> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.synaps.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.synaps.app/drafting/reuse-an-element-with-blocks.md).

# Reuse an element with blocks

Create reusable drawing content with a block, duplicate its instances, and distinguish shared edits from moving one copy.

Make a block from selected shapes when you want several copies to share the same drawing content.

**Shortcut:** Cmd/Ctrl+B

## Steps

1. Select the drawing shapes you want to reuse, such as lines, rectangles, text or groups. Walls, hosted doors/windows, sites and floors are excluded from block creation.
2. Press **Cmd/Ctrl+B**. A single existing block cannot be wrapped into another block on its own.
3. Select the resulting block and duplicate or copy/paste it when you need another instance.

**Watch the steps · 7 seconds**

{% embed url="<https://610775476-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FqzriLrFv2ZhYgQvlapF0%2Fuploads%2FpzadpK7dCqYK5xUPGw0N%2Fdrafting-reuse-an-element-with-blocks-01-hero.mp4?alt=media>" %}
Turn selected shapes into a reusable block and duplicate it.
{% endembed %}

## What you'll see

The first block instance stays in the drawing. Duplicate instances share its contents.

## Shared content versus one instance

Double-click a block to edit its shared contents; those changes update its instances. Press **Esc** to leave the block. Moving, rotating or resizing a selected instance changes only that instance's placement.

Use a group instead when you need shapes to move together but do not need shared reusable content.

## Explode a block

Select a block and press **Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+B** to turn that instance back into ordinary shapes. The resulting shapes no longer share the block's content through that instance.

## Related guides

[Group shapes](/drafting/group-shapes.md).

More: [The Layers panel](/drafting/the-layers-panel.md).