Figma Code Connect

Step 1: Parse the Figma URL

Extract fileKey and nodeId from the URL:

Always convert nodeId hyphens to colons: 1234-5678 → 1234:5678.

Worked example:

Given: https://www.figma.com/design/QiEF6w564ggoW8ftcLvdcu/MyDesignSystem?node-id=4185-3778

• fileKey = QiEF6w564ggoW8ftcLvdcu
• nodeId = 4185-3778 → 4185:3778

Step 2: Discover Unmapped Components

The user may provide a URL pointing to a frame, instance, or variant — not necessarily a component set or standalone component. Call the MCP tool get_code_connect_suggestions with:

• fileKey — from Step 1
• nodeId — from Step 1 (colons format)
• excludeMappingPrompt — true (returns a lightweight list of unmapped components)

This tool identifies published components in the selection that don't yet have Code Connect mappings.

Handle the response:

• "No published components found in this selection" — the node contains no published components. Inform the user they need to publish the component to a team library in Figma first, then stop.
• "All component instances in this selection are already connected to code via Code Connect" — everything is already mapped. Inform the user and stop.
• Normal response with component list — extract the mainComponentNodeId for each returned component. Use these resolved node IDs (not the original from the URL) for all subsequent steps. If multiple components are returned (e.g. the user selected a frame containing several different component instances), repeat Steps 3–6 for each one.

Step 3: Fetch Component Properties

Call the MCP tool get_context_for_code_connect with:

• fileKey — from Step 1
• nodeId — the resolved mainComponentNodeId from Step 2
• clientFrameworks — determine from figma.config.json parser field (e.g. "react" → ["react"])
• clientLanguages — infer from project file extensions (e.g. TypeScript project → ["typescript"], JavaScript → ["javascript"])

For multiple components, call the tool once per node ID.

The response contains the Figma component's property definitions — note each property's name and type:

• TEXT — text content (labels, titles, placeholders)
• BOOLEAN — toggles (show/hide icon, disabled state)
• VARIANT — enum options (size, variant, state)
• INSTANCE_SWAP — swappable component slots (icon, avatar)

Save this property list — you will use it in Step 5 to write the template.

Step 4: Identify the Code Component

If the user did not specify which code component to connect:

1. Check figma.config.json for paths and importPaths to find where components live
2. Search the codebase for a component matching the Figma component name. Check common directories (src/components/, components/, lib/ui/, app/components/) if figma.config.json doesn't specify paths
3. Read candidate files and compare their props interface against the Figma properties from Step 3 — look for matching variant types, size options, boolean flags, and slot props
4. If multiple candidates match, pick the one with the closest prop-interface match and explain your reasoning to the user
5. If no match is found, show the 2 closest candidates and ask the user to confirm or provide the correct path

Confirm with the user before proceeding to Step 5. Present the match: which code component you found, where it lives, and why it matches (prop correspondence, naming, purpose).

Read figma.config.json for import path aliases — the importPaths section maps glob patterns to import specifiers, and the paths section maps those specifiers to directories.

Read the code component's source to understand its props interface — this informs how to map Figma properties to code props in Step 5.

Step 5: Create the Parserless Template (.figma.js)

File location

Place the file alongside existing Code Connect templates (.figma.tsx or .figma.js files). Check figma.config.json include patterns for the correct directory. Name it ComponentName.figma.js.

Template structure

Every parserless template follows this structure:

// url=https://www.figma.com/file/{fileKey}/{fileName}?node-id={nodeId}
// source={path to code component from Step 4}
// component={code component name from Step 4}
const figma = require('figma')
const instance = figma.selectedInstance

// Extract properties from the Figma component (see property mapping below)
// ...

export default {
  example: figma.tsx`<Component ... />`,       // Required: code snippet
  imports: ['import { Component } from "..."'], // Optional: import statements
  id: 'component-name',                         // Required: unique identifier
  metadata: {                                    // Optional
    nestable: true,                              // true = inline in parent, false = show as pill
    props: {}                                    // data accessible to parent templates
  }
}

Property mapping

Use the property list from Step 3 to extract values. For each Figma property type, use the corresponding method:

TEXT — get the string value directly:

const label = instance.getString('Label')

VARIANT — map Figma enum values to code values:

const variant = instance.getEnum('Variant', {
  'Primary': 'primary',
  'Secondary': 'secondary',
})

const size = instance.getEnum('Size', {
  'Small': 'sm',
  'Medium': 'md',
  'Large': 'lg',
})

BOOLEAN — simple boolean or mapped to values:

// Simple boolean
const disabled = instance.getBoolean('Disabled')

// Mapped to code values
const hasIcon = instance.getBoolean('Has Icon', {
  true: figma.tsx`<Icon />`,
  false: undefined,
})

INSTANCE_SWAP — access swappable component instances:

const icon = instance.getInstanceSwap('Icon')
let iconCode
if (icon && icon.hasCodeConnect()) {
  iconCode = icon.executeTemplate().example
}

Interpolation in tagged templates

When interpolating values in tagged templates, use the correct wrapping:

• String values (getString, getEnum, textContent): wrap in quotes → variant="${variant}"
• Instance/section values (executeTemplate().example): wrap in braces → icon={${iconCode}}
• Boolean bare props: use conditional → ${disabled ? 'disabled' : ''}

Finding descendant layers

When you need to access children that aren't exposed as component properties:

Nested component example

For multi-level nested components or metadata prop passing between templates, see advanced-patterns.md.

const icon = instance.getInstanceSwap('Icon')
let iconSnippet
if (icon && icon.hasCodeConnect()) {
  iconSnippet = icon.executeTemplate().example
}

export default {
  example: figma.tsx`<Button ${iconSnippet ? figma.tsx`icon={${iconSnippet}}` : ''}>${label}</Button>`,
  // ...
}

Conditional props

const variant = instance.getEnum('Variant', { 'Primary': 'primary', 'Secondary': 'secondary' })
const disabled = instance.getBoolean('Disabled')

export default {
  example: figma.tsx`
    <Button
      variant="${variant}"
      ${disabled ? 'disabled' : ''}
    >
      ${label}
    </Button>
  `,
  // ...
}

Tagged template literals

Use the tagged template matching your target language:

Step 6: Validate

Read back the .figma.js file and review it against the following:

• Property coverage — every Figma property from Step 3 should be accounted for in the template. Flag any that are missing and ask the user if they were intentionally omitted.
• Rules and Pitfalls — check for the common mistakes listed below (string concatenation of template results, missing hasCodeConnect() guards, missing type === 'INSTANCE' checks, etc.)
• Interpolation wrapping — strings (getString, getEnum, textContent) wrapped in quotes, instance/section values (executeTemplate().example) wrapped in braces, booleans using conditionals
• Tagged template — confirm it matches the project's framework (e.g. figma.tsx for React, not figma.code)

If anything looks uncertain, consult api.md for API details and advanced-patterns.md for complex nesting.

Inline Quick Reference

instance.* Methods

InstanceHandle Methods

TextHandle Properties

SelectorOptions

{ path?: string[], traverseInstances?: boolean }

Export Structure

export default {
  example: figma.tsx`...`,                      // Required: ResultSection[]
  id: 'component-name',                         // Required: string
  imports: ['import { X } from "..."'],          // Optional: string[]
  metadata: { nestable: true, props: {} }        // Optional
}

Tagged Template Types

Rules and Pitfalls

1. Never string-concatenate template results. executeTemplate().example is a ResultSection[] object, not a string. Using + or .join() produces [object Object]. Always interpolate inside tagged templates: figma.tsx`${snippet1}${snippet2}`

2. Always check hasCodeConnect() before executeTemplate(). Calling executeTemplate() on an instance without Code Connect returns an error section.

3. Check type === 'INSTANCE' before calling hasCodeConnect(). findInstance(), findConnectedInstance(), and findText() return an ErrorHandle (truthy, but lacking hasCodeConnect()) on failure — not null. Add a type check to avoid crashes: if (child && child.type === 'INSTANCE' && child.hasCodeConnect()) { ... }

4. Prefer getInstanceSwap() over findInstance() when a component property exists for the slot. findInstance('Star Icon') breaks when the icon is swapped to a different name; getInstanceSwap('Icon') always works regardless of which instance is in the slot.

5. Property names are case-sensitive and must exactly match what get_context_for_code_connect returns.

6. Use the correct tagged template for the target language (figma.tsx for React, figma.html for HTML, etc.). Avoid figma.code when a specific one is available.

7. Handle multiple template arrays correctly. When iterating over children, set each result in a separate variable and interpolate them individually — do not use .map().join():

   // Wrong:
   items.map(n => n.executeTemplate().example).join('\n')
   
   // Correct — use separate variables:
   const child1 = items[0]?.executeTemplate().example
   const child2 = items[1]?.executeTemplate().example
   export default { example: figma.tsx`${child1}${child2}` }
   

Complete Worked Example

Given URL: https://figma.com/design/abc123/MyFile?node-id=42-100

Step 1: Parse the URL.

• fileKey = abc123
• nodeId = 42-100 → 42:100

Step 2: Call get_code_connect_suggestions with fileKey: "abc123", nodeId: "42:100", excludeMappingPrompt: true. Response returns one component with mainComponentNodeId: "42:100". If the response were empty, stop and inform the user. If multiple components were returned, repeat Steps 3–6 for each.

Step 3: Call get_context_for_code_connect with fileKey: "abc123", nodeId: "42:100" (from Step 2), clientFrameworks: ["react"], clientLanguages: ["typescript"].

Response includes properties:

• Label (TEXT)
• Variant (VARIANT): Primary, Secondary
• Size (VARIANT): Small, Medium, Large
• Disabled (BOOLEAN)
• Has Icon (BOOLEAN)
• Icon (INSTANCE_SWAP)

Step 4: Search codebase → find Button component. Read its source to confirm props: variant, size, disabled, icon, children. Import path: "primitives".

Step 5: Create src/figma/primitives/Button.figma.js:

// url=https://figma.com/design/abc123/MyFile?node-id=42-100
// source=src/components/Button.tsx
// component=Button
const figma = require('figma')
const instance = figma.selectedInstance

const label = instance.getString('Label')
const variant = instance.getEnum('Variant', {
  'Primary': 'primary',
  'Secondary': 'secondary',
})
const size = instance.getEnum('Size', {
  'Small': 'sm',
  'Medium': 'md',
  'Large': 'lg',
})
const disabled = instance.getBoolean('Disabled')
const hasIcon = instance.getBoolean('Has Icon')
const icon = hasIcon ? instance.getInstanceSwap('Icon') : null
let iconCode
if (icon && icon.hasCodeConnect()) {
  iconCode = icon.executeTemplate().example
}

export default {
  example: figma.tsx`
    <Button
      variant="${variant}"
      size="${size}"
      ${disabled ? 'disabled' : ''}
      ${iconCode ? figma.tsx`icon={${iconCode}}` : ''}
    >
      ${label}
    </Button>
  `,
  imports: ['import { Button } from "primitives"'],
  id: 'button',
  metadata: { nestable: true }
}

Step 6: Read back file to verify syntax.

Additional Reference

For advanced patterns (multi-level nested components, findConnectedInstances filtering, metadata prop passing between parent/child templates):

• api.md — Full Code Connect API reference
• advanced-patterns.md — Advanced nesting, metadata props, and descendant patterns