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Let ${\lambda }_A:GF(A)\to Z$ be the given cocone under a diagram. For $B\in \mathcal{D}$, choose an object $(A,u:B\to FA)$ of the comma category $(B\downarrow F)$ and defineSuch a choice exists because $F$ is a final functor. If $a:A\to A^{\prime }$ gives a morphism $(A,u)\to (A^{\prime },u^{\prime })$, so $F(a)u=u^{\prime }$, the cocone relation givesThe connected category condition makes the result independent of the choice along any zigzag.

For $v:B\to B^{\prime }$, choose $(A,u:B^{\prime }\to FA)$; then $(A,uv)$ is available for $B$, giving ${\bar{\lambda }}_B={\bar{\lambda }}_{B^{\prime }}G(v)$. Thus the maps form a cocone under a diagram on $G$. Choosing $(A,1_{FA})$ shows that restriction recovers ${\lambda }_A$. Any extension must satisfy ${\bar{\lambda }}_B={\bar{\lambda }}_{FA}G(u)={\lambda }_{A}G(u)$, proving uniqueness. This is cocone extension along a final functor.

If $GF$ has a colimit, extend its universal cocone in this way. Every cocone on $G$ restricts to one on $GF$, factors uniquely through that colimit, and then agrees with its extension by uniqueness. Hence the same vertex is a colimit of $G$. In particular,and existence of all $\mathcal{C}$-shaped colimits in $\mathcal{E}$ implies existence of all $\mathcal{D}$-shaped colimits.

A cocone under a diagram $D:\mathcal{J}\to \mathcal{C}$ with vertex $X$ is a natural family ${\lambda }_j:Dj\to X$, so ${\lambda }_{k}D(u)={\lambda }_j$ for every $u:j\to k$. A colimit of $D$ is an initial such cocone: for every cocone $\lambda :D\Rightarrow \Delta X$, there is a unique $h:\mathrm{colim}D\to X$ with $h{\iota }_j={\lambda }_j$ for all $j$.

Let $F:\mathcal{I}\to \mathcal{J}$ be a final functor and let ${\lambda }_i:D(Fi)\to X$ be a cocone under $DF$. For each $j$, choose an object $(i,u:j\to Fi)$ of the nonempty comma category $(j\downarrow F)$ and defineA morphism $(i,u)\to (i^{\prime },u^{\prime })$ in the comma category gives $F(v)u=u^{\prime }$, and the cocone identity shows that the two resulting maps are equal. Because $(j\downarrow F)$ is a connected category, a zigzag proves independence of the chosen object. The same construction applied after a morphism $j\to k$ proves naturality, so $\bar{\lambda }$ is a cocone. Any extension must have this value because it must satisfy the cocone identity along $u$, proving uniqueness. This is cocone extension along a final functor.

If $L$ is a colimit of $DF$, its universal cocone extends uniquely to $D$. Restriction and extension give mutually inverse correspondences between cocones from $D$ and from $DF$, so the extended cocone is a colimit of $D$. Therefore the existence of all colimits of shape $\mathcal{I}$ implies the required colimits of shape $\mathcal{J}$.

Now suppose $\mathcal{J}$ is a sifted category. For $D,E:\mathcal{J}\to \mathbf{Set}$, the product functor $-\times A$ is a left adjoint, so it preserves colimits. Applying this once in each variable givesThe diagonal $\Delta :\mathcal{J}\to \mathcal{J}\times \mathcal{J}$ is final, so the right side isThus ${\mathrm{colim}}_{\mathcal{J}}$ preserves binary products in a category. Since $\mathcal{J}$ is connected, the colimit of the constant singleton diagram is a singleton, so it also preserves the terminal object. It therefore preserves finite products.