figma-common-errors

name	figma-common-errors
description	Diagnose and fix common Figma REST API and Plugin API errors. Use when encountering HTTP errors, plugin sandbox crashes, or unexpected API responses from Figma. Trigger with phrases like "figma error", "fix figma", "figma not working", "figma 403", "figma 429".
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Bash(curl:*)
version	1.6.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","figma"]
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code

Figma Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the most common Figma REST API and Plugin API errors, with exact error messages and working solutions.

Prerequisites

• Figma API credentials configured
• Access to your application logs or browser console

Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Error Category

REST API HTTP Errors

Status	Error	Cause	Solution
400	Bad Request	Malformed request, invalid node IDs	Verify node ID format (pageId:nodeId, e.g., 0:1)
403	Forbidden	Invalid token, wrong scopes, no file access	Regenerate PAT with correct scopes; verify file sharing
404	Not Found	Wrong file key, deleted file, wrong endpoint	Check file key from URL; verify file exists
429	Rate Limited	Too many requests	Read Retry-After header; implement backoff
500	Internal Server Error	Figma server issue	Retry with exponential backoff; check status.figma.com

Step 2: Diagnose Specific Errors

403 Forbidden -- Token Issues

# Test your token
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "X-Figma-Token: ${FIGMA_PAT}" \
  https://api.figma.com/v1/me
# 200 = token valid, 403 = invalid/expired

# Check what scopes your request needs
# file_content:read  -> GET /v1/files/:key
# file_comments:read -> GET /v1/files/:key/comments
# file_variables:read -> GET /v1/files/:key/variables/local
# webhooks:write     -> POST /v2/webhooks

Common 403 causes:

• PAT expired (90-day maximum lifetime)
• Token missing required scope (e.g., using file_content:read but calling comments endpoint)
• File not shared with the token owner
• OAuth token not refreshed after expiry

429 Rate Limited

// Figma returns these headers on 429:
// Retry-After: <seconds>            -- wait this long before retrying
// X-Figma-Rate-Limit-Type: <type>   -- "low" or "high" tier
// X-Figma-Plan-Tier: <plan>         -- your plan level

async function handleRateLimit(response: Response) {
  if (response.status === 429) {
    const retryAfter = parseInt(response.headers.get('Retry-After') || '60');
    const limitType = response.headers.get('X-Figma-Rate-Limit-Type');
    console.warn(`Rate limited (${limitType}). Retrying in ${retryAfter}s`);
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, retryAfter * 1000));
    return true; // signal to retry
  }
  return false;
}

404 Not Found

# Verify your file key is correct
# URL format: https://www.figma.com/design/<FILE_KEY>/<file-name>
# The file key is the string between /design/ and the next /

# Test the file key
curl -s -H "X-Figma-Token: ${FIGMA_PAT}" \
  "https://api.figma.com/v1/files/${FIGMA_FILE_KEY}" \
  | jq '.name // "FILE NOT FOUND"'

Images Endpoint Returns null

// GET /v1/images/:key returns null for nodes that cannot render
const images = await exportImages(['0:1', '0:2']);

for (const [nodeId, url] of Object.entries(images)) {
  if (url === null) {
    // Node failed to render. Common causes:
    // - Node is invisible (visibility: false)
    // - Node has 0% opacity
    // - Node ID does not exist in the file
    // - Node has no visual content (e.g., an empty frame)
    console.error(`Failed to render node ${nodeId}`);
  }
}

Step 3: Plugin API Errors

Error	Context	Cause	Solution
figma is not defined	Node.js / browser	Running plugin code outside Figma sandbox	Plugin code only runs inside Figma desktop app
Cannot read property of undefined	Plugin	Accessing deleted node reference	Re-query node: figma.getNodeById(id)
Plugin timed out	Plugin	Operation took too long	Use figma.commitUndo() and batch operations
Quota exceeded	Plugin	Too many nodes created	Limit to ~5000 nodes per operation
Permission denied	Plugin	Missing manifest.json permission	Add required permission to permissions array

Step 4: Quick Diagnostic Script

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Figma API Diagnostics ==="

# 1. Check Figma service status
echo -n "Figma Status: "
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://www.figma.com && echo " OK" || echo " DOWN"

# 2. Validate token
echo -n "Token Valid: "
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
  -H "X-Figma-Token: ${FIGMA_PAT}" \
  https://api.figma.com/v1/me

# 3. Check file access
echo -n "File Access: "
curl -s -H "X-Figma-Token: ${FIGMA_PAT}" \
  "https://api.figma.com/v1/files/${FIGMA_FILE_KEY}" \
  | jq -r '.name // "FAILED"'

# 4. Check env vars
echo "FIGMA_PAT: ${FIGMA_PAT:+SET (${#FIGMA_PAT} chars)}"
echo "FIGMA_FILE_KEY: ${FIGMA_FILE_KEY:-NOT SET}"

Output

• Identified error cause from status code and headers
• Applied targeted fix
• Verified resolution with diagnostic commands

Error Handling

When the diagnostic itself fails, work outside-in before re-consulting the catalog:

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Every call returns 401, even /v1/me	Token revoked, expired, or wrong header (Authorization vs X-Figma-Token)	Regenerate the PAT; PATs use X-Figma-Token, OAuth uses Authorization: Bearer
Diagnostic script (Step 4) hangs	No timeout on the probe requests	Add --max-time 15 to curl / AbortSignal.timeout() in fetch
Error not in the catalog	New API behavior or plugin-API error mistaken for REST	Check Step 3 (plugin errors) and status.figma.com before filing
Fix applied but error persists	Cached 4xx response or stale token in another env	Bust caches; verify which env's token the failing process actually loaded

Full per-error diagnosis flow: references/diagnose-specific-errors.md; automated probe: references/quick-diagnostic-script.md.

Examples

Error Wrapper with Actionable Messages

function diagnoseFigmaError(status: number, body: string): string {
  switch (status) {
    case 403: return 'Auth failed. Check: (1) PAT not expired (2) correct scopes (3) file shared with you';
    case 404: return 'Not found. Check: (1) file key from URL (2) file not deleted (3) node IDs valid';
    case 429: return 'Rate limited. Implement exponential backoff with Retry-After header';
    case 500: return 'Figma server error. Check status.figma.com and retry with backoff';
    default: return `Unexpected ${status}: ${body}`;
  }
}

Resources

• Figma Status Page
• Figma REST API Rate Limits
• Figma API Scopes

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see figma-debug-bundle.