# Select layer inside a group inside artboard

**URL:** https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/t/select-layer-inside-a-group-inside-artboard/3908
**Category:** UXP Plugin API
**Created:** [November 18, 2021, 9:23am UTC](https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/t/select-layer-inside-a-group-inside-artboard/3908 "2021-11-18T09:23:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mateszkom](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/mateszkom/32/1580_2.png) [@mateszkom](https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/u/mateszkom)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2021, 9:23am UTC](https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/t/select-layer-inside-a-group-inside-artboard/3908/1 "2021-11-18T09:23:28Z")

</div>

Hi. I am trying to select specific layer inside an artboard but when the layer is inside a group i can’t select it.

```auto
  for(layer of app.activeDocument.artboards[0].children){
if (layer.name == name) {
    layer.selected = true
}}

```

I think i could somehow extract children from the group, from like **app.activeDocument.artboards[0].children[0].children**  
but I don’t know how to implement to work properly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![simonhenke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/simonhenke/32/957_2.png) [@simonhenke](https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/u/simonhenke)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2021, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.creativeclouddeveloper.com/t/select-layer-inside-a-group-inside-artboard/3908/2 "2021-11-18T10:26:09Z")

</div>

Indeed, with your approach you’d have to check for the layers type and if it’s a group, iterate its children to find the layer.

However, in regards to performance that’s not really a great solution. Unfortunately the DOM API currently doesn’t provide much functionality for selecting layers.

Via BatchPlay, it’s super easy to select a layer by name, here’s the descriptor:

```auto
{
    _obj: 'select',
    _target: { _ref: 'layer', _name:*name* },
}

```