Figma to Framer Tutorial

Framer originally stemmed from Framer.js — a powerful tool focused on interactive prototype development that once stood alongside Figma as a leading solution in the prototyping field. Because of this, Framer shares a highly compatible technical foundation with Figma in terms of design language and interaction logic. It is on this deep connection that the Framer team built a complete, efficient workflow to help designers seamlessly migrate interface elements from Figma to the Framer platform for visual refinement and enhanced interactivity.

If you are a creator with UI/UX design experience, the transition from Figma to Framer comes with almost no learning curve. It not only saves you significant time otherwise spent rebuilding interfaces but also lets you leverage Framer’s responsive layouts and animation capabilities to further unleash your design creativity and expressiveness. This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to import your Figma designs into Framer, helping you quickly start your Framer website building journey.

1 The Prerequisites for Figma to Framer

Before officially starting to import Figma designs into Framer, we must clarify a key prerequisite: not all Figma projects can be directly migrated. This process requires certain user permissions, which beginners often overlook, leading to migration failures or missing components.

1). You Must Have “Edit” Access to the Project

One of the core requirements for successfully migrating Figma elements to Framer is having full edit access to the Figma project. This doesn’t mean you must be the project creator or original designer, but you need to be at least a collaborator with edit-level access.

Only with edit permissions can Framer call the relevant APIs, load the layer structure within the Figma project, and perform operations such as exporting and reading components. Read-only access cannot trigger the necessary plugin functions and therefore cannot complete the migration process.

The following sections of this tutorial will explain in detail how to use the officially recommended plugin “Figma to HTML with Framer” to carry out the interface migration. However, please note: this plugin’s functionality also depends on your permissions for the current Figma project. If you don’t have sufficient authorization, right-clicking on elements in the Figma project will not show the “Plugins” option.

Tip: If you are a team collaborator, please confirm that the project owner has assigned you “edit” permissions or added you as a project co-owner.

2). Please Use Framer in the Browser, Avoid Using the Desktop App

Another often overlooked prerequisite is to prioritize using the browser version of Framer (https://framer.com) for operations, rather than the Windows desktop app.

Although Framer provides a Windows desktop app, in the current version, some plugin-related data communications—especially the data bridging with the Figma plugin—may not be fully supported on the desktop, resulting in element migration failures or loss of page structure. This is mainly due to differences in permissions and API calls between the desktop app’s runtime environment and the browser.

It is recommended to log in and use Framer through modern browsers such as Chrome, Edge, or Safari to ensure smooth data transmission and maximize compatibility with the “Figma to HTML with Framer” plugin.

3 Running the Figma to HTML with Framer Plugin in Figma

To successfully import interface elements from a Figma design into Framer, you must first run the dedicated plugin “Figma to HTML with Framer” within Figma. This plugin is officially recommended by Framer as an intermediary tool—it translates the layer structure into HTML format, preparing it for import into Framer.

1). Activation Required via Plugin Manager Before First Use

Before using the plugin for the first time, you need to select elements in Figma, right-click, and then navigate through the menu as shown in the image above: Plugins > Manage Plugins to enter the plugin management interface.

In the Manage Plugins interface, search for and install the “Figma to HTML with Framer” plugin. After installation, be sure to manually run the plugin once to activate the connection with the current Figma project. This step is a crucial preparation for copying design elements to Framer and cannot be skipped. If you have never run this plugin, Framer will not be able to correctly recognize the imported content, even if you have editing permissions for the project.

4 How to Use Figma to Framer

Once you've completed the plugin installation and initial setup, you can officially start importing design elements from Figma into your Framer project. The process is quite intuitive—almost as simple as the familiar copy-and-paste workflow we use every day.

1). Log In to Framer and Open the Target Project

First, open your browser and go to the official Framer website, then log in to your account. Next, navigate to the specific project where you want to import the content. It's recommended to create a blank page or section in Framer in advance to receive the components copied from Figma.

Tip: Using Framer in a browser ensures the best compatibility and stable plugin integration.

2). Copy Elements One by One in Figma

After launching the “Figma to HTML with Framer” plugin, an operation panel will appear. In this panel, select the individual object you want to export (such as a button, component, or section), then click the “Copy to Clipboard” button. This action will copy the object's structure and styles as an HTML snippet that Framer can recognize. However, keep the following two points in mind during this process:

• Avoid selecting the entire artboard or multiple objects at once, as this may cause Framer to misinterpret layers or styles during the import.

• It’s recommended to migrate objects one at a time: copy a single object → switch to Framer and paste → make adjustments → return to Figma to copy the next one.

3). Switch to Framer and Paste the Content

Return to your Framer project, click on a blank area of the page, and press Ctrl+V to paste the content. The component will be automatically translated into responsive HTML and CSS within Framer, preserving most of the original layer structure and styles.

(1). Fine-Tuning and Optimization Tips

Although the plugin efficiently preserves the basic design structure, the imported content may still require manual adjustments, such as:

• Adjust responsive layout breakpoints or layer hierarchy

• Replace fonts and color variables with those defined in Framer design system

• Reapply interactive animations or link settings

Tip: If you want to build a component library–level system, it’s recommended to name each component immediately after pasting and organize them into Framer components panel for easy reuse and future maintenance.

Conclusion

Through this tutorial, we have completed the step-by-step design migration process from Figma to Framer. You have not only learned how to install and run the plugin but also understood permission settings, key operational points, and how to avoid common issues. The core of this workflow lies in understanding the structural compatibility between Framer and Figma and leveraging the official bridging tool to achieve efficient and smooth interface reuse. Whether you are a designer looking to quickly validate interaction designs or a developer aiming to implement high-fidelity interfaces into complete web pages, mastering this workflow will significantly improve your productivity.

If you want to achieve more professional web development, brand visual presentation, or component system building on Framer, feel free to contact Jane Framer Studio. We specialize in delivering Framer website solutions with high conversion rates and strong visual impact.