Figma API Essential Guide

What type of API does Figma provide?

REST API

• Figma offers a REST API for developers to interact with Figma data and functionality.
• The API documentation with interactive examples can be found at https://www.figma.com/developers/api.

API Schema

• Until recently, Figma did not provide a publicly available schema definition for their REST API.
• However, Figma has now released a beta version of the OpenAPI specification and TypeScript types for their REST API.

OpenAPI Specification

• The OpenAPI specification and TypeScript types are now available in the open source repository: figma/rest-api-spec.
• This allows developers to generate API documentation, client SDKs, and use type-safe code with TypeScript.

Key Considerations

• The API uses standard REST principles like HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with resources.
• Responses are typically in JSON format.
• Authentication is required to use the API, likely using an API token.

Best Practices

• Use the official API documentation as the primary reference.
• Leverage the new OpenAPI specification to generate client code or documentation if needed.
• Follow REST best practices like using appropriate HTTP methods and status codes.
• Handle rate limiting and authentication properly in your API requests.

In summary, Figma provides a REST API for developers to integrate with their platform. The recent addition of an OpenAPI specification makes it easier for developers to work with the API in a standardized way.

Does the Figma API have webhooks?

Yes, the official Figma API does have webhooks. Figma introduced webhooks as part of their API to allow developers to receive real-time notifications about events occurring in their Figma files and projects. Let's break down the key points about Figma's webhooks:

1. Webhook Availability: Figma webhooks are available for both Figma and FigJam files.

2. Event Types: Figma webhooks support several event types that you can subscribe to. The main categories of events include:

• File events:
  • File update
  • File delete
  • File version update
• Comment events:
  • Comment create
  • Comment update
  • Comment delete
• Library events:
  • Library publish
• Team events:
  • Project create
  • Project delete
  • File move

3. Webhook Setup: To set up a webhook, you need to:

• Specify a callback URL where Figma will send the event notifications
• Choose the event types you want to subscribe to
• Provide the file key or team ID for which you want to receive notifications

4. Webhook Payload: When an event occurs, Figma sends a POST request to your specified callback URL with a JSON payload containing details about the event.

5. Security: Figma uses a secret key to sign the webhook payload, allowing you to verify that the webhook came from Figma.

6. Rate Limiting: Figma implements rate limiting for webhooks to prevent overwhelming your server with too many requests.

7. Best Practices:

• Implement proper error handling for your webhook endpoint
• Use the secret key to verify the authenticity of incoming webhooks
• Set up monitoring for your webhook endpoint to ensure it's functioning correctly

Code example for verifying a webhook signature (in Node.js):

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret) {
  const hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret);
  const digest = hmac.update(payload).digest('hex');
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(signature), Buffer.from(digest));
}

// Usage in an Express.js route
app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  const signature = req.headers['figma-signature'];
  const isValid = verifyWebhookSignature(JSON.stringify(req.body), signature, process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET);
  
  if (isValid) {
    // Process the webhook
    console.log('Webhook received:', req.body);
    res.sendStatus(200);
  } else {
    res.sendStatus(401);
  }
});

In summary, Figma's API does offer webhooks, providing developers with a powerful tool to build real-time integrations and automate workflows based on events occurring in Figma files and projects. By subscribing to various event types, developers can create responsive applications that react to changes in Figma, enhancing collaboration and productivity for design teams.

Rate Limits and other limitations

Based on the search results provided, here are the key points about the API rate limits for the Figma API:

Rate Limit Details

1. The rate limits are subject to change and depend on the type of authentication used.

2. For personal access tokens, the limits are per user. For OAuth, the limits apply to the entire application rather than per user.

3. The rate limits are expressed in terms of "costs" per endpoint, which equate to specific request limits per minute and per day. For example:

   • FILE_COST = 50 (Equates to 120 req/min and 24000 req/day per user)
   • IMAGE_COST = 200 (Equates to 30 req/min and 6000 req/day per user)
   • VERSION_COST = 100 (Equates to 60 req/min and 12000 req/day per user)
   • COMMENT_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • WEBHOOK_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • TEAM_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • PROJECT_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • FILE_IMAGE_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • SELECTION_COST = 20 (Equates to 300 req/min and 60000 req/day per user)
   • RECENT_FILES_COST = 10 (Equates to 600 req/min and 120000 req/day per user)

Additional Considerations

1. There is a limit of 55 seconds to process responses for GET file and GET images endpoints.

2. The API may return a 429 status code when rate limits are exceeded.

3. The official documentation recommends retrying after one minute when encountering a 429 error.

4. For OAuth applications, the rate limits may be more restrictive and apply globally to the application regardless of the user access token used.

5. Implementing exponential backoff for handling 429 errors is a good practice.

Best Practices

1. Be aware of the different rate limits for different endpoints and plan your API usage accordingly.

2. Implement proper error handling and retry mechanisms, especially for 429 errors.

3. Consider using caching strategies to reduce the number of API calls when possible.

4. For OAuth applications, be mindful of the global rate limits that apply to the entire application.

5. Monitor your API usage to ensure you stay within the limits and adjust your implementation if necessary.

It's important to note that these rate limits may change over time, and it's always best to refer to the most up-to-date documentation or contact Figma support for the most accurate information.

Latest API Version

Based on the search results provided, here is the most up-to-date information about the Figma API version:

Current API Version

The most recent version of the Figma API is Version 1, Update 97, released on June 17, 2024 [1].

Key Points

• Figma uses a versioning system with major versions (X) and minor updates (Y), represented as "Version X, Update Y" [3].

• The current major version is 1, with the latest minor update being 97 [1].

• The API version a plugin is using is defined in the manifest.json file under the "api" field [5].

• Plugins can access the API version they are running on through the figma.apiVersion property, which returns a string like '1.0.0' [5].

Recent Updates

Some of the recent updates to the Figma API include:

1. Support for multiple pages in FigJam (Update 97, June 17, 2024) [1].

2. New DevStatus value COMPLETED to indicate completed dev work (Update 97, June 17, 2024) [1].

3. Support for typography variables, allowing getting and setting bound variables for text properties (Update 91, April 16, 2024) [1].

4. Addition of figma.createComponentFromNode function to create a component from an existing node (Update 86, February 7, 2024) [4].

Best Practices

1. Always check the latest updates in the Figma Plugin API documentation to stay informed about new features and changes.

2. When developing plugins, specify the API version in your manifest.json file to ensure compatibility.

3. Be aware of deprecations and replacements, as Figma occasionally updates methods and properties to improve performance and functionality [4].

4. Consider using the "documentAccess": "dynamic-page" manifest field for new extensions to make them compatible with dynamic page loading [4].

By staying up-to-date with the latest API version and its features, developers can create more efficient and powerful plugins for Figma.

How to get a Figma developer account and API Keys?

To get a developer account for Figma and create an API integration, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a Figma account: If you don't already have a Figma account, you'll need to create one. Visit the Figma website and sign up for a free account.

2. Access the Figma Developer Portal: Once you have a Figma account, go to the Figma Developer Portal at https://www.figma.com/developers.

3. Create a new app: In the Developer Portal, you'll find an option to create a new app. This is where you'll set up your API integration.

4. Configure your app: Provide the necessary details for your app, such as its name, description, and the type of integration you're creating (e.g., plugin, widget, or OAuth app).

5. Generate API credentials: After creating your app, you'll receive API credentials, including a client ID and client secret. These are essential for authenticating your integration with Figma's API.

6. Set up OAuth (if applicable): If you're creating an OAuth app, you'll need to configure the OAuth settings, including redirect URIs.

7. Start developing: With your app set up and credentials in hand, you can begin developing your integration using Figma's API documentation as a guide.

What can you do with the Figma API?

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Document Structure

• File: The top-level container for all content in a Figma document.

  • Access file properties
  • Retrieve file contents
  • Save changes to the file

• Page: A canvas within a file.

  • Create, delete, and modify pages
  • Access and modify page properties
  • Add or remove child nodes

• Frame: A container for other nodes.

  • Create, delete, and modify frames
  • Adjust frame properties (size, position, constraints)
  • Add or remove child nodes

Node Types

• Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star, Vector: Basic shape nodes.

  • Create, delete, and modify shapes
  • Adjust properties like size, position, fill, stroke

• Text: Text layers.

  • Create, delete, and modify text nodes
  • Edit text content and styling

• Component: Reusable design elements.

  • Create and modify components
  • Manage component properties and variants

• Instance: Instances of components.

  • Create and modify component instances
  • Override instance properties

• Group: A collection of nodes.

  • Create, delete, and modify groups
  • Add or remove child nodes

Styling and Properties

• Paint: Represents fills, strokes, and effects.

  • Apply and modify paints to nodes
  • Create gradients, solid colors, and images

• Effect: Visual effects like shadows and blurs.

  • Apply and modify effects on nodes

• Constraint: Positioning and sizing rules.

  • Set and modify constraints on nodes

• Layout Grid: Alignment and spacing guides.

  • Create and modify layout grids on frames

Miscellaneous

• Style: Reusable styles for text, fills, and effects.

  • Create, apply, and modify styles

• Comment: Feedback and annotations.

  • Create, read, and delete comments

• User: Information about Figma users.

  • Access user information (limited to current user)

Key Points to Consider

• The Figma API allows for both reading and writing operations on most of these data models.
• Some operations may be restricted based on user permissions and the specific API being used (Plugin API vs REST API).
• The API provides type definitions to assist with development and reduce errors.

Best Practices

• Use the provided TypeScript typings file for better code completion and error checking.
• Familiarize yourself with the shared node properties that apply across multiple node types.
• Consult the API reference documentation for detailed information on each data model and its supported operations.