Call up plugins in a quicker menu system on the right sidebar like Adobe

Because this will clutter up the otherwise clean looking interface, but quick plugin access is a must-have if you are a power user.

Probably try assigning shortcuts to your most used plugins, and before soon, you’ll find the most graceful way to navigate between plugins 😃

I understand the clutter issue. But if you look at Adobe’s system they have multiple collapse states for the toolbar items to efficiently clean that part up. Any single plugin could live under a square icon next to the main right sidebar. It could just expand/collapse with a click to clean up the interface. This would serve more as a hide/show vs a close so that the plugin is still in the current state you leave it in.

The issue with just pushing it to call up the plugins with shortcuts is they pull their open state every time they start up which is not efficient. Take the unsplash plugin for instance… Open plugin > click on the search icon > click on search field > type query > wait for query to load > click photo.

It’s way too many steps and the only reason it is closed is because I needed to access another plugin (ex: contrast checker or a dummy content section tool)

The keyboard shortcuts solution is how I am currently using it, but this seems like a reasonable concept.

Hi all, is anyone want to access the plugins quickly like me?
I really want to access plugins quickly, but for now, It consumes many extra clicks. Especially some plugin automatically closed after clicking on the main button.

Here is my ideas, We may add the Plugin bar on the right of the screen

Preferably, you can allow users to do custom actions. (Drag and drop fixed)。

Related: Call up plugins in a quicker menu system on the right sidebar like Adobe

1. Describe the problem your experiencing and how your idea helps solve this

• I find myself constantly navigating up to my Plugins dropdown to open various plugins. It would be really convenient to have a Plugins Panel that is added to either the left or right nav columns for easy access. Reference Adobe After Effects and the ability to add script panels. Thanks!

Try getting in to www.figmaplug.in

1. Describe the problem your experiencing and how your idea helps solve this
   I’m tired to have to search for the same plugin over and over again each time I open a new document

2. Add as much context as possible (screenshots, Figma files, mockups, etc.)
   So I’d like a button here :

3. Ask questions to bring the community into the conversation
   (e.g. Does anyone else experience this? Is anyone using a plugin or workaround to help solve this?, etc.

Had the same idea when Plugins were first announced and my plugin list grew until it got too big.

And I also thought that there would be a nice spot to place a few Plugin Icons to make your faves clickable. And in the dropdown Menus you could click a Star icon or even click a star icon in the command prompt on the suggested plugins.

My current workaround is to just use the command input.

Instead of having to right-click or drill through the menu every time you wish to use a plugin. It would save so much time if it was permanently fixed to the top bar (eg; next frame/text/comment tools), or to the right in the same section as Design (Eg; above or below Auto Layout/Layer/Fill etc).

Saving just one extra click would be such an easy win!
This may have been covered, but couldn’t find it anywhere.

Thanks.

The current integration of the plugin is laborious. it is hidden and requires too many clicks.
Would it be possible to make it easier and faster to find? Inegrate it as a top-level menu item / sidebar?

Best,
Ravid

Why Figma blocks good things?
How about to add FigmaEx as a native feature?
It’s good and convenient addons panel

I find my self using plugin a lot. For data syncing, or color design or zeplin export. But everytime it goes like first right-click then hover on plugin and then select the plugin. Please provide a separate pan or at least a direct icon on the top bar. On clicking the icon we can get all the plugin list.

Would be very very helpful.

1. Describe the problem your experiencing and how your idea helps solve this
When I use a plugin, I often close the plugin window when I’m done using it at any time, and spend a second deciding how to open it again when I need it moments later.

I’m getting into the habit of not closing plugins and just moving them to the bottom of the screen (though can’t open more than one plugin).

This works, I like this, though maybe it could be more intuitive? Also it’d be great to open multiple plugins at once.

2. Add as much context as possible (screenshots, Figma files, mockups, etc.)

3. Ask questions to bring the community into the conversation
(e.g. Does anyone else experience this? Is anyone using a plugin or workaround to help solve this?, etc.

Would it be possible for plugin authors to implement a minimise button or would it be a figma implementation?

What does everyone think of this in general? Maybe someone has another idea, like… a “plugin dock” or something?

I love this idea! I was thinking of something similar.

An additional reference would be 3D programs. While their interfaces are normally incredibly complex, I do appreciate how customizable their interfaces are. For example, in Cinema 4D, nearly every menu item has a corresponding icon button that you can throw into a custom palette and dock it to the UI where you want it. Additionally, you can have multiple layouts—just like in Adobe CC products—for modeling, animation, lighting, etc.

I love this idea!

I keep having to switch between two or three plugins in quick succession - do do different functions altogether.

Would be great to do something as simple as a pin window or a a don’t dismiss window feature that would allow me to have all three little plug-in windows up at the same time// so that I don’t have to go back and forth between launching each one in turn over and over again

Another comment here in hopes of bumping this idea. Please add one of these good ideas here. Even just being able to “pin” the most used plugins would be great. Or an option to add a section above or below the layers panel.
Thanks!

on a mac if you press command+/ then type “p” + the first letters of the plugin name’s words, you get to it pretty quick. For instance, your plugin name is JSON Exporter.
type in this order: command+/ then “p j e” letter “p”, space, letter “j”, space, letter “e”

the plugin you want will come up on top of the list. If not, just be more specific on the typing, if you have two plugins with very close names.

I have plugins “color guide” and “color styleguides”. If I type command+/, “p c g” I get “color guides” as the first on the list (just press to open the plugin)
but if I type “p c s” I get another plugin called “Automated Color Guides” as first on the list and “color styleguides” as third. Not too bad, just press arrow down two times and .
This is the fastest plugin open method I found so far.

I LOVE Figma, just frustrated with the lack of a good way to access plugins. Every couple of months I search the Forum in hopes that some solution will appear for this pain point!

I have so many plugins that I cannot remember their names, so searching by name is inefficient. It breaks my flow to have to recall what something is called. And, as many have pointed out, some plugins close on their own so repetitive tasks are tedious.

Simply doing something like XD is not my preference. It’s another (though prettier) list and still requires hunting for plugins, but it would still be a huge improvement. In XD, some plugins expand to show a menu of options, super nice because the expanded menus stay open even if interacting with another plugin.

Ideally, I would also like to pin favorites, and/or have the option to ‘pop out’ a plugin into a floating or dock-able panel so I can access more than one at a time. Also, create my own tags or create folders for easier searches. 🙂

Figma, please, please, please—with sugar on top—consider improving the workflow for plugins! It would be a huge win!!

This is still kind of a pain. It’s nice that they added the list of plugins in your file, but honestly plugins are usually an attached-to-the-main-UI-cause-I-use-them-all-the-time thing for me. If I’m using Jack’s Ultra Mega Find And Replace I’m probably using it across all my files, and I don’t want to go through 4 clicks every time I want to use it.

Hey! 👋

I often find myself spending too much time opening the Plugins menu and searching for the ones I use regularly — especially when working on smaller screens where I can’t keep them all open.

It would be amazing to have a dock or toolbar (maybe at the top of the screen?) where I can pin my favorite plugins for quick access.

Just like a browser bookmark bar — clean, simple, and fast.

Would save a ton of clicks and keep the flow smooth. 🚀