figma-cli

figma-cli

Talk in plain English. Watch Figma build.
You describe what you want, an AI assistant builds it live in your Figma Desktop.
No API key. No copy-paste. No plugin to babysit. No code to write.

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What is this?

figma-cli lets an AI assistant build directly in your Figma Desktop, while you talk to it in normal language.

You don't run commands or write code. You open Claude in this project and say things like:

"Create three pricing cards." "Use my brand's design system." "Make those buttons look like Stripe." "Check the contrast on this screen."

Claude does the rest. Figma updates in real time, in front of you.

It works with real, editable Figma , actual frames, components, variants and variables , not a flat image. And it runs locally: no API key, nothing sent to a cloud service. No rate limits either (why).

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Setup , let your AI do it for you

You don't install this by hand. You use an AI coding assistant , Claude Code (recommended, what most people use) or Cursor , point it at this project, and ask it to set everything up.

Using Cursor? Jump to Using Cursor for the one-line setup. The steps below are for Claude Code; everything the CLI does is identical in both.

1. Have these ready

• Figma Desktop , installed and open (download).
• Claude Code , Anthropic's AI assistant for your computer. Install it here (one command, takes a minute). (Or use Cursor , see below.)

2. Get this project onto your computer

Don't know git? No problem. Open Claude Code anywhere and paste:

"Download the figma-cli project from https://github.com/silships/figma-cli into a folder in my home directory, then go into it."

(Or, if you prefer: click the green Code button on the GitHub page → Download ZIP → unzip it.)

3. Let Claude install and connect it

Open Claude Code inside the project folder and say:

"Set up figma-cli and connect it to my Figma."

Claude reads the project's instructions, installs what's needed, and connects to your open Figma Desktop. You watch , you don't type commands.

When it says it's connected, you're done. ✅

4. Start designing , just talk

Now describe what you want:

"Add my brand colors, then create a primary button and a secondary button."

Claude builds it in Figma instantly.

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Install as a Claude Code plugin (optional)

Prefer Claude Code's plugin system? This repo is also a plugin marketplace, so Claude Code learns the figma-cli workflow in any project (not just this one) after a two-line install:

/plugin marketplace add silships/figma-cli
/plugin install figma-cli@intodesignsystems

That installs a skill that teaches Claude Code how to drive figma-cli (connect modes, the render/JSX rules, tokens, verify, a11y). The CLI itself still needs Node ≥ 18 and its dependencies , clone this repo and run npm install once (or ask Claude to), then open Figma Desktop and say "connect to Figma". The plugin supplies the know-how; the local CLI does the work.

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Using Cursor

Prefer Cursor? It works exactly the same , the CLI controls Figma Desktop, not your editor, so nothing about it is Claude-only. Most people use Claude Code, but if Cursor is your tool, here's the whole setup.

1. Have these ready

• Figma Desktop , installed and open (download).
• Cursor , download here.

2. Tell Cursor to install it , one line

Open Cursor in any folder, open the chat (the Agent), and paste:

"Install github.com/silships/figma-cli and connect it to my Figma."

Cursor downloads the project, installs it, sets up its own rules so it knows how to drive it, and connects to your open Figma Desktop. You watch , you don't type commands.