Figma launches AI spec tools to guide canvas agents

At its inaugural Config event in India, Figma introduced Figma Specs, a markdown-based documentation editor built to establish strict parameters for both human teams and autonomous AI agents. The tool allows designers to centralize design systems, code libraries, and brand guidelines directly within canvas files or as standalone documents. By embedding canvas elements, code layers, and FigJam diagrams, Specs provides clear boundaries for AI tools as Figma rolls out its canvas-based agent to a broader user base.

Alongside Specs, Figma moved its code layers feature into public beta following a private test in June. The functionality lets creators add executable code to designs, enabling users to prompt AI agents to convert visual layouts into code or edit existing code blocks for interactive prototypes. To broaden ecosystem integration, Figma expanded its Model Context Protocol support to cover over 20 external tools, including Open Code, Dia, Grok Bot, and Indian AI startup Sarvam. Additionally, the platform integrated its Figma Make website generator with Payload, an open-source headless CMS acquired last year whose downloads have jumped sixfold over the past 12 months.

These updates address the non-deterministic nature of generative AI by giving software teams fine-grained control over automated output. Figma Chief Design Officer Loredana Crisan emphasized this shift, noting that while teams generate "17-times more lines of code being produced today" than in the past, actual product releases have only grown by 1.3 times. In practice, the new features let developers and designers use AI for rapid exploration without abandoning established brand rules. The announcement also underscores Figma's expansion in India, its largest market outside the U.S., where it already works with 40 percent of the top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.