Reuse without components?

We are creating a form editor with many different layouts. Many layouts will have the sets of fields repeated on them. We want to make the system easy to understand yet quick to make changes to content that is the same on similar forms/layouts.

I’m wondering if anyone as advice on the most intuitive system from below or a schema we haven’t thought of?

  • Simplest to understand I think would be creating copies. if you make a change on one you have to change all of your copies manually. Obviously frustrating if you keep wanting to make changes.
  • I think hardest to understand but most powerful is reusable components where you define named groups as a component and then have limited ability to edit them except in the component library. Like a design system.
  • Other options might be a master page where repeated content put in the master and additional fields are put on page laid on top and you can choose to edit the master or the page.
  • one we are considering is having everything in sections (sort of natural named groups). You can then copy a whole form and all its sections or just some sections. if you edit any copy of a section it will ask each time if you want that change made to all the copies or just that one. Similar to repeated events in a calendar.