--- url: "/copydoc/update/edit.md" description: "After opening your exported `.zip` file, you can start editing text content in your `.csv`, `.xlsx`, `.md`, `.docx`, `.xliff`, or `.json` file in your software application of choice." --- # Making text updates to exported files > After opening your exported `.zip` file, you can start editing text content in your `.csv`, `.xlsx`, `.md`, `.docx`, `.xliff`, or `.json` file in your software application of choice. [Video](/assets/videos/copydoc/export/editing-text-layers.mp4) ## Editing text in XLSX or CSV files To edit your exported `.xlsx` or `.csv` file, you can open the file in a spreadsheet application like [Apple Numbers](https://www.apple.com/numbers/), [Microsoft Excel](https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/excel) or [Google Sheets](https://www.google.com/sheets/about/), or simply just a text/code editor application like [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/). > **Tip:** **Opening CSV files with unicode characters in Microsoft Excel**. Microsoft Excel requires you to use the built-in [Import Wizard](https://community.jaspersoft.com/wiki/how-import-csv-document-cyrillic-symbols-excel-and-correctly-render-them-program) to import the CSV if your text contains unicode characters (for example, if your content is in Polish or Russian). Please note that other spreadsheet software like Apple Keynote and Google Sheets doesn't require you to do this, and you can open the CSV file normally in those apps. > **Tip:** **Opening CSV files Google Sheets**. When importing a CSV file into Google Sheets, please ensure you _uncheck_ the **Convert text to numbers, dates and formulas** checkbox, otherwise your Figma IDs will be modified and messed up, which means they won't be able to be imported properly back into Figma. Each row in the `.csv` file represents a string of text from your Figma file, you can verify the parent frame for each text layer by checking the "**frame**" column value as an easy reference, and you can edit the content for each row by updating the "**figma_text**" column value. ### Understanding the columns included in your XLSX or CSV file #### id The **id** column contains unique references to the text layers in your original Figma file, this is what allows any text updates to be re-imported back into the CopyDoc plugin later. > **Warning:** **Don't edit anything in the "id" column**. If you intend to re-import your text updates back into your Figma file, please don't edit anything in the "**id**" column, otherwise the links back to your Figma text won't be possible (or could possibly update other layers incorrectly). #### frame The **frame** column contains the name of the parent frame that the current row's text layer is included in, this is helpful for referencing where the text layer appears in your design. #### layer_name The **layer_name** column is in reference the name of your text layer in the original Figma file; this is almost always the same as the text content itself, but will be different if you've manually renamed your Figma text layers. Please note: editing or updating the **layer_name** will automatically update your Figma text layer name if the XLSX or CSV file is re-imported back into Figma. This won't have any impact on the text layer's content itself, so please ensure you're making any text _content_ edits to the **figma_text** column, or in any other custom text variants you may have added. #### figma_text The **figma_text_** column contains the text content from the text layers in your original Figma file, editing this content will make it available to re-import the updated content back into Figma again. ### Custom Text Variants in your XLSX or CSV If you've exported your XLSX or CSV file with additional custom columns, these will automatically be included after all of the other default columns in your `.xlsx` or `.csv` file export. You can populate these empty placeholder columns with different versions or different languages, which can be selected if you re-import your CSV back into Figma. > **Tip:** **Ensure you re-save the XLSX/CSV file as a .xlsx/.csv**. If you're using a spreadsheet app to edit your `.csv` file, please sure you re-save the file as a `.csv` after editing it; sometimes these apps will try to save the file in a different format, which won't be compatible when re-importing your file again via the CopyDoc plugin. ## Editing text in JSON files To edit your exported `.json` file, you can open the file in a text/code editor application like [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/). Each object in the `.json` file array represents a string of text from your Figma file, you can verify the parent frame for each text layer by checking the "**frame**" property value as an easy reference, and you can edit the content for each object by updating the "**figma_text**" property value. ### Understanding the columns included in your JSON file #### id The **id** property contains unique references to the text layers in your original Figma file, this is what allows any text updates to be re-imported back into the CopyDoc plugin later. > **Warning:** **Don't edit anything in the "id" property**. If you intend to re-import your text updates back into your Figma file, please don't edit anything in the "**id**" property, otherwise the links back to your Figma text won't be possible (or could possibly update other layers incorrectly). #### frame The **frame** property contains the name of the parent frame that the current object's text layer is included in, this is helpful for referencing where the text layer appears in your design. #### layer_name The **layer_name** property is in reference the name of your text layer in the original Figma file; this is almost always the same as the text content itself, but will be different if you've manually renamed your Figma text layers. Please note: Editing or updating the **layer_name** will automatically update your Figma text layer name if the JSON is re-imported back into Figma. This won't have any impact on the text layer's content itself, so please ensure you're making any text _content_ edits to the **figma_text** property, or in any other custom text variants you may have added. #### figma_text The **figma_text_** property contains the text content from the text layers in your original Figma file, editing this content will make it available to re-import the updated content back into Figma again. ### Custom Text Variants in your JSON If you've exported your JSON file with additional custom properties, these will automatically be included after all of the other default properties in your `.json` file export. You can populate these empty placeholder properties with different versions or different languages, which can be selected if you re-import your JSON back into Figma. > **Tip:** **Ask your developer friends/team to help you use JSON**. If you don't know much about the JSON format, check with someone you know who understands web development, as they'll be able to use this format to do some really neat things, like integrating the data into a third party API/app, or write their own Node.js script to manipulate the text data in other cool ways. ## Editing text in Markdown files To edit your exported `.md` file, you can open the file in a text/code editor application like [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or use a dedicated Markdown editor like [Markably](https://markably.io/). Each block of text in the `.md` file array represents a string of text from your Figma file, which are each preceeded by a line that includes the corrosponding `figma_text_id` for the content. > **Warning:** **Don't edit or remove anything in the "figma_text_id" property lines**. If you intend to re-import your text updates back into your Figma file, please don't edit anything in the "**figma_text_id**" lines, otherwise the links back to your Figma text won't be possible (or could possibly update other layers incorrectly). ### Supported Markdown formatting You can make updates to any Figma content in your Markdown file, and also modify or add some basic markdown formatting (bold, italics) and links, which can be re-imported back into your Figma file. - You can specify **Bold** text by using double asterisks around the text, eg. `**Text to bold**` - You can specify *Italic* text by using single underscores around the text, eg. `_Italic Text_` - You can specify ***Bold Italic*** text by using double asterisks and one underscore around the text, eg. `**_Italic Text_**` - You can specify hyperlinks by using the markdown syntax of `This is [my link here](https://example.com) in a text paragraph` (you can also format the link text by adding the bold/italic syntax inside of the link's `[]` text area). ## Editing text in DOCX files To edit your exported `.docx` file, you can open the file in an application like [Microsoft Word](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/word) or [Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/). Each block of text in the `.docx` file array represents a string of text from your Figma file, which are each preceeded by a line that includes the corrosponding `figma_text_id` for the content. > **Warning:** **Don't edit or remove anything in the "figma_text_id" property lines**. If you intend to re-import your text updates back into your Figma file, please don't edit anything in the "**figma_text_id**" lines, otherwise the links back to your Figma text won't be possible (or could possibly update other layers incorrectly). ### Supported DOCX formatting You can make updates to any Figma content in your DOCX file, and also modify or add some basic formatting (bold, italics) and links, which can be re-imported back into your Figma file. ## Editing XLIFF files To edit your exported `.xliff` file, you can open the file in a text/code editor application like [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/). Each `` in the `.xliff` file represents a string of text from your Figma file, you can verify the parent frame for each text layer by checking the "**frame**" property value as an easy reference, and you can edit the target translation locale for each `` by updating the `` value. > **Tip:** **Use XLIFF editing software to make this easier** If you don't want to use a normal text editor for making updates to your `.xliff` file, you can use specific software made for editing `.xliff` files, such as [Counterparts](https://michelf.ca/software/counterparts-lite/) or [XLIFFTool](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/xlifftool/id1074282695?mt=12) for OSX or [Virtaal](https://virtaal.translatehouse.org/) for Windows. > **Warning:** **Don't edit anything in the "id" property**. If you intend to re-import your text updates back into your Figma file, please don't edit anything in each "id" property, otherwise the links back to your Figma text won't be possible (or could possibly update other layers incorrectly). ## Viewing design references If you're editing text in your export, you may want to visually reference where the text is displayed in the original Figma design. If you enabled the **Design References** option, your exported `.zip` file will include a folder called `_frames`, which includes `.png` images for each frame that you've selected to export. These can be used as a design reference alongside the exported text files. > **Note:** **Exported text layers are ordered by visual position**. The text layers in the exported files are sorted by their visual position in the design (from the top/left to the bottom/right), this should help make it easier to scan a design image and find where the text is being used. ## Video Tutorials ### Video Tutorial: Import/export Figma text layers with CSV files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to import/export Figma text layers with CSV files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/16QHfpJ8M7E) ### Video Tutorial: Export & Re-Import Figma text content via Airtable sync This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to export & re-import Figma text content via Airtable sync using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZoyLiC8riPc) ### Video Tutorial: Import/export Figma text layers with JSON files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to import/export Figma text layers with JSON files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nn01U9o_D9o) ### Video Tutorial: Export and re-import selected text layers in Figma This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to export and re-import selected text layers from Figma using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/gCQZiVV7HOM) ### Video Tutorial: Update Figma text layer content with Markdown files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to update Figma text layer content with Markdown files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIeoBRnuchM) ### Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Microsoft Word with DOCX files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to update Figma text from Microsoft Word with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/eULh-xz99NU) ### Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Google Docs with DOCX files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to update Figma text from Google Docs with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/QA1mmImf7EI) ### Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Office 365 with DOCX files This video tutorial is a complete step-by-step guide showing you how to update Figma text from Office 365 with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin. [Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wj9_H2yhibg)