Figma’s New Feature: Code Layers to Your Long-Term Rescue

Imagine a world where your static mockups aren’t just pictures but living prototypes. Where design and development stop feeling like two separate planets. Figma’s innovation, Code Layers, makes that world a reality. 

Code Layers embed real code, React components, TypeScript logic, and Tailwind classes directly into your design canvas. So, no more exports. No more third-party plugins. Just a seamless blend of pixels and production-ready code. 

If you’re ready to unveil how these new features can help you, you’ve landed at the right place. 

Here is the Table of Contents we will go through. 

What is the significance of code layers?

What can you do with Code Layers?

Why Code Layers are a game-changer? 

Real-life examples of Code Layers in action

How to try Code Layers today?

Strap in. The line between design and development just got a lot blurrier, in the best possible way. 

What is the significance of code layers?

Code Layers introduce a brand-new layer type in Figma. Instead of vectors or bitmaps, these layers hold production-grade code. You can drop in React components, write TypeScript logic, or apply Tailwind utility classes, all within the familiar Figma interface.

Contrast that with Figma’s older Inspect and Dev Mode, which only exposed style properties and snippets. Code Layers execute the code. They render it live. Your “button” layer is no longer a static rectangle. It’s an interactive element you can click, animate, and test in context.

You will have interactive elements without leaving Figma

With Code Layers, you can build:

• Buttons that bounce on hover or trigger popups on click.
• Dropdown menus that open and close with smooth transitions.
• 3D visuals and canvas-based animations, powered by libraries like Three.js.

All without leaving your design file. 

Designers prototype real interactions, and developers dive straight into the same code, no translations needed.

You get code authoring options

Figma gives you two ways to fill your Code Layers:

1. Manual Coding → Open Figma’s built-in editor and write or paste your own React, TypeScript, or Tailwind code. It feels like a mini-IDE inside your design tool.
2. AI-Generated Code → Type a prompt, “Make this button bounce on hover,” “Create a modal popup”, and Figma’s AI writes the implementation for you. Instant, iterative, and surprisingly precise. 

Now, let’s look at the endless possibilities you can unlock with Code Layers.

What can you do with Code Layers? 

Here is what Code Layers bring to the table. 

1. Add interactions and animations

Gone are the days of static mockups that only look real.
With Code Layers, you can layer in:

• Hover effects that scale or recolor elements.
• Click-triggered transitions that reveal hidden content.
• Continuous loops, spinners, carousels, infinite scrolls.

Bring in animation libraries like Framer Motion for physics-driven motion, and watch your canvas come alive.

2. Leverage AI for rapid prototyping

No code expertise? No problem. 

You can use natural-language prompts in Figma to generate complex behaviors in seconds.  Refine your prompt, “ease-in-out fade” or “spring animation with bounce factor 0.5”, and the AI updates the Code Layer instantly. Iteration speed comes down from hours to seconds.

3. Convert existing designs to Code Layers

Have a polished design already? Select any group or component, right-click, and choose “Make code from design.” Figma auto-generates a corresponding Code Layer that mirrors your visual layout. Suddenly, that static hero section is a living piece of UI code, ready to test or export.

4. Import and reuse external libraries

Complex interactions? No sweat. Import Three.js for 3D graphics, D3.js for data visualizations, or any npm-style package you need. 

You can manage dependencies in Figma’s code editor. Your design file becomes a mini-project folder, with import statements and package management built right in.

5. Build reusable code components

Save your Code Layers as Figma components. Create a library of interactive buttons, cards, modals, and more, production-ready from the start. Teams across projects pull from the same live component library, ensuring consistency and speeding up new builds.

Source

Why Code Layers are a game-changer?

1. Unified design–development workflow

Designers and developers work in the same file, on the same code. No more asset handoffs. No more translation errors.

When a designer adjusts a prop in a Code Layer, the developer sees the change live, then copies the code into production.

2. Faster, more accurate prototyping

Exporting assets and building separate prototypes is a relic of the past. Code Layers let you preview and test live functionality without leaving Figma. You can validate user interactions, perfect your animations, and catch issues before any dev work begins.

3. Customizable controls for stakeholders

Want product managers to tweak settings? Expose configurable knobs, sliders, toggles, and input fields right on your prototype. 

Non-technical users adjust behavior parameters, see live updates, and offer feedback, all without touching code.

Real-life examples of Code Layers in action

Here are three real-life examples of applications of Code Layers. 

1. Interactive product cards

You can create a card that:

• Bounces on hover.
• Flips to reveal additional info.
• Highlights with a glow effect when selected.

All inside Figma, no dev tickets, no waiting.

2. Built-in calculators and widgets

You can design and test a pricing calculator or loan estimator. Users drag a slider to adjust values; totals update in real time. Perfect for finance dashboards, e-commerce bundles, or any interactive tool.

3. Live data visualizations

You can embed a stock ticker or map component that fetches real-time data. Stream live prices, display user locations, or overlay data points on an interactive chart, directly in Figma. 

So, now let’s prepare you to try Code Layers right here, right now. 

How to try Code Layers today?

1. Creating your first Code Layer

• Press E (for “Embed” or “Element”) to draw a new Code Layer.
• Or right-click any existing frame or group and select “Make code from design.”

2. Editing and Generating Code

• Double-click the Code Layer to open Figma’s built-in editor.
• Manually, you can write React/TypeScript/Tailwind code as you would in VS Code.
• Or you can use AI Prompt by clicking the “AI” button, typing your instruction, and watching the magic happen.

3. Previewing and sharing

You can use Figma’s live preview to interact with your Code Layer in real time. Share your file or prototype link because collaborators don’t need extra tools. They click, type, and test right in the browser. 

Wrapping up

That brings us to the business end of this article, where it’s fair to say that 

Code Layers bring production-ready code into your Figma canvas, uniting design and development like never before. 

You get speed, collaboration, and accuracy. What else do we need? 

So, are you ready to turn static designs into interactive experiences?

Then, get straight to work. Open Figma. Enable Code Layers. And start layering code into your next project today. 

Your prototypes will never be the same. 

Meanwhile, here is another interesting read if you would like to consider it. 

Unboxing the Figma Creator Micro: A designer’s first impressions