Sort children of <defs> (sortDefsChildren)
Sorts children inside <defs> for stable output and improved compressibility.
What Sort children of <defs> does in SVGO
SVGO applies sortDefsChildren as part of its plugin pipeline. In SVGOMG the toggle is labeled Sort children of <defs> (enabled by default). Optimization runs entirely in your browser — files are not uploaded to a server.
Use the SVGOMG optimizer with Show original to compare before and after. If output looks wrong, disable this plugin first, then re-enable related transforms one at a time.
When to enable
SVGs with large symbol libraries or sprite sheets.
When to disable
When defs order matters for human editing workflows only.
Watch out for
Does not change rendering.
Try it in SVGOMG
- Open svgomg.net and load your SVG (file, paste, or demo).
- Find Sort children of <defs> in the Features panel (
sortDefsChildren). - Toggle the plugin and compare the preview; download when satisfied.
SVGO Plugin Guide
Browse the SVGO Plugin Guide or read the full SVG optimization walkthrough on the homepage.