Sketch 93 optimistic locking: symbol merge conflicts blocking concurrent edits on shared Cloud documents

Does the legacy file format influence conflict frequency?

Sketch 93’s optimistic locking works at the symbol‑instance level. The file format itself – pre‑2018 versus the current .sketch format – does not change the locking algorithm. What the legacy format does affect is how the Cloud sync engine aggregates changes. Older documents lack per‑object version vectors, so the engine falls back to whole‑document merge checks. This can make conflict detection slower and produce less granular conflict reports, but it does not increase the number of conflicts that arise when two people edit the same object.

Primary drivers of conflicts

• Symbol overlap – the larger the symbol library, the higher the chance that two editors will touch the same instance or override the same property.
• Page overlap – simultaneous edits to the same page region trigger the optimistic lock even if the objects are unrelated.
• Legacy sync granularity – while not a direct cause, older files can cause the sync to report a conflict for the entire document instead of the specific instance, making manual resolution more cumbersome.

How to reduce manual merge resolution without disabling concurrent editing

1. Enable Auto‑accept non‑conflicting changes in Sketch → Preferences → Cloud. This lets the editor automatically merge edits that do not overlap.
2. Use page‑level view‑only mode for reviewers so that they cannot edit while others are working.
3. Keep the symbol library in a separate Cloud Library document. All symbol masters are then edited in that library, and the working file only contains instances. Overridden properties in the working file stay local, so only instance overrides can conflict.
4. When splitting the library, run Sketch → File → Export → Duplicate to preserve the original file’s history, then replace all symbol references with the new library links.

Practical steps for your team

• Audit the current file: Note the number of symbols and how many instances are on each page.
• Test a fresh copy: Duplicate the file, save it as a new Sketch 93 document, and invite a second editor to edit the same page. Observe whether conflicts appear and how they are reported.
• Split the library: Create a new Cloud Library document, import the existing symbols, and replace references in the working file. Verify that conflicts now only occur when editing the library master or overriding the same instance locally.
• Document the workflow: assign specific pages or symbols to individual editors to reduce overlap.

What if you still see frequent conflicts?

Check whether overridden properties are being edited by multiple users. If so, consider moving those overrides back to the library master or using a dedicated “review” page that is not part of the main design flow.

Missing diagnostic detail

If you want a more precise recommendation, let us know how many users typically edit the same page at once and whether they are changing overridden properties or just the master symbol. This can help decide if a stricter page‑level lock is warranted.