Cloning a Journal Entry
Some journals rhyme: this quarter's insurance amortization looks like last quarter's; this month's payroll accrual mirrors May's. Clone with Lines opens the journal form pre-filled with an existing entry's header and lines — you adjust what differs and post. (For journals that repeat on an exact schedule, a recurring template beats cloning; the clone is for the almost-repeats.)
Access you'll need. Cloning and posting journal entries requires the Accounting Admin v2 or Accounting Controller v2 permission set. The Accounts Payable v2, Accounts Receivable v2, and Read Only v2 sets can view entries but not clone or post them.
How it works
Click Clone with Lines on any journal entry
Draft, posted, even voided — the source is only a stencil. The Create Journal Entry form opens seeded with its data; nothing exists until you save.
Check what the clone changed for you
The Journal Date is today (period re-derives), the description reads "Clone of <source> — …" so provenance is visible, the entry will get its own number, and a link back to the source is kept for lineage. Lines arrive exactly as they were — accounts, sides, amounts, cost centers.
Make it this period's entry
Adjust amounts that differ, rewrite the description to say what this entry is (don't leave "Clone of…" as the permanent record), then Save Draft or Post.
What copies, what resets
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Copied from the source | Entity, Ledger, Type, and every line exactly as it was — accounts, debit/credit sides (not swapped), amounts, cost centers, line descriptions. Header details like the Reference and any Reversing Date come across too — review them. |
| Set fresh | Journal Date = today (the period re-derives from it) · Status = Draft · a new number from the entity's sequence when you save · Description seeded "Clone of <source> — <original description>" and Reference "Clone of <source>" |
| Kept for lineage | The Source Journal Entry field points at the original, so provenance survives even after you rewrite the description |
| Never copied | Status, ledger rows, tax records — the accounting always comes from posting the new entry, never from the old one |
| One exception | Cloning a Reversing entry clears the Type — a copy of an undo isn't an undo |
Worth knowing
- Cloning a reversal produces a normal entry — the Reversing type is deliberately cleared; a copy of an undo isn't an undo.
- Status never copies — clones are born Draft with no ledger effect.
- The plain Clone button (Salesforce standard) copies the header only; Clone with Lines is almost always what you want.
Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving "Clone of …" as the permanent description | The ledger's testimony reads like a photocopy — reviewers must chase the source to learn anything | Rewrite the description to say what this entry records |
| Posting the clone without touching the amounts | Last period's numbers become this period's numbers — plausible-looking and wrong | Walk every line; adjust what differs before Save Draft or Post |
| Not reviewing a copied Reversing Date | The clone inherits the source's auto-undo instruction — the scheduler will reverse the new entry too | Clear or re-date the Reversing Date to fit the new entry's period (or remove it for non-accruals) |
| Cloning when you meant to reverse | A clone repeats the effect (sides kept); a reversal cancels it (sides swapped) — cloning doubles what you meant to undo | Use Reverse Journal for undo; clone only for "another one like it" |
| Using the plain Clone button | You get the header with no lines — half an entry | Clone with Lines, almost always |
Where to go next
- Recurring Journal Entries — when the repetition is truly scheduled.
- Creating a Journal Entry — the form the clone lands in.
- Reversing Journal Entries — the other one-click derivative.
Frequently asked questions
Reverse undoes an entry (sides swapped). Clone repeats an entry irregularly (sides kept). Recurring template repeats an entry on a schedule without you clicking anything. All three end in the same form; they differ in what's pre-filled and when.
The clone carries the source's entity; change it on the seeded form before saving. Watch entity-scoped GL accounts and cost centers — the form's validation will flag any line whose account doesn't fit the new entity.
Yes — the Source Journal Entry field records where it came from, and the seeded description says so too. Lineage is visible without digging.
Yes — the source's status doesn't matter because the source is only a stencil. Cloning a voided entry is actually a tidy pattern: the mistake stays voided on file, and its corrected twin starts life as a fresh Draft.
Not when the entity runs a document sequence — the clone takes the next number in line, like any new entry, and the number is locked. The connection to the source lives in the Source Journal Entry field and the seeded description, not the numbering.
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