Share prototypes - Only share specified elements

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1

Hello,

So of course I’ve been using the feature for some time (like 3 years ; )
but today it struck me…

when I have a huge Figma file with different things and one of the things is a prototype with its own flow of connections and I share it in prototype view - can the person also open it without prototype view and see what’s beyond the prototype?

It struck me because I wanted to share one of the frames and I opened the link in an incognito browser window and I could see EVERYTHING.

I did it in prototype view and I can see only this one frame.

HOWEVER, when I see everything in my Figma and I click share, then it shows all the people that I had shared the initial prototype with… so it kind of mixes those ideas?

Can anyone help me understand:

  1. I play a prototype, share it either with a link or invitation - the person can only see the prototype view and frames that are part of the prototype?
  2. I take a frame in prototype view - it behaves as above, just this one frame is visible?
  3. I am in Figma edit view and I share a frame - in fact the whole file is shared, not just this chosen frame?
    But for the last scenario, I also see people that I had shared just part of the file (the prototype only) with… this is confusing a bit.
2

Hi @MiloW - to kind of sum up your questions:

If you are sharing the prototype link (the one you grab when hitting “share prototype” when in the prototype preview), you aren’t just sharing the prototype preview: you are, in fact, sharing the entire file.

Generating a link from the “share prototype” module generates a link that will automatically direct whoever clicks it over to the prototype preview window.

I think the confusion is happening in 2 places:

First: sharing a link to a prototype preview or a selected frame doesn’t mean that you’re sharing only those parts (and the rest is inaccessible or hidden).

You’re still sharing the entire file, but the link will direct to the specific frame or the prototype preview that you selected when generating it. Basically, it’s just a navigation thing.

That’s why you see a list of users on the share module – the entire file (including prototypes are being shared) is actually being shared.

Second: you may not have been aware that there’s a way to switch from the prototype preview mode over to the canvas – attaching a screen recording for visualization. This also shows that sharing view only access applies across to the whole file.

Let me know if you need more clarification - I know it can be a bit confusing.

3

Yeah, in the meantime I did some testing and I know now.

Is there a way to just share a flow of the prototype without e.g. additional frames?

Or restrict not being able to switch to frames view (design view)?

4

Not at the moment – the sharing feature doesn’t get super granular, but I can convert this topic over to a ‘share feedback’ one for others to +1 if they’d like to see this happen (along with yourself).

I’ll also file an internal feature request on my end to get this feedback – if you have a moment, can you provide some scenarios and behaviors you’d like to have when it comes to specific share permissions? Perhaps for the scenario that originally landed you here – that’d be great to include.

5

There used to be a “can view prototype” option. It’s no longer available, unfortunately.

6

This seems like a huge miss. I need a way to share ONLY the prototype and not allow viewers to see my entire design file.

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