A Revit add-in is an extension written with the Revit API and installed to automate repetitive tasks. The four free Revit add-ins below already run on Revit 2027 and cover most everyday needs.
| Add-in | Main function | How free |
|---|---|---|
| pyRevit | Several hundred everyday tools: sheet management, revisions, keynotes, batch selection and renaming | Fully free, open source |
| DiRootsOne | Batch-edit parameters in a table, filter-select elements by condition, create sheets in bulk | Partly free |
| Naviate Discover | Find elements by family and type, renumber, find and replace parameter text, quick PDF export, exchange parameters with Excel | Free, registration required |
| RevitLookup | Inspect every parameter and relationship of an element to diagnose model problems | Fully free, open source |
The sections below cover each add-in, installation on Revit 2027, and how to disable or remove an add-in when Revit will not start. To write your own add-ins, see what is the Revit API; to learn Revit properly, see the Learn Revit course path.
pyRevit: a general-purpose toolkit
pyRevit is an open-source toolkit under the GPL-3.0 licence (GitHub: pyRevit). Once installed, it appears as its own ribbon tab, with tool groups for sheets, revisions, keynotes, element selection and view management. The 6.x releases support Revit 2027 (GitHub: pyRevit releases).
Note: attaching pyRevit 6.5.5 to Revit needs Microsoft's .NET 8 runtime. On a machine with only the .NET 10 that ships with Revit 2027, the installer finishes without an error but the pyRevit tab does not appear; install .NET 8 and run the installer again.
DiRootsOne: batch parameters and sheets
DiRootsOne brings DiRoots' tools together and runs on Revit 2018 to 2027 (DiRoots: DiRootsOne). On 23 October 2024 DiRoots moved to a freemium model (DiRoots: transition details). Three tools remain fully free:
- ParaManager: edit parameters of many elements at once in a table.
- OneFilter: filter-select elements by parameter conditions.
- SheetGen: create sheets in bulk.
Some familiar tools, such as SheetLink, are now paid only.
Naviate Revit: the free Naviate Discover pack
Naviate Discover is the free tool pack of Symetri's Naviate Revit suite, available after registration (Symetri: Naviate Discover). It contains twelve tools; the most useful are:
- Live Selection: find and select elements by category, family or type.
- Quick Renumber: renumber elements by pick order or along a spline.
- Find and Replace: find and replace text in the parameters of selected elements.
- Quick PDF Export: export selected views or sheets to PDF quickly.
- Export/Import: move parameter data to Excel for editing and back.
The free Naviate Rebar Extension exists only for Revit 2022; later releases have the paid Naviate Rebar.
RevitLookup: inspecting element data
RevitLookup shows every parameter and relationship of the selected element (GitHub: RevitLookup). It helps when you need to find out why a schedule or filter does not pick up an element. Once installed, its button sits on the Add-Ins tab.
Installing add-ins on Revit 2027
Download the installer from the vendor's official site or from the Design & Make Marketplace, the new name of the Autodesk App Store since April 2026 (Autodesk Platform Services: Design & Make Marketplace). Close Revit before installing, and pick the right Revit year. Revit 2027 runs on .NET 10, so add-ins built for Revit 2026 must be rebuilt by their vendor.
Revit reads the .addin registration files at start-up from two folders (Autodesk: add-in registration).
| Scope | Folder in Revit 2027 |
|---|---|
| Per user | %AppData%\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2027 |
| All users on the machine | C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2027 |
From 2027, the all-users folder moved from C:\ProgramData to C:\Program Files, and Revit ignores .addin files left in the old location (Autodesk Developer Blog: Revit 2027 API). Revit LT does not run add-ins (Autodesk: installing add-ins).
The first time Revit meets a new add-in, it asks whether to load it and shows the publisher and file path. Choose Always Load only when both match the add-in you just installed from the official site.
Do not use cracked copies of paid add-ins: an add-in runs with full rights inside Revit and can read all model data.
Disabling add-ins and how to uninstall a Revit add-in
The Add-Ins Manager (since Revit 2025.3) turns individual add-ins on or off without uninstalling them (Autodesk: Add-Ins Manager). In Revit 2027 the button is on the Manage tab, Extensions panel. The dialog lists each add-in with its start-up loading time, as in the image at the top; changes take effect the next time Revit starts.
To remove an add-in:
- Uninstall it in Settings › Apps like any program, if it came with an installer.
- If it is not in the program list, delete its .addin file from the two folders above.
- If a faulty add-in stops Revit from starting, run Revit Add-Ins Manager from the Start menu and disable it without opening Revit.
If Revit starts slowly, check the loading times in the Add-Ins Manager first; other causes are covered in why Revit is slow.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Revit plugin different from a Revit add-in?
No. Both words mean the same thing; Autodesk's documentation uses add-in.
I installed an add-in but cannot see its tab. Why?
Check three things: whether the add-in matches your Revit year, whether its .addin file is in the right Revit 2027 folder, and whether it is disabled in the Add-Ins Manager.
What does "Failed to initialize the add-in" mean?
Revit found the .addin file but could not load the library, usually because the add-in does not match the Revit version or files are missing. Install the add-in built for your Revit year, or disable it in the Add-Ins Manager.