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How Do I Find Out Which LEGO Pieces Are Missing?

To find out which pieces a LEGO set is missing, check the pieces you have against the set's complete parts list, marking off each one until only the gaps remain. This is essential when you've bought a used or bulk lot and want to rebuild the set, complete it, or sell it as complete — and it's far faster with an inventory than with the instructions.

Here's how it's usually done.

Sort against the instructions

Build the set following the instructions and note anything you run out of.

• Good for: sets you intend to build anyway.
• Falls down on: instructions show steps, not a tidy inventory. You only discover a missing piece when you reach the step that needs it, and counting spares and duplicates is fiddly.

Tick off a printed parts list

Print the set's full inventory and check pieces against it by hand.

• Good for: a complete, accurate count without building.
• Falls down on: a long set has hundreds of lines. Keeping a paper tally across several sessions, and re-totalling what's still missing, is slow and easy to lose track of.

The easy way: Afolio's parts checklist

Every set in Afolio has a built-in parts checklist — the complete inventory of that set, with images, ready to tick off. It's available for every set in your collection on both the free and Pro tiers. Select a set, open the Inventory tab, and click Parts Checklist; it opens in its own window so you can work alongside the app.

As you sort, tap + and − to log how many of each piece you have. A completion ring shows your overall progress. To find the gaps fast, you can:

• Filter to "Missing only" so only the pieces you still need are shown
• Filter by colour or category, or search by name or number, to sort a pile efficiently
• Group by colour or category to match how you've sorted your bricks physically
• Click any part image to enlarge it, and right-click to copy its part number

Minifigure parts are included, and if a set has two of the same minifig the quantities are doubled for you.

Can I print a list of the missing pieces?

Yes. When you're done counting, click Print Missing Parts and Afolio generates a formatted list of everything you still need — with part images, names, colours, and quantities. Take it to a LEGO store's pick-a-brick wall, or use the part numbers to order the exact pieces from a marketplace online.

Not sure which set the loose pile even belongs to? Start with how to identify a LEGO set. Stuck on a single mystery piece? See how to identify a LEGO part.

Written by the Afolio team — practical guides from the makers of Afolio, the native Mac and iOS app for tracking a LEGO collection.

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