# Working with multi-animation files
A `.lottie` (dotLottie) file can contain more than one animation in a single bundle. This page covers how the plugin detects multi-animation files, how to pick which animation to insert, and how multi-animation workflow differs from single-file import.

## What multi-animation means

A standard `.lottie` file wraps one Lottie animation. Multi-animation `.lottie` files wrap two or more — the bundle holds multiple animations indexed by name, often used for:

- A set of related icons (success / error / loading variations).
- A character with several distinct animations (idle, hover, click).
- Theme variants of the same animation (light / dark mode).

## Detecting multi-animation

When you drop or paste a multi-animation `.lottie` into the Import tab, the plugin detects it and switches the preview into a **carousel** mode instead of a single-player preview.

You'll see:

- One active animation playing in the larger preview area above.
- A counter pill with the current animation number and name.
- A row of animation thumbnails representing each animation in the bundle.
- Controls to scroll through and select among them.

<Image src="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/7164f28dfb-640.webp" alt="After Effects plugin Import tab showing a multi-animation dotLottie file with preview, thumbnails, and insert controls" caption="Multi-animation files use a carousel so you can preview and insert one animation at a time" zoom variant="default" srcSet="https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/7164f28dfb-640.webp 640w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/7164f28dfb-1024.webp 1024w, https://assets.docs.lottiefiles.com/static/7164f28dfb-1920.webp 1920w" width="2160" height="2246" loading="lazy" data-blur="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAgAAAAICAYAAADED76LAAAACXBIWXMAAAPoAAAD6AG1e1JrAAAAvklEQVR4nGPwjUj57xUY89/c1v6/gZnVf0NzGzDtHhj9HyTHACIcvUP/K2rp/VfXM/gvpaz+X0ZP/7+jbzhCgbNP+H91Lc3/2X5a/9O9NP+raWn/d/WPRFWgr6/9//melv+31ub/tzZSxVSgoav9f1W17v+eTI3/Shpa/118IxAKHLxC/itrqP3XNTT6r61v/F9RVQPsLhQFslo6/yU1tf5LKquDHYqiwDU47r9WeuZ/raSU/2YObmDsFgTxJgBk/HWgB0gx2wAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" />

## Selecting and inserting

1. Click a thumbnail in the carousel to switch the preview to that animation.
2. When the preview matches what you want, click Insert.
3. The plugin inserts only the selected animation as a new layer in your composition.

To insert multiple animations from the same `.lottie`:

- Insert the first.
- Without leaving the Import tab, select the next thumbnail and insert again.
- Each insert places a new layer.

{/* [needs review] confirm whether multi-insert is one-at-a-time or batch */}

## When state machines or themes are present

If the multi-animation `.lottie` includes state machines or themes (advanced dotLottie features), the plugin surfaces additional information in the preview area:

- **State machines** — listed but typically not driven inside the AE plugin preview. The state machine activates in the destination runtime.
- **Themes** — the plugin may let you switch theme variants during preview.

These features require a dotLottie-capable runtime in your destination — see [Render → choosing format](/en/integrations/after-effects/05_render#choosing-format) for runtime considerations.

## Tips for motion/product designers

- **Multi-animation `.lottie` is your friend for design systems.** Bundle related icons or states into one file; teammates get the whole set with one import.
- **Confirm the destination runtime supports multi-animation** before shipping. Plain `lottie-web` reads only the first animation in a `.lottie`; full multi-animation support requires `dotlottie-web` or equivalent.

{
  // TEMP_IMAGE_HIDDEN: Hidden for interim release. Restore this image in this same source location during visual QA.
  false ? (

  <Image
        src="/images/screenshots/ae-import-single-vs-multi.webp"
        alt="Side-by-side comparison of standard dotLottie import and multi-animation dotLottie import"
        caption="Single-animation and multi-animation import layouts"
        zoom
        variant="default"
      />
  ) : null
}

- **Name the animations clearly inside the `.lottie`.** The carousel labels animations by their internal name. Generic names like "Animation 1" make picking harder for teammates.

## Troubleshooting

- **Carousel doesn't appear for a `.lottie` I expect to be multi-animation** — open the `.lottie` in [LottieFiles Creator](/en/creator) or another inspector to confirm it actually contains multiple animations. Some bundles claim multi but only ship one.
- **Selected animation doesn't insert what I previewed** — refresh the preview by re-selecting the thumbnail before inserting. {/* [needs review] verify */}

## Related

- [Importing from file](/en/integrations/after-effects/03_import/importing-from-file) — single-file import basics.
- [Render → choosing format](/en/integrations/after-effects/05_render#choosing-format) — when to ship `.lottie` vs `.json`.
- [Feature checker](/en/integrations/after-effects/08_feature-checker) — see exactly what features a multi-animation file uses.