Published on Online Documentation for Altium Products (https://www.altium.com/documentation)

KB: Copy and paste a component from/to a library

Created: May 07, 2024 | Updated: February 03, 2025

Solution Details

In either schlib or pcblib, components can be copied, cut, or pasted by right-click command on SCH/PCB Library panel, while those symbols and footprints already instantiated in schematic and PCB editor can be directly selected to copy, cut, or paste by the ordinary keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C/X/V.
  • from/to a library: right-click copy/cut/paste on SCH/PCB Library panel
  • from schematic/PCB editor: keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C/X/V
  • from Manufacturer Part Search panel: download as libraries first, open the libraries, right-click copy/cut/paste on SCH/PCB Library panel

From/to Library:
  1. Open the source library document.
  2. Select the required component in SCH/PCB Library panel. Multiple components can be selected.
  3. Right-click on the selected component, then choose the Copy command from the context menu or Ctrl+C.                                            image.png
  4. ​​​​​​Open the target schematic/PCB library document.
  5. Right-click anywhere in the list of components in the SCH/PCB Library panel, and select Paste from the context menu or Ctrl+V, after which the components from the step 3 with all its properties are now added to the target library.
image.png

From Schematic/PCB Editor:
  1. Open the source schematic or PCB document (*.schdoc or *.pcbdoc).
  2. Select component(s) to copy and Ctrl+C
  3. Follow the instruction above to paste the component to a target library
Note: As an alternative to copying and pasting components individually from the schematic or PCB editor to a library, new schematic or PCB libraries can be created in one go to include all components in the active document with a command Design » Make Schematic Library or Design » Make PCB Library.

From Manufacturer Part Search panel:
  1. Select the required part in Manufacturer Part Search panel. Multiple parts can be selected
  2. Right-click on the selected component, then choose the Download as File Library... command from the context menu.                          image.png
  3. A library package, including the SCH and PCH library, is downloaded to a folder of your choice.
  4. Extract the package and open the source library files.
  5. Follow the instruction above to copy and paste the components from the downloaded library to a target library

Further Reading on Moving and Copying Components from Other Libraries: 
https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/working-with-schematic-libraries#!copying-components-from-other-sources
https://www.altium.com/documentation/altium-designer/working-with-pcb-libraries#!adding-footprints-from-other-sources
If you find an issue, select the text/image and pressCtrl + Enterto send us your feedback.
Source URL: https://www.altium.com/documentation/knowledge-base/altium-designer/copy-and-paste-a-component-from-to-a-library