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This skill is required to create, read, edit, review, or comment on Figma specs. You must read it when working on a PRD, brief, RFC or any kind of document in either a standalone Figma spec or a Figma spec embedded in a Figma Design or Figjam file.
npx skills add figma/mcp-server-guide --skill figma-specInstalls from the source repository, including any supporting files.
Downloads contain the instructions shown here. Use the install command for the complete skill.
Check that figma.spec is defined in your first use_figma script; it exists only when the file’s plan has Specs enabled. If it is undefined, or use_figma reports that it is not supported for Figspec files, explain that Specs is not enabled for this file’s plan and stop the workflow. To create a new standalone Figma spec file, call whoami, choose a destination plan with specs_enabled: true, and call create_new_file with editorType: "figspec" and that plan's key as planKey; if no plan has it, explain that Specs is unavailable and stop.
A native Figma spec is GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM) under a SPEC_BLOCK node. A standalone Figma spec is just one spec; a FigJam or Design file can contain several embedded specs.
Resolve a supplied URL node-id when present with figma.getNodeByIdAsync and require type === "SPEC_BLOCK" plus specBlockType === "DOCUMENT". Otherwise, search the current page with findAllWithCriteria({ types: ['SPEC_BLOCK'] }), filtering for specBlockType === "DOCUMENT" (and examine content with figma.spec.getContent if needed) until you find your target. If it's not on the current page, load other pages one at a time with page.loadAsync() and repeat your query, stopping once the target is resolved.
Pass the resolved root ID to every content call. Omit specNodeId only when the file is known to contain exactly one Figma spec; omission throws otherwise. Never edit ordinary canvas text nodes as a fallback.
// Creates an embedded Figma spec on a Design or FigJam canvas (not a standalone Figma spec file).
const { specNodeId } = await figma.spec.createOnCanvasAsync({
title: 'Untitled spec',
content: '# Title\n\nA paragraph.\n',
})
const specNode = await figma.getNodeByIdAsync(specNodeId)
if (!specNode) throw new Error('The created Figma spec could not be resolved')
const after = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId })
if (!after.markdown.includes('A paragraph.')) {
throw new Error('The new Figma spec content was not applied')
}
Always pass a non-empty title and a content string ('' is allowed). title names the root; include any desired # H1 in content.
// READ — returns specNodeId, markdown, title, etc.
// The body is `markdown`, not `content`.
const before = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId: chosenSpec.id })
const page = await figma.spec.getContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
offset: 100,
maxLines: 50,
})
// REPLACE — clears + recreates the document; use only for an empty first draft.
await figma.spec.setContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
content: '# Title\n\nA paragraph.\n',
})
// EDIT — find/replace; each oldText must match exactly once.
await figma.spec.editContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
edits: [{ oldText: 'First paragraph.', newText: 'Edited first paragraph.' }],
})
const after = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId: before.specNodeId })
if (!after.markdown.includes('Edited first paragraph.')) {
throw new Error('The targeted Figma spec edit was not applied')
}
getContent with the same specNodeId before edits and to verify writes; DON'T rely on screenshots.editContent.setContent only for an empty first draft or an explicit whole-document replacement.editContent requires exactly one match. Zero or multiple oldText matches fail without changes. Add surrounding context to make it unique.Buffer/base64 or decode it with atob(). Base64 is only for image data URLs inside Markdown.figma.spec.* handles content; node traversal exposes only document roots and embedded-canvas branches.[comment:<uuid>]…[/comment:<uuid>] pairs unchanged around the same text, or the thread may detach or disappear. When in doubt copy the marked span exactly and edit around it.localhost URLs.<ins> for underline, including combined formatting: <ins>**bold and underlined**</ins>. Do not use <u>, which only works in HTML imports.Images use GFM image syntax inside setContent or editContent:
 embeds bytes that are decoded and uploaded. is fetched server-side; disallowed hosts are rejected.getContent emits image URLs as https://<host>/spec/<fileKey>/image/<sha>?w=<width>&h=<height>.
Use figma.spec.comments.* for anchored threads. Prefer comments over leaving silent edits when you're unsure of a change.
const comment = await figma.spec.comments.create({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
anchorText: 'the exact rendered text to anchor to', // MUST appear exactly once
contextText: 'a longer unique substring containing anchorText', // optional; disambiguates repeats
message: 'Comment body (markdown).',
})
const { root, replies, hasMore } = await figma.spec.comments.getThread({ uuid: comment.uuid })
await figma.spec.comments.reply({ uuid: comment.uuid, message: 'A reply.' })
anchorText must match exactly once in the rendered Figma spec. Use a longer contextText containing it to disambiguate repeated text.getThread and reply require the root comment UUID surfaced by a [comment:<uuid>] marker; never pass a reply UUID to reply.# Work with a Figma spec
Check that `figma.spec` is defined in your first `use_figma` script; it exists only when the file’s plan has Specs enabled. If it is undefined, or `use_figma` reports that it is not supported for Figspec files, explain that Specs is not enabled for this file’s plan and stop the workflow. To create a new standalone Figma spec file, call `whoami`, choose a destination plan with `specs_enabled: true`, and call `create_new_file` with `editorType: "figspec"` and that plan's `key` as `planKey`; if no plan has it, explain that Specs is unavailable and stop.
A native Figma spec is GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM) under a `SPEC_BLOCK` node. A standalone Figma spec is just one spec; a FigJam or Design file can contain several embedded specs.
## Discover and choose the Figma spec
Resolve a supplied URL `node-id` when present with `figma.getNodeByIdAsync` and require `type === "SPEC_BLOCK"` plus `specBlockType === "DOCUMENT"`. Otherwise, search the current page with `findAllWithCriteria({ types: ['SPEC_BLOCK'] })`, filtering for `specBlockType === "DOCUMENT"` (and examine content with `figma.spec.getContent` if needed) until you find your target. If it's not on the current page, load other pages one at a time with `page.loadAsync()` and repeat your query, stopping once the target is resolved.
Pass the resolved root ID to every content call. Omit `specNodeId` only when the file is known to contain exactly one Figma spec; omission throws otherwise. Never edit ordinary canvas text nodes as a fallback.
## Create a Figma spec on a canvas
```js
// Creates an embedded Figma spec on a Design or FigJam canvas (not a standalone Figma spec file).
const { specNodeId } = await figma.spec.createOnCanvasAsync({
title: 'Untitled spec',
content: '# Title\n\nA paragraph.\n',
})
const specNode = await figma.getNodeByIdAsync(specNodeId)
if (!specNode) throw new Error('The created Figma spec could not be resolved')
const after = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId })
if (!after.markdown.includes('A paragraph.')) {
throw new Error('The new Figma spec content was not applied')
}
```
Always pass a non-empty `title` and a `content` string (`''` is allowed). `title` names the root; include any desired `# H1` in `content`.
## Content methods
```js
// READ — returns specNodeId, markdown, title, etc.
// The body is `markdown`, not `content`.
const before = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId: chosenSpec.id })
const page = await figma.spec.getContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
offset: 100,
maxLines: 50,
})
// REPLACE — clears + recreates the document; use only for an empty first draft.
await figma.spec.setContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
content: '# Title\n\nA paragraph.\n',
})
// EDIT — find/replace; each oldText must match exactly once.
await figma.spec.editContent({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
edits: [{ oldText: 'First paragraph.', newText: 'Edited first paragraph.' }],
})
const after = await figma.spec.getContent({ specNodeId: before.specNodeId })
if (!after.markdown.includes('Edited first paragraph.')) {
throw new Error('The targeted Figma spec edit was not applied')
}
```
- Use **`getContent`** with the same `specNodeId` before edits and to verify writes; DON'T rely on screenshots.
- Default to multiplayer-safe, surgical **`editContent`**.
- Use destructive **`setContent`** only for an empty first draft or an explicit whole-document replacement.
## Critical rules
1. **`editContent` requires exactly one match.** Zero or multiple `oldText` matches fail without changes. Add surrounding context to make it unique.
2. **Pass Markdown as plain strings.** Never encode it with `Buffer`/base64 or decode it with `atob()`. Base64 is only for image data URLs inside Markdown.
3. **Keep Markdown and traversal separate.** `figma.spec.*` handles content; node traversal exposes only document roots and embedded-canvas branches.
4. **Preserve comment markers.** Keep overlapping `[comment:<uuid>]…[/comment:<uuid>]` pairs unchanged around the same text, or the thread may detach or disappear. When in doubt copy the marked span exactly and edit around it.
5. **Use portable references.** Shared Figma specs must use links such as GitHub permalinks, never machine-local paths or `localhost` URLs.
## Style
- Keep the title block first and formatted as H1, even when its text is empty. Never remove it or insert blocks before it.
- Prefer bold text in table header row.
- Use `<ins>` for underline, including combined formatting: `<ins>**bold and underlined**</ins>`. Do not use `<u>`, which only works in HTML imports.
## Images
Images use GFM image syntax inside `setContent` or `editContent`:
- `` embeds bytes that are decoded and uploaded.
- `` is fetched server-side; disallowed hosts are rejected.
`getContent` emits image URLs as `https://<host>/spec/<fileKey>/image/<sha>?w=<width>&h=<height>`.
## Comments
Use `figma.spec.comments.*` for anchored threads. Prefer comments over leaving silent edits when you're unsure of a change.
```js
const comment = await figma.spec.comments.create({
specNodeId: before.specNodeId,
anchorText: 'the exact rendered text to anchor to', // MUST appear exactly once
contextText: 'a longer unique substring containing anchorText', // optional; disambiguates repeats
message: 'Comment body (markdown).',
})
const { root, replies, hasMore } = await figma.spec.comments.getThread({ uuid: comment.uuid })
await figma.spec.comments.reply({ uuid: comment.uuid, message: 'A reply.' })
```
- `anchorText` must match exactly once in the rendered Figma spec. Use a longer `contextText` containing it to disambiguate repeated text.
- `getThread` and `reply` require the root comment UUID surfaced by a `[comment:<uuid>]` marker; never pass a reply UUID to `reply`.