Revit Error Explained6 min read

Revit "Pinned objects were not deleted": how to delete them, and why pins are not protection

What the warning means, how to delete a pinned grid, level or link without collateral damage, and how to really protect datums in a shared model.

Updated: October 2026·Revit 2023 - 2027

Revit warning

Pinned objects were not deleted. To delete them, unpin them before using delete.

Quick answer

What it means: your selection included pinned elements. Revit deleted the unpinned ones and skipped the pinned ones. The warning is the same for grids, levels and Revit links.

To delete: select the element, click Modify > Unpin (or the pin icon next to it), then press Delete. Before deleting a level or a link, check what depends on it: deleting a level also deletes its views.

01Unpin and Delete

Delete a pinned element on purpose

Pinning only prevents moving and deleting until the pin is removed. When a selection mixes pinned and unpinned elements, Revit deletes what it can and shows this warning for the rest, so check what actually disappeared.

Revit 2026 warning: Pinned objects were not deleted. To delete them, unpin them before using delete. — Revit 2026: the same warning appears for a pinned grid and a pinned Revit link.

Fix

Select the pinned element, click Modify > Unpin (shortcut UP) or the pin icon shown next to it, then press Delete. If you only need it gone from one view, use Hide in View instead of deleting it from the model.

Quick Check

After a mixed delete, press Ctrl+Z if more was removed than intended: Undo restores everything the delete removed.

02Selection Settings

You cannot even select the pinned element

Revit can be set to ignore pinned elements during selection. Then window selections skip them and clicking does nothing, which looks like the element is locked in some other way.

Fix

Turn on Select Pinned Elements in the selection options at the right end of the Status Bar (or Modify > Select). Then select the element and unpin it.

Quick Check

If linked models, grids and levels all refuse to highlight, the selection option is off.

03Levels

Deleting a level deletes more than the level

A level owns its plan views, and elements hosted on it reference it. Deleting the level deletes those views and the elements hosted on that level. On a large project this can remove sheets' worth of documentation in one keystroke.

Fix

Before deleting, check the level's views in the Project Browser and the elements on it. If you only need fewer levels in a view, hide them in that view. If elements must be kept, rehost them to another level first.

Quick Check

Search the Project Browser for views associated with the level before deleting it, including dependent and ceiling plans.

04Revit Links

Removing a link the right way

Deleting a link instance from a view removes that placement. Removing the link from Manage Links removes the linked file from the project with all its instances, and coordination that relies on it, such as Copy/Monitor relationships and room bounding from the link, goes with it. Users have also reported cases in Revit 2023 where pinned links could be deleted with only a notification.

Fix

Use Manage > Manage Links to unload a link you only want to hide temporarily: Unload keeps the link path and placement. Remove the link only when it is no longer part of the project, and agree on that with the team first.

Quick Check

Unload when in doubt. Reload restores the link in the same place; re-linking after Remove may not.

05Team Protection

Why a pin is not protection in a team model

Pinning prevents accidental drags and clicks by the person who knows the element matters. A teammate cleaning up a view can unpin and delete a grid in two clicks, and the loss is often noticed only after synchronizing with central.

Fix

Keep grids, levels and links on their own worksets owned by the coordinator, and document who may change them. Karo.ModelGuard adds an enforced layer: deleting levels, grids or RVT/CAD links can require a written reason or be blocked, with every event in a shared log.

Quick Check

If you cannot say who deleted the last missing grid and why, your datums are not protected.

Lost grids and links are one of the classic ways team models break. The 10 Revit model health rules cover datums, links and the other habits that keep a central model stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delete a pinned element in Revit?

Select it, click Modify > Unpin or the pin icon next to the element, then press Delete. If the element cannot be selected, turn on Select Pinned Elements in the selection options on the Status Bar.

Why did Revit delete some elements and not others?

Your selection contained both pinned and unpinned elements. Revit deleted the unpinned ones and reported that the pinned objects were not deleted.

Does pinning protect a Revit link from being removed?

Pinning stops the link instance from being moved or deleted directly until it is unpinned, but anyone can unpin it. Removing it via Manage Links is a separate action. For real protection, control who can change links through worksets and team rules, or an add-in that enforces them.

What happens to views when I delete a level?

Plan views associated with the level are deleted with it, along with elements hosted on that level. Check the Project Browser and rehost elements before deleting a level.

Stop model damage before it reaches central

Karo.ModelGuard asks for a reason or blocks exploding CAD, fake dimension overrides and deleting links, levels and grids, and writes every decision to a shared team log. It does not fix existing warnings; it stops the actions that create them.

Explore Karo.ModelGuard (14-Day Free Trial)Read 10 Model Health Rules