figma-use-slides

use_figma — Figma Plugin API Skill for Slides

This skill contains Slides-specific context for the use_figma MCP tool. The figma-use skill provides foundational context for plugin API execution via MCP as well as the full Figma plugin API for more advanced use-cases that are not described here.

Always include figma-use-slides in the comma-separated skillNames parameter when calling use_figma for Slides operations. If this skill was loaded via an MCP resource, you MUST prefix the name with resource: (e.g. resource:figma-use-slides). This is a logging parameter used to track skill usage — it does not affect execution.

Choosing How to Build a Slides Deck

If your environment also provides a generate_deck tool, choose one approach per deck request — do not call both for the same deck.

When to use which

use_figma + this skill (default): Handles any Slides task — new decks, edits to existing decks, brand-matched designs, reference-file styling, iterative refinement, speaker notes, and full creative control over layout, color, and typography. Use this for most requests.

generate_deck: Generates a complete deck in a single call using prebuilt, curated templates. Useful for quick, straightforward decks where the user doesn't need custom design, brand matching, or reference-file styling. It cannot use custom templates, cannot reference other Figma files for design direction, and does not support iterative editing or follow-up modifications through the conversation.

When in doubt, default to use_figma + this skill — it covers everything generate_deck can do and more.

Pick one and commit

Once you choose an approach for a deck, complete the entire request with that approach. Do not generate a deck with generate_deck and then also create or populate a file with use_figma — the user ends up with duplicate, conflicting artifacts and a confusing experience.

Critical Rules (Slides-specific)

1. Newly created Slides files have a default light theme. When a Slides file is created via create_new_file, a default light theme is automatically initialized. This theme is structural scaffolding — you should overwrite the theme's color variables and text styles with your own design direction for the deck you're building. Do not rely on or be influenced by the default light theme tokens.
2. MUST appendChild BEFORE setting x/y — for every node, at every level of nesting. Newly created nodes are silently auto-parented to a slide context at absolute (240, 240) (the slide grid's GRID_PADDING). Writing x/y before appendChild causes the value to be stored against that hidden origin; the node then lands at (intended − 240, intended − 240) once you attach the real parent. The bug is intermittent — some frames in the same script escape it, so a working test is not proof you're safe. Signature to recognize: if any node ends up (−240, −240) from where you set it, your code set x/y before the final appendChild. Do NOT try to compensate by adding 240 back — that produces worse output on retry. Fix the order instead. See slide-gotchas.md for the helper pattern that makes the order impossible to get wrong.
3. SLIDE_GRID and SLIDE_ROW are opaque nodes — do not access .fills, .effects, or layout properties on them. Only SLIDE nodes (type 'SLIDE') extend BaseFrameMixin. Exception: SLIDE_ROW.name IS settable — that's how plugins rename slide sections (e.g. slideRow.name = "Intro"). See slide-lifecycle.md.
4. get_metadata does NOT work on Slides files. Use use_figma read-only scripts for validation. Return created node positions in closePlugin() output and verify no overlapping bounding boxes.
5. Do NOT call figma.createPage() in Slides. It throws TypeError: figma.createPage no such property 'createPage' on the figma global object — createPage() is a Design-file API only (figma.com/design/...); the Slides URL is figma.com/slides/.... Use the slide grid (SLIDE_GRID / SLIDE_ROW / SLIDE) to organize deck structure instead — see slide-lifecycle.md and slide-grid.md.
6. Never delete existing slides to rebuild them. When asked to improve, redesign, or restyle a deck, modify the existing slides in place. Only delete slides when the user explicitly asks to "start over" or "redo from scratch."