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Question

Plugin API request: allow switching/opening another file + editor type (FigJam ↔ Design) from a plugin

  • December 30, 2025
  • 0 replies
  • 5 views
Marcos Boggia

We’re building a plugin that runs part of the workflow in FigJam and the next step in Figma Design. Today, plugins are scoped to the current file/editor type, so moving users to the next step is awkward.

 

What we want to do
From a plugin running in FigJam, programmatically switch the user to a linked Figma Design file, ideally without asking the user to manually open another file and relaunch the plugin.
What happens today
  • There’s no reliable way for a plugin to open/switch to another file + editor type.
  • openExternal() with a Figma URL is not a reliable fallback in the desktop app: it often just focuses the app and lands on Home/Recents rather than opening the intended file.
  • The result is a broken UX: we must show instructions like “open a Design file and relaunch the plugin”, which is confusing and feels unprofessional.

 

Why this matters
A large class of plugins need to orchestrate multi‑step workflows across FigJam and Design (discovery → design, mapping → wireframing, etc.). Without a supported navigation mechanism, users lose context and plugins can’t deliver a seamless experience.
Feature request
Provide an official, reliable API for plugins to:
  • open a new file of an specified type and bring it to front in the Figma application

 

Expected behavior
Calling something like figma.openFile(editorType: "design") (or an equivalent) should take the user directly to that file/editor reliably across desktop and web or return and error if the user is missing some conditions to open a new file.
Workarounds we tried
  • Manual instructions to the user (poor UX)
  • openExternal() to https://www.figma.com/file/<key> and https://www.figma.com/design/<key>/ (often opens Home/Recents in desktop)

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