Exporting Figma text layer content

After exporting text layers from your Figma frame(s), you can update their content outside of Figma using any text/spreadsheet editing software, then instantly re-import the updated text back into your Figma designs again later.

The Export Text Layers feature in CopyDoc works by letting you export all of the text layers for your top level parent frames from the current Figma page to a .csv, .json, .md or .xliff file (with optional images for design references) that you can download to your computer.

CopyDoc includes normal text layers and text placed on a path. It can also find supported text inside Figma sections when you use a selection-based export.

Getting started and selecting your Figma frames to include text layers from ​

To get started with this feature, click on the Export Text Layers button in the main CopyDoc plugin screen.

You'll now be able to select the frames from your current Figma page that you would like to use as the pages in your CSV, JSON, Markdown or XLIFF export.

CopyDoc will load all of your "parent frames" from your current Figma page into the plugin as a list of frames that you can use to choose the frames you should like to add text layers to your export from; you can click on any frame's checkbox or image thumbnail to select it (clicking it again will deselect it).

Ordering frames and text layers ​

Use the ordering controls to follow Figma layer order, layer names, visual rows, visual columns, or the available custom order. Visual sorting groups slightly misaligned items into the same row or column, and layer names sort naturally so names such as Frame 2 appear before Frame 10.

These settings control the exported sequence without renaming or rearranging layers on your Figma canvas. Manual localization preview ordering remains controlled by drag and drop.

Parent level Figma frames required To export text layers to CSV, JSON, Markdown, or XLIFF, your Figma page must contain at least one "Parent Frame". This means, any "frames" that are located directly underneath your page.

Selecting your export format and CSV/JSON/Markdown/XLIFF options ​

Excluding locked Figma layers from export ​

Enabling the Exclude Locked Figma Layers option will automatically skip over any locked text layers layers or text layers that are contained inside of a locked parent layer (frame, group, component etc) on your Figma page. You can use this to Exclude any text layers that you don't want to be included in your export.

Maintaining the visual text case from Figma ​

Enabling the Use Figma Visual Text Case option will automatically force your exported text layers to match the "visual" text case (for example, "Uppercase", "Title Case", "Lowercase") option set on your text layer in Figma. You can use this option to visually mirror the text content in your design, instead of exporting the underlying text layer content (for example, as it appears with the default "As typed" case setting selected).

Including design references ​

Enabling the Include Design References option will include .png images for each frame that you've selected to export. These can be used as a design reference alongside the text exported to .csv, .json, .md or .xliff files.

Grouping duplicate text layers ​

Enabling the Group Duplicate Text Layers option will ensure that any text layers with exactly the same content with automatically be grouped into a single entry in your CSV, JSON, Markdown or XLIFF export. This option can make editing and re-importing your content back into Figma a bit easier, as you only need to edit the text in one place and it will be re-imported back to all of the layers with the same text after being changed.

Splitting Figma frames into separate files ​

By default, CopyDoc will export all of your selected Figma frames into a single document file (for example, .csv, .xslx, etc), but if you would prefer each Figma frame to be exported as a different document file, you can enable the Export File Per Frame option in the export settings to do that.

Note, this option won't be available if the Group Duplicate Text Layers option is also enabled, as the grouped option requires all text layers to be exported as a single file.

Adding custom text variant placeholders to CSV or JSON exports ​

One common use case for exporting and re-imported text that has been modified externally in a CSV or JSON file is to quickly swap out your text in Figma to an alternate version of the content. Often, this is localised content, where you're translating content into a different language, or trying out a different set of content for A/B testing etc.

If you need to do this for more than a single language or text variant, you can select the CSV (Custom) or JSON (Custom) options in the export formats select box. Selecting either of these options will reveal a new text input field where you'll be able to add your own custom text variant placeholders that will be included in your CSV or JSON exports.

For example, if you know you need to translate the text layers in your current Figma design to multiple languages, you might add custom variants called Japanese, Dutch and French. This will ensure that these are all added as additional CSV columns or JSON properties, and you'll be able to populate them with the translated text after exporting your content from Figma.

If you decided to re-import these text updates back into Figma via the CopyDoc plugin again later, you'll be able to instantly select any variant in your single CSV or JSON file to swap out, making it much easier than maintaining multiple files.

Exporting and downloading your text content ​

Once you're happy with all of your export settings, you can click the Export button at the top of the export panel to begin exporting text layers from Figma to CSV, JSON, Markdown or XLIFF.

After CopyDoc has finished processing your text layers, you'll be shown a confirmation message; you can download your .zip file containing your exported text (and optional image) files by clicking the Download Text button.

After you've downloaded your .zip file from Figma to your computer, you can open your file explorer to the directory where it was saved. Double clicking on the exported .zip file will unzip the contents and let you use your text exports however you like.

Saving file downloads from Figma If you're using the Figma desktop app, you'll see a prompt appear to download your file. However, if you're using Figma in a web browser, your file will automatically be downloaded to your computer by default (usually to the Downloads directory on your computer).

Quick export text layers from any layer selection ​

If you want to quickly export text layers from any Figma layer selection (instead of only top level Figma frames), you can click the Quick Export button in the CopyDoc plugin to do this, and download the file to your computer. Editing this file will allow you to use the Re-Import feature to update your text layers, too.

Video Tutorials ​

Video Tutorial: Import/export Figma text layers with CSV files

This video walks through how to import/export Figma text layers with CSV files using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Export & Re-Import Figma text content via Airtable sync

This video walks through how to export & re-import Figma text content via Airtable sync using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Import/export Figma text layers with JSON files

This video walks through how to import/export Figma text layers with JSON files using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Export and re-import selected text layers in Figma

This video walks through how to export and re-import selected text layers from Figma using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Update Figma text layer content with Markdown files

This video walks through how to update Figma text layer content with Markdown files using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Microsoft Word with DOCX files

This video walks through how to update Figma text from Microsoft Word with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Google Docs with DOCX files

This video walks through how to update Figma text from Google Docs with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin.

Video Tutorial: Update Figma text from Office 365 with DOCX files

This video walks through how to update Figma text from Office 365 with DOCX files using the CopyDoc plugin.

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