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Selection vs Link Workflows

When to Use

Every Figma MCP session requires choosing how to provide design context. This decision affects which server type you need and how fluid your workflow feels.

Decision

If you need... Use... Why
Select in Figma → immediately generate Selection-based (desktop server) No link copying; works with active selection
Work from any client without desktop app Link-based (remote or desktop server) Copy link → paste → agent fetches
Multiple disconnected frames at once Link-based with multiple links Paste multiple links in one prompt
Quick iteration on selected frame Selection-based Fastest loop; no context-switching
Share a specific design state with team Link-based Links capture a specific frame state

Pattern

# Selection-based (desktop server required)
1. Select frame or layers in Figma desktop app
2. Switch to editor
3. Prompt: "Implement my current Figma selection in [framework]"
   → agent calls get_design_context using active selection

# Link-based (remote or desktop server)
1. In Figma: Right-click frame → Copy link to selection
   (or: Share → Copy link, then add ?node-id=... for specific frame)
2. Paste link in prompt: "Generate [pasted-link] in [framework]"
   → agent extracts node-id from URL and calls get_design_context

# Multi-frame workflow (link-based)
"Generate each of these sections individually:
 Header: [link1]
 Features: [link2]
 Footer: [link3]
 Then combine them into a single page component"

Common Mistakes

  • Pasting a page-level URL instead of a frame-specific link — page links don't include a node ID; right-click the specific frame to get a frame link
  • Expecting selection-based workflow on the remote server — it only works with the desktop server running
  • Selecting a frame group and a nested element simultaneously — select the top-level frame only; nested selections confuse the tool

See Also