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Figma Buzz: Auto Layout not collapsing on text deletion

  • June 23, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 7 views
TempAccount_01

Hey everyone,

We’re trying to set up templates for marketers/content managers to use, and we're having some trouble setting up the text fields.

We want an easy way for the end user to hide or collapse text fields if they aren't needed (for example, when we have a header, preheader, and subheader). Currently, when the layout is locked and you delete the text, the empty text field still remains, which is not what we want, we want it to collapse within the auto-layout.

We’re assuming the only two solutions are pretty much:

  • A) Unlock the guides and delete the fields (but we don’t really want the end user to have to unlock things).

  • B) The designer has to set up switch toggles for the header, preheader, subheader, etc.

Is there really no other solution that’s easier for a marketer or content manager to hide and collapse text fields?

1 reply

Jaycee Lewis
Figmate

Hey, ​@TempAccount_01 👋 

Looking at the docs, your option B is closer to what is the intended use case. Boolean (show/hide) properties are the built-in way to let template users toggle an element's visibility, and when you hide a child inside an auto layout frame, the layout collapses around it — no empty field left behind, no unlocking required. From the marketer's side it shows up as a simple toggle: they select the asset, hit Change layout, and flip the switch under the Customize tab.

A couple of references if you want to set it up:

One thing worth checking: when a text layer is hidden, auto layout only reclaims its space if every frame above it is set to hug contents. If a header/preheader/subheader sits in its own wrapper frame and that wrapper has a fixed height (or a min height), the wrapper keeps its space even after the text is hidden. So either set those wrappers to hug, or keep the layers as direct siblings in the same auto layout frame — both give a clean collapse. Here's an article that helps explain this behavior: Guide to auto layout

If this isn’t what you are after, please let me know. Hope this helps get you moving forward! — Jaycee

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