---
title: Model and instance actions
slug: bhdo-v3/product-features/digital-twins/model-and-instance-actions
createdAt: 2026-09-15T18:51:28.808Z
---

Belden Horizon Data Operations provides a set of actions for the models and instances you create in Digital Twins. This topic describes each action and whether it applies to a model, an instance, or both.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note:** For what models and instances are, how they relate, and what settings such as Flatten Hierarchy and Publish Attributes do, see [Digital Twins](docId\:e53oGCPguAvfIr6hqB-s-) .
:::

## Available actions

In grid view, these actions appear on the model tile in *Models* and on the instance tile in *Instances*. On an instance tile, **Edit**, **Delete**, and **Disable** or **Enable** are in the action menu.

| Action                    | What it does                                                                                                                                                                            | Applies to |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| **Export**                | Downloads a `<model name>.json` file with the model's static and dynamic attribute definitions. Use this file to import the model into another Belden Horizon Data Operations instance. | Model      |
| **Clone**                 | Creates a copy of the model. Enter a new name and description.                                                                                                                          | Model      |
| **Edit** (model)          | Updates the model name, description, type, or Unified Namespace (UNS) connector.                                                                                                        | Model      |
| **Edit** (instance)       | Updates the associated model, instance name, interval, and **Flatten Hierarchy** setting.                                                                                               | Instance   |
| **Delete**                | Removes the model or the instance. Deleting a model does not delete its instances, but those instances no longer have a valid model reference. Deleting an instance is permanent.       | Both       |
| **Copy Instance Topic**   | Copies the instance topic string to the clipboard.                                                                                                                                      | Instance   |
| **Export JSON Schema**    | Downloads the instance schema as a JSON file.                                                                                                                                           | Instance   |
| **Open Parameters**       | Opens a dialog for updating the parameter values for this instance. Available when one or more dynamic attributes have topic expressions defined.                                       | Instance   |
| **Show Topics**           | Displays all available topics for the instance. If **Publish Attributes** is enabled, the list also includes attribute-level topics.                                                    | Instance   |
| **Disable** or **Enable** | Pauses or resumes data publishing for the instance without deleting it.                                                                                                                 | Instance   |

## Related topics

- [Digital Twins](docId\:e53oGCPguAvfIr6hqB-s-)&#x20;
- [Create and configure a model](docId\:Seuz_JPDJ0JOOtAa4NKTn)&#x20;
- [Configure transformations](docId\:PCgc7OLZU8FwEYYziRFhC)
- [Configure parameters](docId\:QPtn23xppdEOxsnuygc_O)&#x20;
- [Add an instance](docId\:WgsG5glpTt2Kt2nmo4uSx)