Find and fix orphaned components
Orphaned components have zero references — no topic uses them. They may be candidates for cleanup or reuse.
Identify orphans
Go to the Components page.
Look for components with an amber Orphan badge.
The reuse statistics at the top of the page show the total orphan count.
A component becomes orphaned when its last Insert component references is removed from a topic. The component itself is not deleted — it remains in the project until you explicitly remove it.
Decide what to do
For each orphaned component:
Use it — if the content is valuable, Insert component references to it in a relevant topic.
Delete it — if the content is no longer needed, delete the component to keep the project clean.
Leave it — if you plan to use it later, the orphan badge serves as a reminder.
Make orphan review part of your regular Content health and governance workflow. A high orphan count often signals that content was restructured without cleaning up the component library.
Prevent orphans
Orphans typically happen when you remove a Insert component references from a topic but don't delete the source component. Before removing the last reference to a component, check whether you still need the source.
Don't mass-delete orphaned components without reviewing them first. Some may contain valuable content that was accidentally disconnected during a restructure — deleting them permanently removes the content.
See also
Create reusable components — how to create new components and extract them from existing content
Content health and governance — broader strategies for keeping your project clean
Content health indicators — reference for all health badges and metrics
Structuring content for reuse — planning strategies that reduce orphan creation