Figma Sharing and Permissions
Figma lets you decide exactly who sees a design and what each person can do. Sharing takes a few clicks, and good permission habits protect client work and unfinished ideas.
How Figma Organizes Access
Access flows downward through a simple structure. A team holds projects, and projects hold files. People who join a team or project often reach the files inside it.
Team: Studio North
├── Project: Mobile App
│ ├── File: Home Screens
│ └── File: Checkout Flow
└── Project: Website
└── File: Landing Page
Permission Levels
Level What the Person Can Do
---------- ---------------------------------------------
Can edit Change designs, add layers, leave comments
Can view Look at designs and leave comments
Owner Manage the file, access, and settings
Give the lowest level that still lets someone finish their job. A client who reviews work needs view access, not edit access.
Share a File by Invitation
- Open the file and click Share in the top-right corner.
- Type the email address of the person you want to invite.
- Choose Can edit or Can view.
- Click Send invite.
Invited people receive an email with a direct link. They sign in to Figma and open the file.
Share with a Link
The share window also offers link access. Choose between private and open settings.
Only people invited Closed. Strangers cannot open the link.
Anyone with the link Open. Everyone who receives the link gets in.
Pick Only people invited for client work and confidential projects. Use Anyone with the link for public portfolios and open reviews. Some plans add extra controls, such as password-protected links. Check your plan for details.
Share a Prototype Separately
Prototype links work independently from file links. A reviewer can click through a prototype without reaching the design file. Copy the prototype link from the Share button in the Prototype tab.
File link → Opens the canvas and all layers
Prototype link → Opens the clickable preview only
Seats in Simple Words
Paid plans use seat types to match jobs. Designers who build need a full seat. Developers who inspect designs need a developer seat. Reviewers who comment need a collaborator seat. Seat names and prices change over time, so read the current plan page.
Manage Guests and Teams
- Add freelancers to one project instead of the whole team.
- Remove people once a project ends.
- Review the access list every few months.
- Transfer ownership before a team member leaves.
Sharing Checklist
- Clean the file by deleting private notes and unused drafts.
- Name pages clearly so guests find the right content.
- Pick the lowest access level.
- Send the link to the correct person.
- Close access when the review ends.
Common Mistakes
- Posting an open link in a public chat.
- Giving edit access when view access would work.
- Leaving real customer data inside shared files.
- Forgetting that a former teammate still holds access.
Practice Task: Share a Review Copy Safely
Create a practice file with two pages. Invite a friend as a viewer and ask them to leave one comment. Copy the prototype link and open it in a private browser window. Change the link setting to invited people only and test the link again. The new setting blocks the private window. This quick exercise shows how each control changes who gets in.
Step 1 Invite as viewer
Step 2 Collect a comment
Step 3 Test the open link
Step 4 Lock the link and test again