Re-index Artboards by Position

Script for Adobe Illustrator

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Description

Re-index Artboards by Position is an Adobe Illustrator script that automatically reorders artboards in your document based on their spatial positioning. Instead of manually renaming or reorganizing artboards, this script intelligently sorts them from top-to-bottom, then left-to-right, making your artboard panel much more organized and logical.

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Key Features

Spatial Intelligence: Automatically detects artboard positions and creates a logical ordering
Visual Preview: Shows you exactly how artboards will be reordered before applying changes
Interactive Navigation: Double-click any artboard in the preview to zoom directly to it
Preserves artboard names while updating their index numbers

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How It Works

The script analyzes the physical position of each artboard in your document and creates a new ordering based on:

Vertical Position First: Artboards are grouped by rows (top to bottom)
Horizontal Position Second: Within each row, artboards are ordered left to right
Tolerance System: Uses a 10-pixel tolerance to determine if artboards are on the same "row"

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Installation

1. Download the Re-index Artboards by Position.jsx script file.

2. Place the script in your Adobe Illustrator Scripts folder:

⮑ Mac: /Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts

⮑ Windows: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts

3. Restart Adobe Illustrator if it's already running.

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Using The Script:

Open Adobe Illustrator. Navigate to a document that contains at least 2 artboards
Ensure your artboards are positioned where you want them spatially
Run the script via File > Scripts > Re-index Artboards by Position
The script dialog will appear:

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➊ Script Dialog

Once launched, the script will:

Analyze all artboards in your document
Display a preview dialog showing:
New #: The new index number for each artboard
Old #: The current index number
Artboard Name: The name of each artboard

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Use these dialog features to verify the ordering:

Double-click any row in the preview to zoom directly to that artboard
Zoom button ✚: Click to fit all artboards in view
Visual verification: Check that the proposed ordering makes sense

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➋ Apply or Cancel

Click "OK": Apply the new artboard ordering

Script will reorder all artboards based on spatial position
Success message will confirm completion
Tool automatically switches back to Selection tool

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Click "Cancel": Exit without making changes

No artboards will be modified
Tool switches back to Selection tool
No artboards will be modified
Tool switches back to Selection tool

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➌ Verify Results

Check the Artboards panel - artboards should now be in spatial order
Navigate through artboards using the Artboards panel or keyboard shortcuts
Verify content - all artwork should remain exactly where it was

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The script is particularly useful for designers who:

Work with multiple artboards in complex layouts
Want to organize their artboard panel to match the visual layout
Need to export artboards in a specific spatial order
Want to streamline their workflow when working with grid-based designs

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This script is designed to save time and improve organization for designers working with multiple artboards in Adobe Illustrator.

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#Artboard

Re-index Artboards by Position

Version: 1.0.2

Updated: January 16, 2026

Download Re-index Artboards by Position

1.0.0 – Initial release.
1.0.1 – Added a Preview checkbox that lets users visualize how the artboards will be reordered by displaying numbered circles indicating the new artboard order before applying any changes.
1.0.2 – Updated the script to include an option for renaming artboards according to their new index.
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Tested on MacOS:
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- Adobe Illustrator 2023 (27.0)
- Adobe Illustrator 2024 (28.1)
- Adobe Illustrator 2025 (29.0)
Supported Versions:
- Compatible with Adobe Illustrator CS6 and later, including Adobe Illustrator CC versions.
Operating Systems:
- Works on both macOS and Windows platforms.
End User License Agreement (EULA)
Last Updated: 21.12.2024
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This End User License Agreement (“Agreement”) is a legal agreement between you (“User” or “Licensee”) and Samolevsky.com (“Licensor”) regarding the use of the Adobe Illustrator scripts (“Software”). By downloading, installing, or using the Software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.
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1. Grant of License
Licensor grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use the Software in accordance with this Agreement.
- Free Software: If the Software is provided for free, you may use it for personal or commercial purposes without payment, subject to the restrictions outlined in this Agreement.
- Paid Software: If the Software is provided for a fee, you may use it only after payment has been made in full.
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2. Usage Rights
You are permitted to:
- Install and use the Software on devices you own or control.
- Use the Software in your personal or commercial projects, subject to compliance with this Agreement.
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3. Restrictions
You may NOT:
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code, underlying ideas, or algorithms of the Software.
- Reuse, incorporate, or integrate any portion of the Software into any other software, product, or project, except as expressly permitted by the Licensor in writing.
- Resell, redistribute, or share the Software, whether in its original or modified form, without prior written consent from the Licensor.
- Claim ownership of the Software or its underlying code.
- Use the Software in any way that violates applicable laws or regulations.
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4. Ownership
The Software and all intellectual property rights therein remain the exclusive property of the Licensor. This Agreement does not transfer ownership of the Software or any intellectual property rights to the User.
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5. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
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6. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Licensor shall not be liable for any damages, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, arising out of or related to the use or inability to use the Software.
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7. Termination
This Agreement is effective until terminated. Licensor may terminate this Agreement immediately if you breach any term of this Agreement. Upon termination, you must cease all use of the Software and destroy any copies in your possession.
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8. Updates and Support
Licensor is not obligated to provide updates, support, or maintenance for the Software. However, updates may be provided at the sole discretion of the Licensor.
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9. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
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10. Entire Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and the Licensor concerning the Software and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings regarding such subject matter.
By using the Software, you acknowledge that you have read this Agreement, understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms.
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For any questions or concerns regarding this Agreement, please contact us at hello@samolevsky.com

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Required Software

Adobe Illustrator

Learn more

Adobe Illustrator is a professional vector graphics software developed by Adobe Inc. It is widely used by designers, illustrators, and artists for creating a variety of digital artwork, including logos, icons, illustrations, typography, and complex design layouts. Illustrator is known for its precision and scalability, allowing users to create high-quality graphics that can be resized without losing clarity. Its features include powerful drawing tools, customizable brushes, advanced typography options, and seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Illustrator is a go-to tool for creative professionals working on projects for print, web, and multimedia platforms.

🅰 Locating the Scripts Folder
To install a Re-index Artboards by Position.jsx script in Adobe Illustrator, you need to place it in the correct directory where Illustrator can recognize it. Follow these steps to locate the Scripts folder:
1. MacOS:
  Open Finder and navigate to:
  Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts
2. Windows:
  Open File Explorer and navigate to:
  C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
3. Replace <Version> with your Adobe Illustrator version (e.g., 2025).
4. Replace <Language> with your language folder (e.g., "de_DE" for German, "en_US" for English).
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🅱 Installing the Script
1. Copy the Script File: Copy the Re-index Artboards by Position.jsx file to the Scripts folder located in the path above.
2. On some systems, you may need administrator permissions to modify the Scripts folder.
3. Restart Adobe Illustrator: To refresh the scripts menu, close and reopen Adobe Illustrator.
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Explore our complete guide to mastering Adobe Illustrator scripts.
1. Open Adobe Illustrator and ensure a document is active.
2. Go to the top menu bar and select File > Scripts.
3. If the script is installed in the Scripts folder, it will appear in the dropdown list.
4. Click the Re-index Artboards by Position script to run it.
5. The Re-index Artboards by Position script will execute, and any dialog boxes or results will appear based on the script’s functionality.
☻ Before running any scripts, it’s strongly advised to save your work — especially when working with complex or large documents.

🅰 Locating the Scripts Folder
To install a Re-index Artboards by Position.jsx script in Adobe Illustrator, you need to place it in the correct directory where Illustrator can recognize it. Follow these steps to locate the Scripts folder:
1. MacOS:
  Open Finder and navigate to:
  Applications/Adobe Illustrator <Version>/Presets/<Language>/Scripts
2. Windows:
  Open File Explorer and navigate to:
  C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator <Version>\Presets\<Language>\Scripts
3. Replace <Version> with your Adobe Illustrator version (e.g., 2025).
4. Replace <Language> with your language folder (e.g., "de_DE" for German, "en_US" for English).
ㅤ
🅱 Installing the Script
1. Copy the Script File: Copy the Re-index Artboards by Position.jsx file to the Scripts folder located in the path above.
2. On some systems, you may need administrator permissions to modify the Scripts folder.
3. Restart Adobe Illustrator: To refresh the scripts menu, close and reopen Adobe Illustrator.
ㅤ
Explore our complete guide to mastering Adobe Illustrator scripts.

1. Open Adobe Illustrator and ensure a document is active.
2. Go to the top menu bar and select File > Scripts.
3. If the script is installed in the Scripts folder, it will appear in the dropdown list.
4. Click the Re-index Artboards by Position script to run it.
5. The Re-index Artboards by Position script will execute, and any dialog boxes or results will appear based on the script’s functionality.
☻ Before running any scripts, it’s strongly advised to save your work — especially when working with complex or large documents.

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