diff --git a/client/ayon_core/tools/publisher/widgets/card_view_widgets.py b/client/ayon_core/tools/publisher/widgets/card_view_widgets.py
index 238f270f1f..e3e8a98ad5 100644
--- a/client/ayon_core/tools/publisher/widgets/card_view_widgets.py
+++ b/client/ayon_core/tools/publisher/widgets/card_view_widgets.py
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ class InstanceCardView(AbstractInstanceView):
                 group_by_instance_id[instance.id] = group_name
                 instance_ids_by_group_name[group_name].append(instance.id)
 
-            self._update_instances(
+            self._update_instance_widgets(
                 group_name,
                 instances,
                 context_info_by_id,
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ class InstanceCardView(AbstractInstanceView):
             return True
         return False
 
-    def _update_instances(
+    def _update_instance_widgets(
         self,
         group_name: str,
         instances: list[InstanceItem],
@@ -905,7 +905,6 @@ class InstanceCardView(AbstractInstanceView):
                     add_children = (
                         is_parent_active is not widget.is_parent_active()
                     )
-
                     if instance_id in available_ids:
                         available_ids.discard(instance_id)
                         widget.update_instance(
@@ -914,15 +913,11 @@ class InstanceCardView(AbstractInstanceView):
                             is_parent_active,
                         )
                     else:
-                        # TODO implement 'set_parent_active'
                         widget.set_parent_active(is_parent_active)
 
                     instance_ids.discard(instance_id)
                     discarted_ids.add(instance_id)
 
-                if not instance_ids:
-                    break
-
                 if not add_children:
                     continue
 
@@ -934,8 +929,12 @@ class InstanceCardView(AbstractInstanceView):
                 }
 
                 if children:
+                    instance_ids |= children
                     _queue.append((children, widget.is_active()))
 
+                if not instance_ids:
+                    break
+
     def _on_active_changed(self, instance_id, value):
         instance_widget = self._widgets_by_id[instance_id]
         active_state_by_id = {}