone draft**The live clone draft adds _copy to the name and can carry operational values such as price, opening stock, unit, category and supplier.

Use Clone for the Right Job

Clone creates an unsaved draft from an existing item. It is useful when a new product genuinely shares most settings with a trusted source item; it is not a shortcut for stock adjustments or a substitute for variants and batches.

Situation	Use	Reason
New pack size or closely related product	Clone, then replace identity and quantity data	Shared category, supplier, tax and display settings can save setup time.
Size, color or flavor choices sold as one product family	Variants	Variants keep the relationship explicit while allowing sellable identities.
More stock of the same product arrived	Purchase or stock adjustment	A second item would split inventory history.
A new dated batch arrived	Follow the approved batch convention	The item record has one manufacture-date and expiry-date pair; cloning without careful identity and quantity changes can misstate stock.
The product is unrelated	Create Item	Starting clean reduces inherited settings and identification errors.

Open the Clone Draft

Open Inventory -> Items.
Search for and select the item whose setup has already been verified.
In the item detail panel, open More and choose Clone.
Confirm the page heading says Clone Item and the primary action says Duplicate & Save.
Treat every visible value as a draft. Nothing should be accepted only because it came from the source item.

What Posnic Copies

The current item module initializes the clone form from the source record. The exact fields available depend on the source item and enabled features, but the copied-field mapping is broad.

Area	Copied or initialized values	Required review
Identity	Name with _copy, SKU, barcode, GTIN/EAN, quick code and PLU where present	Give the new product an intentional name and unique scan identity.
Price and stock	Selling price, cost, MRP, available quantity and reorder point	Enter the new product's real price, cost and counted opening quantity.
Classification	Unit, category, supplier, brand and tags	Confirm these belong to the new product, not merely the source.
Tax and selling behavior	Tax choice/type, service, weighted, open-price and discount settings	Test the resulting sale price, quantity behavior and tax.
Availability	Inventory tracking, sales channel, kiosk and negative-stock controls	Confirm where the item may be sold and whether stock can go below zero.
Presentation and dates	Images, description, tile appearance, manufacture date and expiry date	Replace misleading images and dates before saving.

Replace Identity Before Saving

The live demo source item used for this guide had no SKU or barcode, so those fields are blank in the screenshot. Source review shows that a populated source SKU and barcode are copied into the draft. Posnic enforces barcode uniqueness within a branch, and its save logic may assign a generated branch SKU when the requested SKU is empty or collides. Do not rely on rejection or automatic reassignment as the catalog plan.

Replace the _copy name with the exact shelf and receipt name for the new product.
Assign and verify the intended SKU before labels, imports or integrations use it.
Remove or replace a copied barcode; two different products must not scan as the same item.
Check Same as SKU before assuming the barcode will follow an edited SKU.
Review extra barcodes, GTIN/EAN, quick code and PLU as separate identities where those fields are used.
After save, reopen the item and record the SKU that Posnic actually stored.

Correct Stock, Dates and Prices

Available quantity is copied into the clone form. In the captured example, the source item's opening stock of 72 appears in the draft. Saving that value for a different product would create stock that was never counted.

Set In stock (opening) to the counted quantity of the new item, often zero until receiving is recorded.
Confirm cost, selling price, MRP and reorder point from an approved price or supplier record.
Replace copied manufacture and expiry dates. One item record represents one current date pair, not automatic FEFO batch allocation.
Check purchase unit and units per pack before the first purchase is entered.
Do not clone merely to increase stock of the source product; receive a purchase or make an authorized stock adjustment instead.

Review Every Tab

On Item, verify name, service mode, selling price, opening stock, reorder point, unit, category, supplier, cost, MRP, SKU, barcode, Same as SKU and GTIN/EAN.
On Details, verify description, product images, brand, tags, manufacture date, expiry date and tile appearance.
On More, verify extra barcodes, purchase unit, units per pack, discount rules, inventory tracking, sales channel, kiosk, negative stock, weighted-item and open-price controls.
Click Duplicate & Save only after the new item can be distinguished from the source on screen, on a receipt and with a scanner.

Post-Save Acceptance Check

Test	Expected evidence	If wrong
Reopen both records	Source is unchanged and clone has the intended saved name, SKU and barcode.	Edit the clone before any transaction uses it.
Search in New Sale	Only the intended item is selected by name and SKU.	Correct names, SKU or Sales channel.
Scan the physical label	One scan adds the new item with its own price and tax.	Remove the wrong barcode and retest.
Review inventory	Clone starts with the counted quantity and source stock is unchanged.	Use an authorized correction and retain the reason.
Print a test label or receipt	Name, price, MRP and barcode identify the new product.	Correct item data before printing the production run.
Check kiosk or channel	The item appears only on approved selling surfaces.	Review Sales channel, Kiosk and image settings.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Resolution
Duplicate barcode error	The source barcode or another existing barcode is still in the draft.	Enter the new product's unique barcode or leave it blank until assigned.
Saved SKU differs from entry	The requested SKU was blank or collided and branch SKU assignment generated another value.	Reopen the item, record the saved SKU and correct the catalog plan before labels or imports.
Wrong quantity appears	Copied available quantity was saved as opening stock.	Stop sales, verify physical stock and make an approved documented correction.
Item is missing from New Sale	Sales channel is off, or another inherited control prevents normal selling.	Review Item and More tabs, then search again.
Old image, dates or description appear	Presentation and date fields were inherited from the source.	Edit Details and replace every source-specific value.
Scanner opens the source item	The source barcode was retained or the new physical label is wrong.	Correct the clone identity and print a verified replacement label.