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Why are prototypes taking longer to load in the browser?

Last updated on 13 Feb 2023
1 min read

Prototypes in the web app are rebuilt every time you save a change in a Workspace document, whereas in the Preview window in the Mac app, each change is rendered instantly. When you open a prototype in the web app you may see a ‘Rendering Prototype‘ message and a black screen — just like the image below:

renderingPrototype

The prototype rendering process can vary from just a few seconds to several, depending on the size and complexity of your prototype. The good news is, once it‘s been built, you can use it over and over again. You can even reload, open new tabs and make as many changes as you like— as long as it’s the same browser session, you’ll see the same prototype.

To see the latest changes, close the prototype player by clicking the close button on the top left corner of the screen:

closePlayer

After closing the prototype player, click on the button at the top to see the latest version of your document, then, on the right sidebar, click on the prototype thumbnails or on the Prototypes link to navigate to the page that lists all the prototypes on your document:

Please note : If you copy a prototype‘s link from your browser’s address bar and then, in that same browser, paste the link in a new tab, you will still see the same prototype version. You’ll only see changes if you close the player and navigate to the latest version of your document.

However, if you share the prototype link with someone else or paste it in another browser or session in the same browser, the link will point to the document view. Here, head to the right sidebar and click on the prototype thumbnails or on Prototypes.

As we‘ve seen, your prototype should build reasonably fast. If you run into any issues or the prototype fails to render, please contact us. If you can include a link to your Workspace prototype that‘ll help us understand what‘s going on and get back to you.