# Empty Prefab Instance

**URL:** https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117
**Category:** Asset & Content Management
**Created:** [July 1, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117 "2010-07-01T15:36:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![iamcreasy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/unity/user_avatar/discussions.unity.com/iamcreasy/32/263845_2.png) [@iamcreasy](https://discussions.unity.com/u/iamcreasy)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117/1 "2010-07-01T15:36:50Z")

</div>

it says in the Unity Manual  
_ **Creating Prefabs** _  
_In order to create a Prefab, you must make a new blank Prefab using the menu. This blank Prefab contains no GameObjects, and you cannot create an instance of it. Think of a new Prefab as an empty container, waiting to be filled with GameObject data._

I did this,

1. Created an empty prefab
2. Then drag and dropped that empty prefab in to the scene view several times.As it is said in the document, nothing happend.
3. Not I drag and dropped a Cube on the empty prefab.
4. Guess what happened, just the color of the cube was supposed to change to blue.Ok.It did.But, several new object named “new prefab” was also instantiated.

That means, when we are drag and dropping empty prefab in the scene view, then, actually a new prefab instance is being created.Which is opposite of the documentation.

Isn’t it a bug?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![antenna-tree](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/unity/user_avatar/discussions.unity.com/antenna-tree/32/244386_2.png) [@antenna-tree](https://discussions.unity.com/u/antenna-tree)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117/2 "2010-07-01T15:40:59Z")

</div>

You create a new Prefab in the Project View, drag/drop some stuff on it from the Hierarchy, and then it becomes a Prefab worth doing something with. Dragging an empty Prefab into the Hierarchy doesn’t really serve any purpose.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![iamcreasy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/unity/user_avatar/discussions.unity.com/iamcreasy/32/263845_2.png) [@iamcreasy](https://discussions.unity.com/u/iamcreasy)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117/3 "2010-07-01T15:52:06Z")

</div>

> [@aNTeNNa trEE](#):
>
> You create a new Prefab in the Project View, drag/drop some stuff on it from the Hierarchy, and then it becomes a Prefab worth doing something with. Dragging an empty Prefab into the Hierarchy doesn’t really serve any purpose.

I am not saying that.I know it’s worthless.

But, I am saying that in documentation it is said “_you can’t create_”.But we can!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![antenna-tree](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/unity/user_avatar/discussions.unity.com/antenna-tree/32/244386_2.png) [@antenna-tree](https://discussions.unity.com/u/antenna-tree)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117/4 "2010-07-01T16:05:13Z")

</div>

Ah, ok, sorry I misunderstood the point. Yep, that’s a bug, a harmless one, but a bug nonetheless… and it still happens in Unity 3 so I’ll file a bug report.

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![iamcreasy](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/unity/user_avatar/discussions.unity.com/iamcreasy/32/263845_2.png) [@iamcreasy](https://discussions.unity.com/u/iamcreasy)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://discussions.unity.com/t/empty-prefab-instance/417117/5 "2010-07-01T19:06:48Z")

</div>

It’s a pleasure to help. 😄
