Framer Site Editor Interface: Feature Usage Guide

This tutorial is specifically designed for beginners who are just getting started with website design and development in Framer. Its goal is to help you quickly understand the foundational concepts of site building within a Framer project. We'll begin by exploring the overall project interface and gradually break down the functions and roles of each key panel, including the top toolbar, the left-hand page navigator, the central canvas area, and the right-hand properties panel. Through this structured walkthrough, you'll gain a solid understanding of Framer’s core operations and basic configuration options within the site-building workflow. Whether you're using Framer for the first time or looking to organize your understanding of its structure, this guide is an ideal starting point for your journey.

Using the Tools in the Top Toolbar of the Framer Editor Interface

In the Framer editor interface, the top toolbar integrates all core operations and feature access points, covering key areas such as project navigation, component insertion, site localization, settings, analytics, preview, and publishing. These tools are arranged in a left-to-right order: the left side focuses more on design and structural building functions, while the right side is primarily dedicated to site configuration, collaboration, and publication management.

To help you quickly understand the purpose of each button, we’ll walk through the tools and feature entries in the top toolbar from left to right.

1 Left Side of the Framer Top Toolbar: Design and Structure Tools Section

1). Framer Main Menu (Framer Icon)

On the far left is the Framer main menu button, presented as the brand icon with a small downward arrow. Clicking it reveals a dropdown menu that provides access to Framer project navigation options and system functions. This menu allows you to quickly access project-level actions and platform services, serving as a fundamental navigation entry point when using Framer.

2). Insert

Next to the Framer main menu button is the Insert tool. This serves as the gateway to Framer’s native component library. When clicked, it expands a panel where you can quickly drag and drop a wide range of preset modules. Framer organizes all components into clear functional groups, making it easy for users to locate what they need. For example, if you're building a navigation bar, you can find relevant components under the Navigation category; if you're designing a menu structure, simply browse the Menu section.

Additionally, the Icons group includes a variety of commonly used icons, Media offers modules for displaying images and videos, and Forms contains form components such as input fields and buttons. To enhance user interaction, you can explore the Interactive category for dynamic elements; in the Social section, you’ll find buttons and icons related to social media platforms.

For development support or structural layout, the Utility category includes useful modules like Code Block and Embed. Lastly, if you're looking to add more creative visual elements, the Creative group features components with unique styles and animated effects, perfect for enhancing the visual appeal of your pages.

With the Insert tool, Framer modularizes the website-building process even further, enabling designers to efficiently construct a wide range of page structures.

1 Right Side of the Framer Top Toolbar: Configuration, Collaboration, and Publishing Controls Section

1). Collaboration Members Display and Permission Settings

The first item on the right side is the avatar display area for current project collaborators or visitors. Clicking the avatar allows you to view the list of collaborators, adjust their access permissions, or invite new members to join. For team-based projects, this feature greatly enhances communication efficiency and role management.

2). Localization

To the right of the avatars is a globe icon, which serves as the entry point to the site localization settings. This feature is crucial for international sites targeting multilingual users. Through it, you can:

• Add and manage multiple language versions

• Set the default language and regional formats

• Configure hreflang tags

• Edit content for pages in different languages

3). Site Settings

Located next to the localization button is the site settings button. Clicking it will take you to the settings interface for the Framer website, where you can complete the following tasks:

• Custom domain binding

• SEO configuration (Meta tags, Open Graph, etc.)

• Site icon upload (Favicon)

• Writing and managing Custom Code

• Cookie consent and privacy settings

These settings directly impact the quality of your website’s publication and the user experience.

4). Data Analytics Access

Moving further to the right is the entry point to the site analytics interface. Through this button, you can access Framer’s integrated data tracking panel to view:

• Visitor numbers and traffic sources

• Browsing behavior paths

• Devices used by visitors

5). Preview Button

This is one of the most frequently used features during the editing process. When you click this button, Framer switches the current interface to a browser-like preview window, showing how the website will appear in a real browser. It supports responsive previews and interaction testing.

6). Invite Button

The Invite button allows you to quickly invite team members, clients, or collaborators to join the current project. Framer supports flexible permission control, enabling you to define each user’s access level—such as editor, viewer, or developer.

7). Publish Button

The rightmost button on the top toolbar is the final Publish function. Clicking it will deploy your current project online and generate a publicly accessible site URL. You can also customize the domain before publishing or use the default subdomain provided by Framer for testing purposes.

Framer’s top toolbar is not only the central command hub of the interface, but also a one-stop gateway to all essential design, configuration, and publishing features. Becoming familiar with and efficiently using these buttons can significantly improve both your workflow and the professionalism of your website building process in Framer. For beginners, it's highly recommended to explore and experiment with these features early on and get comfortable with them based on real project needs.

Left Page Navigator in the Framer Editor Interface

The left page navigator in the Framer editor interface is a core area for managing pages, organizing layers, and referencing assets. Whether you're building the site structure, managing page hierarchies, or importing images and multimedia resources, this panel is essential to your workflow.

Located on the far left side of the editor interface, the navigator is divided into three main tabs: Pages (for page management), Layers (for layer control), and Assets (for asset management). Each tab serves a distinct function, and I’ll explain each one in detail below.

1 Pages: Center for Page Structure and Management

The Pages tab serves as the central hub for page control within a Framer project. It is primarily used for adding new pages, switching between page views, and configuring page properties. Every page you create in your project will appear here in a list format. The main functions of the Pages tab include:

1). Add New Page

Click the plus (+) icon at the top of the list to create a new page. You can choose to create a standard page, a CMS page, or designate it as a 404 page or other specific types.

2). Page Grouping and Hierarchy Management

You can adjust the page hierarchy by dragging and dropping page items, allowing you to create nested pages or grouped sections. This helps build a clear and logical site structure.

3). Page Property Configuration

Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the page name to open a dropdown menu with several action options. By selecting "Settings," you can quickly access the detailed settings for that page, allowing you to configure advanced options like SEO and social sharing images. The menu also includes a "Rename" option to easily change the page name, and "Duplicate" to create a new standalone page based on the current one—ideal for building page templates with similar structures. Additionally, you can use this menu to set the page as the site’s home page or convert it to a CMS page to support dynamic content management.

2 Layers: Layer and Component Structure Management

The Layers panel in Framer is equivalent to the layer tree in tools like Figma or Sketch. It displays the hierarchical structure of all components and elements on the current page. The main operations in the Layers tab include:

1). Layer Selection and Positioning

Clicking any layer will highlight the corresponding component on the canvas, making it easy to quickly locate, edit, and fine-tune its position.

2). Layer Renaming and Ordering

Double-click the layer name to rename it directly; drag and drop to change the layer order, which affects the component’s stacking order (Z-index).

3). Nested Structure Management

Supports viewing and editing nested components (such as Stacks or Text elements nested within a Frame), making it easier to understand the page structure and organize component combinations.

4). Element Identification

If a component uses Effects, Cursor interactions, or is bound to CMS data, corresponding labels will be displayed in the layer tree, making it easier to identify and debug data-driven components.

3 Assets: Resource Import and Management Panel

In the left navigation bar of the Framer editor, Assets is the area for managing all resources within your project, mainly including Components and Styles. Unlike traditional design tools where "Assets" often focus on image resource management, Framer’s Assets panel emphasizes the classification and reuse of design system elements.

The content in the Assets panel is displayed in a list and folder structure, and the system automatically categorizes assets based on their origin. For example, components you create manually are grouped under the Project category, while Framer’s native components fall under the Framer category.

Assets from the list can be dragged and dropped directly onto the canvas for reuse. When you edit a component’s configuration, changes automatically sync across all pages that reference that component.

The Styles section includes items like Colors and Text Styles, which help unify the visual expression throughout your project. Here, you can create global styles and reference them within components to achieve design consistency and centralized style management.

Additionally, the Assets panel supports component search, quick navigation, bulk operations, and structural adjustments. It is an essential organizational tool when building large websites or design system projects. Whether for component reuse, team collaboration, or style unification, the Assets panel is key to improving design efficiency and maintaining project standards.

Canvas Area in the Center of the Framer Editor Interface

The central canvas area is the core workspace of the Framer project interface and the main stage for page layout, component placement, and interaction design. Here, you can directly drag and drop components, edit content, set responsive breakpoints, and build and optimize pages through visual operations.

The entire canvas area serves not only as a preview window for content presentation but also as a design space for interaction and structural arrangement. Framer employs a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) approach, ensuring that what you create on the canvas matches exactly what users will see when they visit the page in preview mode.

1 Basic Structure and Functional Entry Points

The canvas area in Framer is located at the very center of the editor interface. It is spacious and intuitive, supporting multi-page views and free zooming. By default, the canvas displays the content of the page you are currently editing. You can switch between different pages in the Pages tab of the left navigation bar, and the canvas will update its content in real time.

At the bottom of the canvas, the toolbar includes useful tools such as zoom controls, object selection, canvas panning, and the plugin application window. Becoming familiar with these tools can greatly improve your efficiency in designing and building web elements.

2 Drag-and-Drop Operations and Component Layout

You can drag and drop any component onto the canvas using the Insert tool on the left or the Assets panel. Framer’s layout system supports modes like Stack (vertical or horizontal stacking) and Grid, catering to different layout needs.

Once a component is selected, you can directly drag, resize, and rotate it on the canvas. At the same time, the right-hand properties panel will display the component’s style settings—such as size, spacing, alignment, and color.

Framer’s components support nested structures. You can drag one component into another container (for example, dragging text into a Stack) to create more complex layouts. These nested relationships are fully reflected in the Layers panel on the left.

3 Breakpoints and Responsive Design Support

At the top of the canvas, you can enable the Breakpoint feature to add different responsive views for the current page. This allows you to set independent styles and layouts for various screen widths, ensuring the website provides an optimal browsing experience on both mobile devices and desktops.

Detailed Explanation of the Settings in the Right Properties Panel of the Framer Editor Interface

On the right side of the Framer editor interface, the properties panel is the primary area where users control component styles, positioning, sizing, animations, and behaviors. This panel dynamically adjusts its displayed content based on the type of element you have selected, offering great flexibility and extensibility.

The settings within the panel are logically grouped, covering everything from layout and positioning, size and style, to interactions and accessibility—essentially all controllable parameters of a component. I will introduce each settings module in the properties panel from top to bottom.

1 Alignment and Positioning Tools

At the top of the properties panel, there is a horizontal row of commonly used alignment tools, including horizontal center, vertical center, left align, right align, top align, bottom align, and even distribution. Clicking these icons allows you to quickly adjust the position of the selected component within its parent container, making them highly efficient aids for precise layout and alignment.

2 Link: Navigation Link Settings

In the Link section, you can set a link for the current element. By clicking the "Link To" input box, you can choose a page within the project or enter an external URL. When users click this component, the link navigation will be triggered.

3 Position: Element Positioning Settings

The Position module allows you to precisely control a component’s placement on the canvas:

• The four input fields represent the specific distances of the element from the top (T), right (R), bottom (B), and left (L) of the canvas.

• The alignment diagram in the center helps you understand the anchor point position.

• The "Type" dropdown menu lets you select the positioning type, including Absolute, Fixed, Relative, and Sticky. Each positioning type is suited for different layout designs.

4 Size: Dimension and Constraint Settings

In the Size section, you can control the element’s size properties:

• Width / Height: You can set specific pixel values or switch to modes such as Fixed (fixed size) or Auto (automatic adjustment).

• The small lock icon on the left toggles the aspect ratio lock between width and height.

• Min / Max: Click Add to set minimum and maximum size constraints, which are especially useful in responsive design.

5 Layout: Layout Settings

This module is used to set the layout type of a component. When expanded, you can choose between Stack and Grid container layout modes. By default, Stack is selected. The Layout option only appears when a container-type element is selected.

6 Effects: Visual Enhancements

In this module, you can add visual effects such as blur and background blur. These are suitable for designing elements like cards, pop-ups, and navigation bars.

7 Overlays: Overlay Control

This setting is used to add overlay behavior to components (for example, displaying content when a button is clicked). It is commonly used for controlling modal windows, menus, or tooltips.

8 Cursor: Mouse Pointer Style

You can specify the mouse pointer style that appears when users hover over a specific element to enhance interactive feedback. There are two types of cursor styles: the default web styles and custom styles loaded from user-created components.

9 Styles: Style Control Area

Styles is the core module for setting a component’s visual appearance:

• Opacity: Controls transparency, ranging from 0 to 1.

• Visible: Toggles whether the element is visible or hidden.

• Fill: Sets the background fill color, supporting Hex color values and opacity adjustments.

• Overflow: Defines how content overflow is handled (e.g., hidden, scroll).

• Radius: Sets the border-radius size; clicking the icon on the right allows you to define each corner individually.

• Border and Shadows: Add border styles and shadow effects respectively, with customizable color, width, blur, and more.

10 Transforms: Rotation and 3D Settings

This section is used to apply transform effects to elements:

• Rotate: Sets the rotation angle (in degrees °).

• Allows switching between 2D and 3D modes for more complex visual transformations.

11 Scroll Section: Positioning Settings

This feature allows you to configure whether the current element functions as a scroll section within the page, commonly used for scroll-based positioning and animation triggers. You can set the element’s class ID here, which can be used for anchor navigation or other scroll-based interaction logic. It plays a key role in building scroll-driven page structures or implementing in-page navigation.

12 Accessibility

You can add accessibility tags to components (such as ARIA labels and role definitions) to improve the website’s usability and support for users with disabilities.

13 Code Overrides

This module allows advanced users to add custom code logic (Overrides) to components, using React to control component behavior—such as responding to user events, changing state, and interacting with external data.

Framer right-side properties panel offers rich and flexible component control options, covering everything from basic sizing and positioning to complex interactions, animations, and code extensions. Becoming familiar with these settings will not only help you efficiently adjust component appearance and behavior but also provide a solid foundation for building professional and complete web experiences.

Conclusion

Through the step-by-step guidance in this tutorial, you should now have a comprehensive grasp of the core operations needed to build websites in Framer: from becoming familiar with the various functional entries in the top toolbar, to effectively using the left navigation panel to organize pages and component structures, to completing responsive layouts and interaction logic in the canvas area, and finally gaining an in-depth understanding of every setting detail in the right properties panel. These foundational skills will lay a solid design and development groundwork for your future Framer projects.

Framer is a platform that combines design freedom with building efficiency, and the true key to mastering it lies in understanding and skillfully using its interface tools and functional system. If you want to apply these capabilities to real projects and create professional websites with strong visual appeal and interactive experiences, consider partnering with Jane Framer Studio—we specialize in high-quality Framer website design and development, helping you turn creativity into reality.

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