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How to set up Figma’s MCP server in Claude Code

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How to set up Figma’s MCP server in Claude Code

Figma’s steps to install the official plugin or desktop MCP so Claude Code can read and write Figma files.

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Design files are only useful to an agent if it can read them as Figma does—not as a flattened picture. The Figma MCP server gives Claude Code structured access to Figma files and tools. It can read design context such as components, variables, layout data, FigJam content, and Make resources, generate code from selected frames, and use Code Connect to stay aligned with real components. When you move from Claude Code to Figma, you can also write directly to the canvas to create or update native Figma content, and send live web interfaces to Figma as editable layers.

Figma provides two versions of that server: remote and desktop. The remote Figma MCP server is the version most users need and has the broadest set of features. The desktop version is for specific organization and enterprise use cases. Generally, you should use remote. This walkthrough follows Figma’s order: official plugin first, desktop localhost only when you need it.

Install Claude Code in your terminal before you start. Every command below assumes that CLI is already there.

Prefer the remote server: install the Figma plugin

The recommended way to set up the Figma MCP server in Claude Code is by installing the Figma plugin, which includes MCP server settings as well as Agent Skills for common workflows.

Open your terminal and run:

claude plugin install figma@claude-plugins-official

Press Enter to start the installation process. Restart Claude Code if it was running.

If the plugin install command fails, Figma says it is likely because your organization has blocked plugin installation, either for all plugins or the Figma plugin specifically. In your own organization, reach out to your Claude administrators for help.

Once the plugin is installed, authorize Figma from inside Claude Code:

  1. Type /plugin and press Enter to open the Plugin marketplace.
  2. Use the right arrow key on your keyboard to navigate to the Installed tab.
  3. Use the arrow key to navigate to the figma server and press Enter to start the authorization page.
  4. Press Enter again to begin the authentication process. An external page will open.
  5. Click Allow access to authenticate and allow Claude Code to access your Figma account.
  6. After you finish authentication, head back to the terminal and enter the /plugin command again.

Under the Installed tab, the figma server should now display as connected. You are ready to start prompting in Claude Code.

Desktop fallback: Dev Mode, then a local MCP add

Skip this section unless you need the desktop server for an organization or enterprise case. Figma strongly recommends the remote version because it provides the broadest set of features.

First, enable the desktop MCP server in Figma:

  1. Install and open the Figma desktop app.
  2. Open a Figma Design file.
  3. With nothing selected on the canvas, click the toggle switch in the toolbar to switch to Dev Mode.
  4. Click to enable the MCP server in the right sidebar.
  5. Figma will display a confirmation message at the bottom of the screen letting you know the server is enabled and running, and you will see a button to copy the address for the server.
  6. Click copy URL, and keep it handy for your configuration in the next step.

Then configure the desktop MCP server in Claude Code. Open your terminal and run:

claude mcp add --transport http figma-desktop http://127.0.0.1:3845/mcp

Restart Claude Code to make sure the configuration changes are picked up. You should then see newly available figma commands as well as the Figma MCP server when you run the /mcp command.

Read context, then write back

With the remote server connected, Claude Code can read file context and, when you are moving from Claude Code to Figma, write to the canvas—create or update native Figma content, and send live web interfaces in as editable layers. Figma describes that write path as a capability of the server, not as a step you run to prove the install worked.

After you see figma as connected under /plugin (remote) or listed under /mcp (desktop), open a Design file you actually ship from, select a frame, and start prompting.

Figma’s Help Center article for Claude Code also points onward to a broader Figma MCP guide and collection if you want feature-level usage after install.

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