Currently, Figma allows exposing properties from nested components, but all properties of the nested component are exposed together. There is no way to selectively expose only specific properties.
Problem
In many real-world design systems, this becomes limiting.
Example:
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I have a Button component with a nested Icon component.
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The Icon component has:
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icon-size(variant) -
icon-instance-swap(instance swap)
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In the Button, I only want designers to change the icon (instance swap).
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I do not want to expose the icon size, as size should be controlled by the Button design.
With the current behavior:
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Exposing the nested Icon forces all icon properties (size + swap) to be exposed.
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This increases cognitive load and breaks component constraints.
Why this matters
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Design systems often use building-block components
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Not all nested properties are meant to be user-facing
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Designers need guardrails, not full internal control
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This leads to cleaner APIs, fewer mistakes, and better adoption
Suggested Solution
Allow selective exposure of nested component properties, for example:
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A checkbox-based selector when exposing nested components
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Ability to expose only:
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icon-instance-swap -
and hide
icon-size,variant, or other internal properties
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This could work as an extended nested property selection, rather than an all-or-nothing exposure.
Impact
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Better component encapsulation
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Cleaner and simpler component APIs
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Stronger design system governance
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Reduced misuse of internal properties