Is there a way to create a 'smart object' like in Photoshop inside illustrator from other Illustrator files?

Forum|Forum|7 days ago
March 17, 2026
4 replies
76 views

I am not sure if this is an existing thing already.

I just had a thought how efficient it could be if we could create graphics inside an illustrator file that could be edited inside another illustrator file same as ‘smart object’ in Photoshop?
To be able to have the same design / text / element repeated and changed only in one place?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Yes, both ways are possible, linked Illustrator files as well as linked Library files. Local linked files can be backupped, but CC Library files are less reliable and although you can download a cloud library, there is (on a Mac) no way to get to the content as far as I know. And as long as there is no warning that linked files have changed, you may end up with outdated versions in Illustrator and InDesign.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

Ton, by saying "there is (on a Mac) no way to get to the content as far as I know.", do you mean editing and saving the linked CC Library items and then synchronising them?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

@Kurt Gold You can export a library as a .cclibs file, but you cannot access the content as files. You can load the .cclibs file in the library panel but to download a single or multiple items you need to open them in the app that created them and save them locally. Not very user friendly.

barbara_a7746676

Community Expert

Nothing exactly like Photoshop. You could follow Ton’s advise.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

I rather do not like the interface, but you can do that with CC libraries.

If you edit a CC Library element (graphic) it usually gets updated automatically in each Illustrator file where it is placed as a linked item.

Ton's advice is also good and in the application preferences you can even set the linked files to update automatically. Unfortunately, this automatic process may sometimes take up to 30 seconds, but usually it just takes a couple of seconds.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

@viktoriap59157741 You can already place an Illustrator file A into another Illustrator file B and have the option Linked checked.

But when A is modified, it will not update B or show a changed preview of B until B is opened, the link is updated and B is saved.

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