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Instance of a deleted variant doesn't receive updates or indication that the component has been deleted.

  • June 4, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 48 views
JR_Rowland

This happens to us frequently when architecting a library file:

  1. A concept file has several instances of a component - that component has many variants and all of them are placed in the concept file.
  2. Now we delete some of the variants in the library file, and make various changes to the other variants. The library file is republished.
  3. After updating components (sometimes on all pages, sometimes just the current page), the variants with just changes seem to update well. However the instances of variants that were deleted in the library file just sit there - no update prompts, no “main component was deleted” type messages. We can even change properties of these instances. Its as if the concept file is hanging on to a memory of the library file and not flagging an issue.

What we’d expect: An indication that these components are now effectively detached so we can choose to update them to a variant to still exists.

What we’d love: A guided flow similar to the “missing fonts” flow, where substitutions are suggested and committed.

    3 replies

    Jaycee Lewis
    Figmate

    Hey ​@JR_Rowland 👋 Thanks for your post 🙌

    To make sure I understand the root issue, can you grab a short screen recording? One that walks through the republish, the "update components" action, and the instance sitting there afterward unflagged. Seeing the Layers panel state on that instance (the diamond icon) at the end would tell us a lot.

    A couple of quick things to confirm while you're at it:

    • When you delete the variants, are you deleting the *whole component set* (the full variant group), or just *one or more variants from a set that still publishes*? Those can behave differently, and the distinction will shape how we report it.
    • After the republish, do the affected instances still show as instances in the Layers panel, or have they changed state at all?

    On the substitution flow you described — that's a great fit for our Suggest a feature board, where others can add their votes: https://forum.figma.com/suggest-a-feature-11 

    Thanks! — Jaycee

    JR_Rowland
    • JR_Rowland
    • Author
    • New Member
    • June 5, 2026

    ​@Jaycee Lewis I attached a screen recording here. Answers to your questions: 

    • When you delete the variants, are you deleting the *whole component set* (the full variant group), or just *one or more variants from a set that still publishes*? Those can behave differently, and the distinction will shape how we report it.

    Deleting just one or more variants from a set that still publishes.

    • After the republish, do the affected instances still show as instances in the Layers panel, or have they changed state at all?

    They still show as instances in the Layers panel.

    Thanks!

     

    JR_Rowland
    • JR_Rowland
    • Author
    • New Member
    • June 5, 2026

    One last note is that when the main component is within the same, Figma seems able to identify when the a variant has been deleted. The issue I’m describing seems to only apply to published library files where the main component is not in the same file as the instance. (screenshot attached shows the message Figma provides when a variant is “missing”)

     

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