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연두 정
New Member
August 28, 2026
Question

The same `use_figma` request sometimes requires a full seat, and sometimes doesn't

Hello,

I’m using the Figma MCP server with Codex, and I’m experiencing an issue with use_figma: the same request sometimes succeeds, while at other times it returns a message saying that a Full Seat is required (I currently have a Dev Seat.)

According to the official FAQ, read-only operations should still be available with a Dev Seat, so I expect the request to always succeed.

Below is a technical summary generated by Codex.

----

Environment

  • MCP client: Codex
  • Figma MCP: Remote MCP
  • Plan: Enterprise
  • Seat: Dev
  • File key: N2i5Xfv16eonu10Nmes4iH
  • Target node: 29583:56677
  • Node type: INSTANCE

Request

The use_figma request contained the following parameters:

{
"fileKey": "N2i5Xfv16eonu10Nmes4iH",
"description": "Read-only comparison of Figma Instance 29583:56677 with its Main Component; do not modify any nodes",
"skillNames": "resource:figma-use",
"code": "<4071-character JavaScript code>"
}

The complete JavaScript payload is attached as use-figma-read-only-reproduction.js.txt.

 

Identical calls with different results

The two calls below used identical parameters and JavaScript code.

 

Denied call

Timestamp: 2026-08-27 06:39:21 UTC
Figma Debug UUID: 8da991fe-229b-45ec-9a5b-d6dbfb3340f4

Response:

To use MCP tools that make edits, you'll need a Full seat.

Successful call

Timestamp: 2026-08-27 06:44:41 UTC
Figma Debug UUID: 5d599605-5808-44da-8347-61c90478fae7

This call successfully returned the complete read-only comparison result.

2 replies

Giorgio Fellipe
New Member
October 15, 2026

Same here, read-only use_figma (exporting local variables/text styles, nothing mutated) on the same file flips between allowed and "To use MCP tools that make edits, you'll need a Full seat."

- 2026-09-28 17:20 UTC denied: 0740e18c-a9d9-44c6-9724-fdbf08c3040f
- same day, later, the same export script succeeded
- worked consistently until 2026-10-02
- 2026-10-15 15:04 UTC denied: 661bad5d-79fe-49f6-89c3-eab32e44eb19
- 2026-10-15 15:05 UTC denied on a 2-line read (getLocalVariableCollectionsAsync only): 4a206baf-d9b5-4716-88e4-b56854bd2c53

Remote MCP from Claude Code. Is read-only use_figma supposed to work on a Dev seat or not? the FAQ says Dev seats keep read access to variables, but the only way to read collections with modes and aliases is use_figma.

adamsmasher
Figmate
Figmate
October 17, 2026

Thanks for your reply, ​@Giorgio Fellipe, and thanks ​@연두 정 for including timestamps and debug IDs. I can see why getting different results from the same read-only request is confusing.

 

​@Giorgio Fellipe , could you share the exact two-line script that failed and your Figma plan? Please also confirm that whoami reports a Dev seat on the plan that owns the file; also, be sure keep your email address private when sharing. That will help narrow down the permission check alongside the debug IDs you’ve already provided.

 

​@연두 정 , are you still seeing this? Let me know and I can include your examples in any potential I share with the team.