Visio Plan 2 - Errors when editing a master shape

Question

When I try to edit a master shape on the document stencil and update all of its instances, the edits do not process correctly. See screenshots below of "before editing", "editing the master", and "after editing". This issue does not occur when I start a new document. After working on a document for awhile, it will suddenly start happening with all my master shapes, and I don't know how to correct it or stop it from happening once it has started.

Before editing:

Editing the master:

After editing:

Answer 1

I was able to narrow down the cause of the issue and find a solution. The problems only occur when editing master shapes which contain more than one shape, and only after closing and reopening the document after the initial creation of the master.

Solution: when creating a master that contains multiple shapes, group all the shapes in the master together, then select the group, then go to the Developer tab > Operations > Update Alignment Box, then close and update the master. When editing a master that contains multiple shape, first ungroup the shapes within the master, then make changes, then regroup all the shapes, then select the group, then update alignment box, then close and update the master and all instances.

Answer 2

Hi Nathan,

If creating a new document resolves the issue, it may be caused by corrupted data in the current document.

Since I can't reproduce this behavior, may I ask if you have tried pressing Ctrl+Z immediately after clicking Yes to update the master, before saving the document? Does Undo restore the shape to its previous format?

If the document has already been saved, I recommend the following:

1. Delete the affected shape instance, along with any stray or duplicated text or boxes left behind on the page.
2. Open the Document Stencil and drag a fresh copy of the now-updated shape onto the page in the correct position.
3. Reconnect any connector lines that were attached to the old shape by dragging their endpoints to the new shape's connection points.

It's also a good practice to save a backup copy before making master edits to a diagram you've been working on for a while. This will allow you to quickly revert if the master update doesn't apply correctly.

However, if the issue persists even after you work with a new document, please reach out to your IT admin and ask them to use their admin credentials to submit a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center on your behalf.

 Microsoft also provides customer service phone numbers based on your region. Your IT admin can find the appropriate contact number here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

This route ensures that a Microsoft support engineer can initiate a remote session to investigate backend configurations, run advanced diagnostic tools, and, if necessary, escalate the case to specialized teams with access to internal systems and logs. These backend resources are essential for resolving issues that go beyond what’s visible in the user interface

In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support