Assets / Prefab / Open

Open prefab edit mode for a specific GameObject. In the Edit mode you can modify the prefab. The modification will be applied to all instances of the prefab across the project. Note: Please use 'assets-prefab-close' tool later to exit prefab editing mode.

Inputs

• gameObjectRef — reference to a scene prefab instance OR a prefab asset GameObject. The tool resolves the prefab asset path via PrefabUtility.GetPrefabAssetPathOfNearestInstanceRoot and opens the appropriate prefab stage.

Behavior

Asset-side GameObjects open via the simple OpenPrefab(path) overload. Scene-instance GameObjects open via OpenPrefab(path, gameObject) so the editor remembers which instance prompted the edit. Editor windows are repainted before returning. Throws when the GameObject cannot be resolved or the stage fails to open.

How to Call

unity-mcp-cli run-tool assets-prefab-open --input '{
  "gameObjectRef": "string_value"
}'

For complex input (multi-line strings, code), save the JSON to a file and use:

unity-mcp-cli run-tool assets-prefab-open --input-file args.json

Or pipe via stdin (recommended):

unity-mcp-cli run-tool assets-prefab-open --input-file - <<'EOF'
{"param": "value"}
EOF

Troubleshooting

If unity-mcp-cli is not found, either install it globally (npm install -g unity-mcp-cli) or use npx unity-mcp-cli instead. Read the /unity-initial-setup skill for detailed installation instructions.

Input

Name	Type	Required	Description
gameObjectRef	any	Yes	GameObject that represents prefab instance of an original prefab GameObject.

Input JSON Schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "gameObjectRef": {
      "$ref": "#/$defs/AIGD.GameObjectRef"
    }
  },
  "$defs": {
    "System.Type": {
      "type": "string"
    },
    "AIGD.GameObjectRef": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "instanceID": {
          "type": "integer",
          "description": "instanceID of the UnityEngine.Object. If it is '0' and 'path', 'name', 'assetPath' and 'assetGuid' is not provided, empty or null, then it will be used as 'null'. Priority: 1 (Recommended)"
        },
        "path": {
          "type": "string",
          "description": "Path of a GameObject in the hierarchy Sample 'character/hand/finger/particle'. Priority: 2."
        },
        "name": {
          "type": "string",
          "description": "Name of a GameObject in hierarchy. Priority: 3."
        },
        "assetType": {
          "$ref": "#/$defs/System.Type",
          "description": "Type of the asset."
        },
        "assetPath": {
          "type": "string",
          "description": "Path to the asset within the project. Starts with 'Assets/'"
        },
        "assetGuid": {
          "type": "string",
          "description": "Unique identifier for the asset."
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "instanceID"
      ],
      "description": "Find GameObject in opened Prefab or in the active Scene."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "gameObjectRef"
  ]
}

Output

This tool does not return structured output.