---
title: "Figma MCP — Avoid Large, Heavy Frames"
aliases: [figma-mcp-large-frames, figma-selection-size]
tags: [figma, mcp, performance, best-practices, context-management]
sources: [raw/Avoid selecting large, heavy frames.md]
created: 2026-05-15
updated: 2026-05-15
---

# Figma MCP — Avoid Large, Heavy Frames

When using the [[wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-custom-rules|Figma MCP]] to generate code, frame selection size directly impacts speed and reliability. Selecting an entire screen dumps too much context — the model slows down, errors out, or returns incomplete results.

## The Problem

Large frame selections cause:
- Slow tool responses or timeouts
- Incomplete code output (truncated mid-generation)
- Unpredictable / inconsistent results
- Context overflow for the underlying LLM

## The Fix — Select Smaller

Work at the **component or logical chunk** level, not the full screen:

| Instead of… | Select… |
|-------------|---------|
| Full page layout | `Header`, `Sidebar`, `Footer` separately |
| Whole card grid | Single `Card` component |
| Complex modal | Modal shell, then inner form section |
| Dashboard screen | Widget by widget |

**Rule of thumb:** if the selection has more than ~5–7 nested layers or spans multiple logical sections, split it.

## Workflow

1. Identify the smallest self-contained unit (usually a component or named frame)
2. Select only that unit in Figma
3. Run the MCP tool (e.g. `get_design_context`)
4. If it feels slow or produces partial output → reduce selection further, retry
5. Assemble components into the full screen after each part is generated

## Debugging Output Quality

If generated code looks wrong, check in this order:

1. **Figma file structure** — are layers named correctly? Nested logically?
2. **Prompt wording** — is the intent clear and unambiguous?
3. **Context sent** — is the selected frame too large?

Following these basics accounts for most output quality issues.

## Key Takeaways

- **Never select whole screens** — always break into components or logical chunks
- **Slow / stuck = too large** — reduce selection size and retry
- **Quality issues trace back to** file structure, prompt clarity, or context size
- Smaller selections → more consistent, reusable code
- This applies to all Figma MCP tools: `get_design_context`, `get_screenshot`, `use_figma`

## Related

- [[wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-custom-rules|Figma MCP Custom Rules]] — project-level CLAUDE.md rules for Figma MCP workflow
- [[wiki/claude-code/mcp-integration|MCP Integration]] — MCP setup, transports, scopes

---

*Source: [Figma Developer Docs — Avoid large frames](https://developers.figma.com/docs/figma-mcp-server/avoid-large-frames/)*
