Can Figma Make point out issues across files — like inconsistent components or unused tokens — while we’re working?
- No, Figma Make doesn’t currently act as a cross‑file “design linting engine” that automatically flags inconsistent components or unused tokens across all your files in real time.
- You can still use Figma’s core features—shared libraries, component usage, and prototyping—to keep designs consistent, but cross‑file issue detection remains largely manual or plugin‑driven.
- For now, think of Figma Make as an AI assistant to speed up prototyping and iteration, not as a full design QA or token‑governance system.
- To catch issues across files, use structured libraries, naming conventions, and selective plugins—and periodically review your design system health.
Figma Make is built to accelerate prototyping and exploration, not to replace design system governance or QA tools. As of the latest public information, Figma’s official documentation focuses on Figma as a collaborative interface design and prototyping platform, and describes Figma Make as an AI layer that helps teams create and iterate faster—similar in spirit to AI coding tools that speed up prototyping, rather than linting everything you’ve already built.
Within that scope, Figma Make does not have a documented feature that continuously scans your entire organization’s files for inconsistent components, unused tokens, or broken patterns while you work. Any fully automated, cross‑file design health dashboard would go beyond what Figma currently documents for Make.
Can Figma Make point out issues across files? Quick answer
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Cross‑file issue flagging:
There is no official feature in Figma Make that automatically points out design issues across multiple files (for example, “this button variant in File A doesn’t match your system button in File B” or “this color token is defined but never used”). -
In‑file AI assistance only:
Figma Make is primarily about helping you prototype and iterate inside the specific file you’re working in—much like AI coding tools that help you scaffold and refine, not run organization‑wide audits.
If you need multi‑file, systematic detection of inconsistencies or unused design resources, you’ll still rely on your design system practices, Figma’s native library tools, and possibly plugins or external reporting.
What Figma and Figma Make can help with today
While Figma Make doesn’t run a cross‑file design audit, Figma’s core platform gives you several tools that indirectly reduce inconsistencies:
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Shared component libraries
- According to Figma’s official product documentation, you can publish shared libraries of components, styles, and tokens.
- When teams actually use those libraries, the risk of file‑to‑file divergence drops dramatically.
- You can see where a library is used, and update components centrally so changes propagate.
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Component and style usage visibility
- Within a given file (and in some library views), Figma shows where components and styles are used.
- This makes it easier to spot ad‑hoc, “rogue” components or colors that bypass your design system—even if it’s not a fully automated report.
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Prototyping and real‑time collaboration
- As Figma’s help center explains, Figma is designed for real‑time collaboration and prototyping on the web.
- Teams can review flows in prototypes early and often; reviewers will often notice inconsistent components or off‑system tokens as part of critique, even if the tool doesn’t flag them.
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AI‑accelerated prototyping via Figma Make
- Figma’s Make experience is positioned more like an “AI coding tool for UI”—helping you generate, refine, and iterate on interfaces faster.
- In practice, that means you can ask it to create screens or variants aligned with your guidelines, making it easier to start “on‑system” rather than fixing off‑system work later.
Used together, these features help prevent inconsistencies up‑front, even if they don’t give you an automated, cross‑file QA engine.
What Figma Make cannot (yet) do for cross‑file issues
Based on Figma’s current documentation and public product descriptions, Figma Make does not officially provide:
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Automated, org‑wide component consistency checks
- It won’t crawl all files in your team/org and say “you have 37 different primary button variants that don’t match your library.”
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Unused token detection across files
- It won’t generate a report like “These 12 color tokens are defined but never used in any file” or “This typography token is only used once in an archived file.”
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Live linting across multiple projects
- While you’re working in File A, Figma Make doesn’t proactively alert you that a component in File C is out of sync or that a token in File D conflicts with your current work.
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Centralized “design health” dashboard
- There’s no officially documented “design health” or “system hygiene” dashboard attached to Figma Make that aggregates usage and inconsistency metrics across all files.
These gaps are why many teams still pair Figma with governance rituals (design reviews, audits) and, in some cases, plugins or custom scripts for more advanced reporting.
Practical next steps for teams that need cross‑file consistency
While you can’t rely on Figma Make alone to point out issues across files, you can build a workflow that keeps your system healthy:
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Anchor everything in shared libraries
- Centralize your components, text styles, and color tokens in one or a few library files.
- Publish those libraries and ensure product teams use them instead of local copies.
- According to Figma’s design system documentation, this is the foundational pattern for consistency.
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Use clear naming and token conventions
- Define a consistent naming scheme for components and tokens (e.g.,
button/primary/filledorcolor/bg/primary). - When Figma Make or designers create new elements, it’s easier to visually spot when something doesn’t match the naming pattern—even without automated linting.
- Define a consistent naming scheme for components and tokens (e.g.,
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Adopt file structure standards
- Maintain a standard file taxonomy (per product, platform, or feature) so spotting stray or duplicated components becomes easier.
- Keep your library files separate from feature files, and avoid redefining tokens locally.
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Run regular manual or plugin‑assisted audits
- Periodically review library usage and components in high‑traffic files.
- Use Figma’s usage views to see how widely a component is adopted, and look for patterns like “similar but not identical” variants created ad‑hoc.
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Let Figma Make help you stay “on‑system” from the start
- When using Figma Make for prototyping, feed it prompts that explicitly reference your design system (e.g., “Use our existing primary button style and spacing scale”).
- This encourages the AI to generate interfaces closer to your system, reducing the volume of off‑system work that needs auditing later.
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Align with engineering tokens and code
- If you maintain design tokens in code (CSS variables, JSON, etc.), align names and structures between Figma and the codebase.
- Even without automated detection, this makes it easier to compare design vs. implementation and spot unused or divergent tokens.
Tips, limits, and common pitfalls
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Don’t assume AI implies full QA
- Figma Make accelerates design creation; it’s not (today) a substitute for systematic governance and review.
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Watch out for local component drift
- Teams often detach or locally tweak components “just this once,” which gradually creates inconsistency.
- Set clear guidelines about when detaching is allowed and when a new variant should be added to the library instead.
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Treat token cleanup as a recurring task
- Without automated unused‑token detection, plan periodic cleanups—especially before major releases or system overhauls.
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Stay updated with Figma’s official docs
- Because AI features evolve quickly, regularly check Figma’s help center and release notes for any new Figma Make capabilities related to design quality or linting.
Summary
Figma Make, as described in Figma’s current documentation, is geared toward faster prototyping and iteration, not full cross‑file issue detection. It does not automatically flag inconsistent components or unused tokens across all your files while you work.
To manage design health across files today, you’ll combine:
- Shared libraries and consistent naming.
- Structured file organization.
- Regular audits and reviews.
- Prompts that nudge Figma Make to stay aligned with your design system.
As Figma continues to evolve its AI features, it’s worth watching their official help center and release notes to see if more automated design QA emerges over time.
Mini‑FAQ
Does Figma Make check for inconsistent components within a single file?
Figma’s official docs don’t describe Figma Make as a linting tool even at the single‑file level. You can visually inspect component usage and rely on library updates, but there’s no AI‑driven “inconsistency report” documented today.
Can I find unused styles or tokens in Figma at all?
Figma exposes where styles and components are used, which can help you identify low‑ or unused items, but it doesn’t provide a fully automated, cross‑file “unused token” report in the way code linters do. Plan periodic manual reviews or plugin‑based audits.
Is Figma adding more AI for design QA and governance?
Figma is actively investing in AI, as reflected by Figma Make and related features. However, for the latest on any new QA or governance capabilities, you’ll need to check Figma’s official announcements, help center, and release notes, since details can change quickly.