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How to backup an ecosytem of interdependent libraries and files and keep connections between files and libraries/sub-libraries?

pierrelord

Hi there,
I run a large corporate design system (On Figma Enterprise) which in turn is the base for multiple sub-libraries and files.
How can I export/backup these files while keeping the connections between all of the files?

Alternatively, once I have downloaded individual .fig files for each and re-uploaded them, is there a way to reconnect them so that that separate ecosystem of libraries/files now works as a standalone new ecosystem?

If this isn’t technically possible, how would one make a backup of such an ecosystem at a point in time?

Thanks

Pierre

Ecosystem illustration PNG:

ecosystem

Best answer by dvaliao

Hey Pierre, thanks for your patience while we thought this through!

You can definitely save local copies of your files and reimport them back into Figma.

But when reimporting, if the components and instances are in the same file, then a new component with instances connected to the component in this file will be created.

If the components and instances are in different files, then the instances will connect back to the original components, not the new imported duplicates.

You can use the Library swap feature to swap the old library for the new, but it’s worth noting that this feature has some significant limitations when it comes to nested instances with overrides not swapping. So if you have a very sophisticated design system, you run into issues.

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2 replies

pierrelord
  • pierrelord
  • Author
  • New Member
  • 15 replies
  • October 30, 2023

Any thoughts from Figma on this? @Josh maybe? Thanks a lot.

dvaliao
Figmate
  • dvaliao
  • Community Support
  • 4652 replies
  • Answer
  • October 31, 2023

Hey Pierre, thanks for your patience while we thought this through!

You can definitely save local copies of your files and reimport them back into Figma.

But when reimporting, if the components and instances are in the same file, then a new component with instances connected to the component in this file will be created.

If the components and instances are in different files, then the instances will connect back to the original components, not the new imported duplicates.

You can use the Library swap feature to swap the old library for the new, but it’s worth noting that this feature has some significant limitations when it comes to nested instances with overrides not swapping. So if you have a very sophisticated design system, you run into issues.

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