Revit Purge is the short name for the Purge Unused tool. It deletes families, types, materials and other items that are loaded in your project but not used anywhere, which makes the RVT file smaller and faster to open. This guide shows how to purge in Revit, what the tool cannot remove, and the cleanup steps that go with it: Audit, Compact File and eight more habits. The Purge Unused steps are checked against Autodesk’s Revit 2027 help.
Quick answer
To purge in Revit, save a backup, then go to Manage tab > Settings panel > Purge Unused. Review the list (everything unused is ticked by default) and click OK. Run it again until the list is empty, usually three times, because each pass frees up items that the last one was still holding.
To see the smaller file size, save with File > Save As > Options > Compact File.
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File Optimization
Purging is the first step in reducing file size. See the full module for the other optimisation steps.
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What Does Revit Purge Unused Do?
Every family you load and every type you duplicate stays in the project, even after you delete the last instance from the model. Over months this adds up. Purge Unused lists the items that nothing in the project refers to and deletes the ones you tick.
It will not touch anything that is in use. Autodesk’s help puts it this way: the tool does not allow you to purge used objects, or objects that have dependencies.
| Purge Unused removes | Purge Unused leaves in place |
|---|---|
| Loaded families with no instance placed | Any family or type that is placed somewhere, even once |
| Unused types of system families (wall, floor, roof types and so on) | The system families themselves, and types that other items depend on |
| Group types that are not placed | Placed groups, and families that sit inside a group |
| Materials and material assets that nothing uses | Materials still assigned to a remaining type or family |
| Other unused styles and types shown in the dialog | Working views, sheets, area schemes, design options and links |
How to Purge Unused in Revit (Step by Step)
- Save a backup copy of the project. A purge cannot be brought back once you save and close.
- Go to the Manage tab > Settings panel > click Purge Unused.
- Look through the list. All unused items are ticked by default. Click Check All to select every purgeable item, or Check None and tick only the ones you want to delete.
- Click OK. Revit deletes the ticked items.
- Open Purge Unused again and repeat steps 3 and 4.
- Repeat once more, or until the dialog has nothing left to tick.
Why you run Revit Purge three times
Purge only sees items that nothing refers to right now. A material used by an unused family still counts as used until that family is gone. So the passes work like layers:
- Pass 1 removes unused families, types and groups.
- Pass 2 picks up nested families and materials that only those items were using.
- Pass 3 picks up the material assets that only those materials were using.
✨ Tip: Three is the usual number, not a rule. Stop when the list comes up empty.
✨ Tip: If you purge often, give the tool a keyboard shortcut. Go to View tab > User Interface > Keyboard Shortcuts, search for “Purge”, and check or assign the keys there. Revit opens the dialog first, so you can still review the list.
Before You Purge a Revit File: 4 Checks
- Back up first. Autodesk recommends creating a backup project file before you purge.
- Open all worksets. In a workshared project, all worksets must be open to use Purge Unused.
- Do not empty a file you will still build on. “Unused” also means “not used yet”. In an early-stage project or an office template, a full purge deletes the wall types, title blocks and tags you loaded for later. Click Check None and pick by hand.
- Tell the team. On a shared model, agree on who purges and when, so nobody loses a family they were about to place.
Purging the model is a regular maintenance task. After each submission and milestone, remove the leftovers that have built up, and your project file size stays under control.
What Revit Purge Cannot Remove
No matter how many times you run it, some items stay. Purge treats them as “in use”, so you remove them by hand:
- Views and sheets you no longer need. Delete them in the Project Browser.
- Placed groups and the families inside them. Ungroup or delete the group first, then purge again.
- Area schemes and design options. Delete them from their own dialogs.
- Shared families nested in another family that is still loaded.
- System families. You can purge an unused wall type, but not the Basic Wall family itself.
- Linked and imported files. Remove them in Manage Links (see below).
To delete one or two families without opening the dialog, expand Families in the Project Browser, right-click the family or type, and choose Delete from Project.
File Size Did Not Change After Purge? Use Compact File
This surprises many people: you purge, press Save, and the RVT is the same size. A normal save only writes the new and changed parts of the file. The space left by deleted items stays inside it. Compact File rewrites the whole file and drops the parts that are no longer needed.
- Go to the File tab > Save As > Project.
- In the Save As window, click Options.
- Tick Compact File > click OK.
- Click Save.
In a workshared project, tick Compact Central Model in the Synchronize with Central window instead. Compacting takes longer than a normal save, so do it when the team can pause for a few minutes.
Before you compact a shared file, archive the original central file and backup folder, so you have a copy to return to. Learn more about worksharing
Revit Audit: Check the File for Damaged Elements
Purge and Audit do different jobs. Purge removes what you do not use. Revit Audit scans the model, then detects and fixes corrupt elements. It does not tell you which elements it fixed.
How to audit a Revit file
- Close the project if it is open.
- Go to the File tab > Open drop-down menu > click Project.
- Locate your project file and select it. Do not double-click it.
- In the Open window, tick Audit at the bottom left. Revit warns that this can take a long time. Click Yes.
- Click Open, wait for the audit to finish, then save the project.
If you are auditing a shared model, all users must exit the model first. Then follow the same steps on the central model file.
When to audit: Autodesk’s guidance is about once a week, more often if the model changes fast, and always before you upgrade the project to a new Revit version. A good order for a cleanup session is Audit first, then Purge, then save with Compact File.
How to Purge a Revit Family (RFA)
Purging a project does not clean the inside of its families. A family can carry its own unused nested families, materials and imported CAD. To purge it, select the family > click Edit Family > Manage tab > Purge Unused > OK. Then click Load into Project and choose to overwrite the existing version.
Nested families are not purged with their parent. Open each nested family and purge it too if it is large.
Project Cleanup in Revit: 8 More Ways to Reduce File Size
Purge Unused only deals with what is unused. The rest of a Revit project cleanup is about the things you did use but do not need, or could use in a lighter way.
1. Unlink the unnecessary
Remove any unnecessary imported images or linked files (CAD, DXF, TIFF and so on). Imported files slow a model down a lot. Go to the Manage tab > click Manage Links, select the file and click Remove. Revit 2027 also shows PDFs and images in this window, and lets you unload several links at once in workshared cloud models.
There is also an official Model Checker add-in from Autodesk that you can use to check how healthy your model is. Learn more about linking CAD files
2. Ungroup arrays you will not edit
Arrays copy objects and link them together in groups. Once the array is final, ungroup its members to remove that link. To array without grouping in the first place, untick Group and Associate when you create the array. In Revit 2027 this option is on the ribbon. In Revit 2026 and earlier it is on the Options Bar.
3. Do not explode the DWG
I used to export 2D drawings of trees in plan view from CAD and then import them into Revit. They were small blocks with hundreds of grouped lines that I copied and pasted into my plan view.
When I wanted to color them for my final presentation, I had to explode the entire set of CAD trees.
The next thing I noticed was that the whole project view became very slow, and the project file was getting bigger too. Every exploded line becomes its own Revit element. Unless it is an experiment, you should not explode CAD data in Revit.
4. Replace masses with families
If you have several identical in-place masses, replace them with one component family placed several times. Treat the in-place mass as a tool for concept and presentation work.
5. Optimize the families you use
Check the file sizes of the families in the project. Take the largest ones and either delete them or simplify them for what you need. Then load them back into the model under a different file name.
6. Delete redundant views
Too many views are a common reason for a slow, heavy project, and Purge Unused will not remove them for you. Check whether you can delete working copies and test views and sheets.
7. Match the detail level and crop to the view
Avoid the Fine and Medium detail levels unless you are sure a view or sheet needs them. You get no benefit from a high level of detail at 1/16″ and 1/8″ scales (1:200, 1:100).
Custom cropping of regions in multiple views also uses resources on your workstation or laptop. You can turn off Crop View while you work and turn it back on when you are ready to export. Revit keeps your crop settings. Learn more about Crop Regions
8. Fix warnings
Check and fix warnings (Manage tab > Inquiry panel > Warnings). Autodesk’s advice is to keep the number of warnings to a minimum, because they point to possible problems in the project. A long list also adds up to a real cost in performance.
How Often Should You Purge and Audit?
| Task | When |
|---|---|
| Audit | About once a week on an active project, and before upgrading to a new Revit version |
| Purge Unused | After each submission or milestone, and before you send the model to someone else |
| Compact File | Right after a purge, at a time when a slower save is not a problem |
| Warnings and views | A little every week, so the list never gets long |
Revit Purge FAQs
Where is Purge Unused in Revit?
Go to the Manage tab, Settings panel, and click Purge Unused. The location is the same in Revit 2027 and earlier versions.
Why do I need to purge three times in Revit?
Purge only lists items that nothing refers to at that moment. The first pass removes unused families and types, the second removes the materials and nested families they were holding, and the third removes the leftover material assets. Repeat until the list is empty.
Is it safe to purge a Revit file?
Yes, if you save a backup first. Purge Unused cannot delete anything that is in use. The risk is removing families and types you loaded but have not placed yet, so review the list in early-stage projects and templates.
Why is my Revit file size the same after purging?
A normal save does not rewrite the whole file. Go to File, Save As, Project, click Options, tick Compact File and save. In a workshared project, tick Compact Central Model when you synchronize.
What is the difference between Purge and Audit in Revit?
Purge Unused deletes families, types and materials that the project does not use. Audit is a tick box in the Open window that scans the file and fixes corrupt elements. Use both as part of regular maintenance.
Can you undo Purge Unused in Revit?
You can press Ctrl+Z right after a purge while the project is still open. Once you save and close, the purged items are gone, which is why a backup copy matters.
Does Purge Unused delete views in Revit?
It does not remove the working views and sheets you no longer need. Delete those by hand in the Project Browser.
Mohamed Fakhry has helped thousands of architects and designers find their next project with step-by-step guidance on his blog, mashyo.com. About Mohamed
His journey began during his university years when he recognized the need for information-rich 3D models to accelerate learning and improve production processes. Now, Mohamed shares his expertise through Revit tutorials that are accessible to all.
