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With the recent rework of the "Flag" menu, it now offers two ways to flag a duplicate: by directly selecting the option "closed as a duplicate question", and by selecting the the option "closed" then selecting the option "Duplicate". Is this a bug, or intentional? Are the two methods functionally different in terms of review queues and so on?

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With the recent rework of the "Flag" menu, it now offers two ways to flag a duplicate: by directly selecting the option "closed as a duplicate question", and by selecting the the option "closed" then selecting the option "Duplicate".

This has been the case for a while, and is by design. They are just two different ways to do the same exact thing: push the post into the review queue and, simultaneously, if the user has sufficient reputation points, cast a close vote (in which case their flagging quota isn't utilised).

The redesign did rename the option “Needs Improvement” to “Closed”, and the option “Duplicate” to “closed as a duplicate question”.

The third way to push a duplicate question into the review queue—via the “Close” button, which is visible only to users with sufficient reputation points, instead of the “Flag” button—also casts a close vote. Hence, for users with sufficient reputation points, all three ways are functionally identical.

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  • $\begingroup$ Flagging privileges come before closure. Those that want to close a question as a duplicate, but can't do so because of reputation, can instead flag the question as a duplicate. Is this correct? If so then the flag is really serving a useful purpose. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 7 at 4:18
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    $\begingroup$ @SarveshRavichandranIyer No. You can also flag a question as “Needs Improvement” then click “Duplicate”. You can even do this if you have closing privileges! It will cast a regular close vote though, not a flag. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 7 at 12:04
  • $\begingroup$ @SarveshRavichandranIyer Please refer to my expansion of Starship's answer. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 6 at 7:15

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