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Are Microsoft Planner Task Assignments Copied with an Entire Plan?

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to know if task assignments are automatically included when duplicating an entire plan in Microsoft Planner, or if there is a way to avoid manually copying assignees.

Product: Microsoft Planner
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Duplicating an entire project plan to reuse its structure and tasks.
Observed behavior: Task assignments are not automatically copied when an entire plan is duplicated, forcing the user to rely on complex flows to reassign tasks.

Before you start

Verify that you have the appropriate permissions to view the original Planner plan and edit permissions in the destination Microsoft 365 group where the new plan is or will be created.

Solution 1Recommended

Copy Tasks Individually to Retain Assignments

While duplicating an entire plan drops assignments, copying individual tasks within the same plan gives you the option to retain them.

Microsoft Planner intentionally drops assignees when an entire plan is copied to prevent accidental notifications. However, the individual task copy feature allows you to bypass this limitation for specific tasks.

Open the original plan

Navigate to Microsoft Planner and open the plan containing the tasks you want to copy.

Select the task to copy

Click the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of a specific task card to open the options menu.

Choose the copy option

Select 'Copy task' from the dropdown menu to open the copy configuration dialog.

Include assignments

Under the 'Include' section, check the 'Assignment' box. Select your destination plan and click 'Copy'.

Limitation Note: This method works well for a small number of tasks but can be tedious if you need to copy an entire project board with dozens of tasks.

Solution 2

Automate Assignment Copying Using Power Automate

Set up a custom Power Automate flow to recreate task assignments automatically when a new plan is generated.

Solution 3

Submit Feedback to Microsoft

Since automatic assignment copying is not currently supported, voting for the feature can help prioritize its development on the Microsoft roadmap.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Projects Seamlessly with WPS Office

Instead of struggling with complex workarounds in Microsoft Planner, consider using WPS Spreadsheet to manage your project tasks. It offers a lightweight, highly customizable, and free alternative where duplicating a project tracker sheet keeps all your assignments, formats, and formulas perfectly intact.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and select 'Spreadsheet' from the main dashboard.
2. Find a project template: Search for 'Project Management' or 'Task Tracker' in the built-in Templates library to get started quickly.
3. Duplicate with ease: Right-click the sheet tab at the bottom and select 'Move or Copy' to duplicate the entire project tracker—keeping all task assignments intact automatically.

Duplicating project sheets retains all assignees and task details instantlyHighly customizable task management and Gantt chart templatesFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsFree and lightweight alternative to complex ecosystem dependencies

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Microsoft Planner copy assignments when duplicating a plan?

Microsoft designed Planner this way to prevent accidentally notifying users of tasks in a newly duplicated draft plan. Currently, there is no built-in toggle to override this behavior at the plan level.

Can I copy a task to a different plan and keep the assignments?

Yes. If you copy an individual task using the 'Copy task' feature, you can check the 'Assignment' box under the 'Include' section and choose a different destination plan within your organization.

Is there any official roadmap update for this feature?

As of now, Microsoft has not confirmed any upcoming changes to this limitation on the Microsoft 365 roadmap. Users must continue relying on custom Power Automate flows as a workaround.

Do comments and attachments copy over when duplicating a Planner plan?

No. Similar to user assignments, task comments and file attachments are not copied when you duplicate an entire Planner plan. Only structural elements like task names, descriptions, checklist items, and labels are generally retained.

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