Figma is a user-friendly tool perfect for digital design, like websites and apps. A great thing about Figma is that it lets you put links into your design work. This is especially important for making interactive prototypes and creating clear design documents.
Linking parts of your design makes it easier for others to understand how the final project will function. It helps in showing the connections within your design, making your documentation and presentations more effective and interactive.
By the end of this article, you'll have the knowledge to use links in Figma, making your designs not only more engaging but also easier for others to navigate and understand.
Check out this blog post on How To Wireframe In Figma.
2 Ways of Linking in Figma
Note: This guide is based on Figma's Mac version, but the steps are similar across all platforms.
Imagine collaborating with other designers. You've completed your part and need to pass the project to another designer. To help them quickly grasp your work and the next steps, you can use Figma's linking features.
Create and Edit links
Step 1: First select the text you want to link and click on the link icon, which you'll find in the toolbar at the top of the screen. This will allow you to create a hyperlink for that specific text element.
Step 2: After clicking the link icon in the toolbar, an input field will pop up. This is where you type in the link you want to use. Once you've entered the link, hit 'Enter' to save it to the text element.
Step 3: After you put the link in your text in Figma, the text will have a blue highlight when you move your mouse over it. This means the text is now a link you can click. Try clicking on it to see if it takes you to the right place. This is how you know your link is working.
Step 4: To edit a link in Figma, just hover your mouse over the linked text. A small pop-up will show up. Click on the 'edit' option in this pop-up, and it will open the input field again. This lets you change the link to something else if you need to.
Linking for documentation
Using links in your Figma documentation is especially useful when you're building a design system. It allows you to create direct connections to different components within your design.
Step 1: To create a link for documentation in Figma, start by right-clicking on the element you want to link. For this example, right-click on the frame you are interested in.
Step 2: After right-clicking on the frame in Figma, a menu with various options will appear. From this menu, choose “Copy/paste as” and then select “Copy link.” This action copies the direct link to the frame, allowing you to use it for documentation
Step 3: After you've copied the link from the frame in Figma, the next step is to paste it into a text element within your design. This action turns the text into a clickable link. When someone clicks on this text, they will be instantly directed to the frame you linked.
Check out this list of the Top Figma Courses.
How do you link components?
Step 1: Create two separate frames in Figma, and place a 'Continue' button on the first page and a 'Back' button on the second page. These buttons will be your components.
Step 2: Switch to the 'Prototype' mode in Figma. This will give you options to link the components to each other.
Step 3: Click on the 'Continue' button, then drag the connector node (small circular handle) from this button to the second page's frame.
Step 4: Choose the interaction type, like 'On Click', for the 'Continue' button.
Step 5: Repeat the process for the 'Back' button on the second page, linking it back to the first page.
How do you link pages to each other?
Creating links to pages is crucial as it helps users seamlessly access relevant information or sections within a project
Step 1: Locate the page name that you want to create a link from in your Figma project. Right-click on the page name, and from the context menu that appears, choose "Copy link to page
Step 2: Now, simply paste the copied link into the specific element where you want the link to be, like a text box. When you click on this text or element, it will take you to the page you linked to.
How do you Troubleshoot Link Issues?
To remove a link in Figma, just click on the text or object with the link and hit the delete key. Mistakenly deleted a link? Don't worry, just press Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac) to bring it back.
Here are some common problems and solutions:
If your URL doesn't work: Double-check its spelling and ensure it's correct.
Link not active: Make sure it's linked to the right object or text and not hidden behind other layers.
Can't see the link: Verify that the text or object isn't set to a transparent or hidden style.
To fix these, confirm the link's correctness, adjust layer styles as needed, or try re-linking to the object or text layer. With these tips, you can swiftly resolve most link-related issues in Figma.
Final thoughts
In this guide, we have talked about adding links to your Figma projects. It helps a lot when you want to make your designs more user-friendly and clear. We have talked about different parts of this skill, like choosing the right things to link, using the 'Create Link' feature, and linking for documentation.
We have also discussed common problems and how to fix them. Each of these steps is really important if you want to make your designs interactive and easy to use, not just nice to look at.
So, remember, if you're a designer and you want to make digital products that are easy to understand and fun to use, these skills in Figma are really important.
Related Article: Top UI Design Programs.