Problem

When creating a Slot property in Figma, designers can define preferred instances through the Select instances popup. However, when working with complex design systems and multiple nested components, finding the right components through a list can take extra time.

Designers may already have the desired components arranged on the canvas, making the list-based selection feel less direct than it needs to be.

Proposed Solution

Introduce a “Select from canvas” option within the Slot property's Preferred instances settings.

When activated, designers could click eligible components directly on the canvas to add them to the preferred instances list.

The workflow could be:

1. Select the main component and open its Slot property settings.

2. Click Select from canvas in the Preferred instances section.

3. Click the desired components on the canvas to select them.

4. Confirm the selection and return to the Slot property settings.

Expected Benefits

• Faster workflow: Reduce the time spent searching and scrolling through component lists.

• Visual selection: Choose components based on their appearance and context on the canvas.

• Better design-system workflows: Make it easier to configure Slots containing multiple reusable components.

• Improved usability: Reduce unnecessary navigation between the canvas and selection popup.

Additional Consideration

The feature should support eligible components from the current file and, where possible, published libraries. Existing Slot compatibility rules and preferred-instance constraints should remain intact.

Closing

This is a small workflow improvement, but it could save designers repeated clicks and make configuring reusable components more intuitive. A visual selection option would bring the Preferred instances setup closer to the way designers naturally work in Figma: directly on the canvas.

Thank you for considering this suggestion!