Is it possible to embed Adobe Illustrator files into each other with automatic updates?

Question

Adobe

I draw website pages in Adobe Illustrator. Each layout in a separate file: index.ai, posts-list.ai, post.ai, ... (several dozen files). In layouts, many large elements have to be duplicated, for example: a header with a main menu, a site footer, a list of comments, etc. If something changes in these repeating elements, then they have to be updated in all files, which is tiring.
Is it possible to take these repeating parts into separate files and include/embed them in other files?
I'm also happy to consider alternative editors.
Most likely, many will tell me that no one does this. That at first they approve and agree on one layout, and only then they begin to calmly copy-paste to other pages.

Answer 1

I am immensely surprised, but what does not suit the standard method: to place files with individual elements in the layout? Elements are edited as many times as you like, and when you save, the illustrator automatically asks if they need to be updated in the layout file. If something went wrong, you can always see the changed files in the link panel and update them manually
.

Answer 2

There is such a useful thing in illustrator as symbols. I make the header, footer, buttons and other UI elements with symbols. And, when necessary, I change only the symbol. All instances change automatically.
And I group the pages according to the hierarchy. For example, in the blog file I have a blog feed page and the actual content of a separate article, and in the company file I have pages about, contacts, our team, testimonials, etc. In general, I create a file of the same name with the first-level menu item and in it on separate pages sub-items of this menu (if any). True, with a complex hierarchy of pages, you still have to produce a bunch of pages. But, nevertheless, when copying instances to new files, they are automatically added to the symbol library. Only in case of changing objects, you still have to copy-paste the updated symbol into each file.
And as Const V said , unembed images can be used too.
By the way, in terms of colors, the illustration is also convenient. You can export a library of color swatches, make them global (by changing the global color, you can recolor all objects that have this color assigned).

Answer 3

There is something similar in QuarkXPress - when you change the source of photos (pictures) that are inserted into the layout, they change in all places where they are.