Which plugin do you have? In Revit, click the Pirros tab, then Settings, then About. 4.x means Pirros in Revit (docked panel). 3.x or lower means the classic plugin. Follow the matching section below. See Pirros in Revit vs the Classic Plugin for the differences.
Why duplicate families happen
A duplicate family is usually the same-looking family arriving twice, often with a number added to the name. It almost always means the two copies have different or missing Pirros IDs, so Pirros can't treat them as the same piece of content. Common causes:
The same family was pulled from two different sources, such as the typical library and another project.
A family was edited in a file that didn't come from Pirros, so it has no Pirros ID.
An updated .rfa file was dragged onto the Families page. Drag and drop is for new families.
A model's linked project was changed after it was synced, so everything uploads as new.
Two ideas explain how Pirros decides what's the same:
Updates and syncs match by Pirros ID, not by name. This is why look-alike families with different IDs become duplicates.
When loading into your project, you choose whether to reuse a family your project already has or bring in a new copy. The classic plugin's "Use Local Families" option matches by family name.
Part 1: Avoid duplicates when you bring families into a project
Option A: Pirros in Revit (v4.x, docked panel)
In the panel, find the Prevent duplicate families setting and turn it on.
Insert the family from the Browse tab. For a family with several types, check the types you want in the type picker.
If an incoming family matches one already in your project, resolve it per family or per type.
Newly added types are added in place instead of reloading the whole family, and families with conflicting names in the same folder are handled during download.
Option B: Classic plugin (v3.x)
When a detail or family you download uses a family your project already has, the download dialog asks how to handle it:
Use Local Families: keeps your project's family and matches by family name. Your template families stay unchanged. This is the safer choice if you're unsure.
Import Duplicate Families: brings in the source project's definition. Use it when the detail depends on a family that differs from yours.
Link Existing: matches an incoming family to a family already in your project and records the correct Pirros ID so future updates track. You can apply it in bulk across several families, and bulk actions confirm before overwriting an existing family.
New family types can also be added to a family that already exists in your project.
Which choice should I make?
Situation | Choose |
My template already has this family and I want it left alone | Use Local Families (classic) or Prevent duplicate families (v4) |
The detail relies on a version of the family that differs from mine | Import Duplicate Families (classic) |
My project's family is the right one, and I want it tied to the Pirros version for future updates | Link Existing |
I'm not sure | Use Local Families, then check the result |
Part 2: Clean up duplicates already in your project
You can't merge two families on the Pirros website. Fix it in Revit:
Work out which copy has the correct, shared Pirros ID.
Re-link the instances in your model to that copy.
Delete the duplicate that has the different or missing ID.
Don't copy a Pirros ID from one family to another to force a match. That causes more problems. If several models have drifted apart, see Keeping Multiple Building Models in Sync with Pirros for a cleanup approach.
Part 3: Avoid duplicates in the Pirros library (admins)
Start from a file that came from Pirros. Download the current family, edit that exact file, then update it, or edit inside a synced Revit model.
Use Edit Family on the family's page to update an existing family. This adds a new version under the same Pirros ID.
Don't drag an updated .rfa onto the Families page. It has no Pirros ID, so Pirros creates a duplicate.
Edited a family outside Pirros? Download the current version, re-apply your changes to that file, then update it. Pirros Support can also help apply an outside edit to the existing family.
Don't change the project on a model that has already been synced unless you intend to re-upload everything.
Made a mistake? Every update adds a version and nothing is deleted. You can restore an earlier version from the family's version history.
For the full steps, see Update Existing Families in Pirros and Sync Content from Revit to Pirros.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I downloaded a family and got a copy with a number after the name. What happened?
A: The two families have different or missing Pirros IDs. Keep the one with the correct ID, re-link your instances to it, and delete the other.
Q: Can I merge duplicate families on the Pirros website?
A: No. Fix it in Revit by re-linking instances and deleting the extras.
Q: Why did Use Local Families keep my family, but sync still treats it as new?
A: Use Local Families matches by name when loading. Syncing and updating match by Pirros ID. If your local family has no matching ID, use Link Existing so the correct ID is recorded.
Q: Which Revit versions have each option?
A: It depends on your plugin generation, not the Revit year. Pirros in Revit (v4.x) is available on Revit 2024 and newer once enabled for your firm. See Revit Version Compatibility Matrix.