How to link cartridges in Design Space – Help Center

Edited: November 26, 2025

Cricut smart cutting machines were designed to work with Design Space, our free, easy-to-use design software, but you can still use your physical cartridge content in Design Space with these machines by linking cartridges to your account. Follow the step-by-step instructions below.

How to link cartridges
Troubleshooting

How to link cartridges

What you need:

Cricut Explore Air 2 (or older) machine*
Cricut Design Space software on a compatible Windows or Mac computer**
USB cable (for best results)
Cricut cartridge

*Newer machine models do not have a cartridge port, and Cricut Cartridge Adapter is no longer supported.

**Cartridge linking is not supported on the Design Space apps for iOS or Android.

Steps:

Sign in to Design Space on a Windows or Mac computer.
Ensure your Cricut Explore machine (Air 2 or older) is powered on and connected to your computer via USB cable.
Click the machine icon in the top right of the screen and select your machine from the list.
Select the Settings icon. Then, select Link Cartridges.
Following the onscreen prompts, insert your cartridge into the cartridge port on the machine, near the Open button.
After a few moments, Design Space will detect the cartridge, and the Link Cartridges button will be enabled. Click Link Cartridges.
Design Space will tell you when the link is complete. Remove the cartridge from the machine. Then, you can continue to link other cartridges, view your cartridges (image sets) in Design Space, or click the X in the upper right corner of the window to continue working in Design Space.

Important: If you previously linked cartridges to your account through the Cricut Craft Room software, they are automatically available in your Design Space account under the same Cricut ID that you used to link them. If your cartridges are linked to a Cricut Gypsy device, contact Member Care for assistance.

Note: If you receive any errors when linking cartridges, follow the steps in the troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting

I don't have a machine with a cartridge port

If your Cricut machine does not have a cartridge port and you need to link cartridges to your account, contact Member Care for assistance.

Cartridge already linked

Has your cartridge already been linked to a Gypsy device? If so, to transfer cartridges from your Gypsy to your Cricut account so that you can use them in Design Space, contact Member Care for assistance. Cartridges that were previously linked to your account through the Cricut Craft Room software are automatically available in Design Space under the same Cricut ID that you used to link the cartridge. If your cartridge has not previously been linked to a Gypsy device, proceed to step 2.
Was your cartridge purchased used? If so, it is possible that the former owner has already linked that cartridge to their account. Due to copyright and licensing laws and agreements, cartridges can only be linked one time, and cannot be unlinked, so we cannot guarantee that pre-owned cartridges will be able to link to your account. If your cartridge was not purchased used, proceed to step 3.
If your cartridge has not been linked to a Gypsy device and was purchased brand new, collect a picture of your proof-of-purchase (receipt or online order confirmation) and contact Member Care for assistance adding that cartridge to your account.

Cartridge Not Recognized

Ensure that you have completed the New Product Setup process for your Cricut Explore Air 2 (or older). If you haven't or are unsure, you can quickly do this through the Design Space menu > Settings > Machine > New Product Setup, or by going to https://design/cricut.com/setup. If more help is needed, proceed to step 2.
Ensure that you are attempting to complete the cartridge linking process through a Windows or Mac computer — cartridge linking is not supported in the mobile apps. If you are using a Windows or Mac computer and receiving this error, proceed to step 3.
Check to see if there is a firmware update available for your Cricut Explore Air 2 (or older) machine. If there are no updates available, proceed to step 4.
Contact Member Care to find out if there is a known issue with linking that cartridge. For instance, the first cartridge we released, George and Basic Shapes, has difficulty linking and must be added manually by Member Care in most cases. If there is no known issue, proceed to step 5.
Has your cartridge already been linked to a Gypsy device? If so, in order to transfer cartridges from your Gypsy to your Cricut account so that you can use them in Design Space, contact Member Care for assistance. Cartridges that were previously linked to your account through the Cricut Craft Room software are automatically available in Design Space under the same Cricut ID that you used to link the cartridge. If your cartridge has not previously been linked to a Gypsy device, proceed to step 6.
Attempt to link another cartridge. If that cartridge links without a problem, you now know it's not an issue with the cartridge port on the machine. Contact Member Care for assistance adding the original cartridge to your account.
Was your cartridge purchased used? If so, it is possible that the former owner has already linked that cartridge to their account. Due to copyright and licensing laws and agreements, cartridges can only be linked one time, and cannot be unlinked, so we cannot guarantee that pre-owned cartridges will be able to link to your account. If your cartridge was not purchased used, collect a picture of your proof-of-purchase (receipt or online order confirmation) and contact Member Care for assistance adding that cartridge to your account.

Nothing happens when I try to link my cartridge

Ensure that you are following the steps above to link your cartridges.
If you still experience trouble after completing those steps, please contact Member Care for further assistance.

Important: Cartridges can be linked only once and cannot be unlinked. If your cartridge was pre-owned, we cannot guarantee that it can be linked to your account. You can still use those cartridges with stand-alone machines like Cricut Expression, Cricut Personal, etc.

How To