Related Videos

• Rename Layers

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Supported on any team or plan.

  Anyone with can edit access to a file can rename layers

  Establishing a clear naming structure or hierarchy makes managing layers in your files much easier. The Rename layers function will allow you to quickly rename multiple layers at once.

  

  Rename layers modal

  You can access the Rename layers modal a number of different ways.

  1. Select the layers you want to rename from the canvas, or in the layers panel.
  2. To toggle the Rename Layers Modal you can then do one of the following:
     
     1. Right-click on the layers in the panel and choose Rename.
     2. Use the keyboard shortcuts:
        • Mac: Command ⌘ - R
        • Windows: Ctrl + R
  3. The Rename Layers Modal will open above the canvas:

  Tip! You can rename a single frame or flow starting point right from the canvas by double-clicking its current name.

  Rename layers in bulk

  If you're wanting to simply update the selected layers to the same name, you can add the desired name to the Rename to field and click Rename.

  However, it's more likely that you will want to update each layer to have a slightly different name, allowing you to better distinguish objects in the layers panel.

  Below the Rename to field you will see some buttons. When clicked, these buttons will add a special code to the Rename to field that allows you to generate slightly different names for each layer.

  • The Current name button represents the layer's current name. 
  • The Number ↑ button inserts a number into each layer's name, in an ascending order.
  • The Number ↓ button inserts a number into each layer's name, in an descending order.

  To better explain how this works, we'll show you some examples.

  Example 1: Rename every layer to the exact same name

  If you want to update all of your selected layers to have the same name (e.g. Icon):

  1. Select the layers you want to update.
  2. Use the keyboard shortcuts to open the Rename Layer Modal
     • Mac: Command ⌘ - R
     • Windows: Ctrl + R
  3. Enter the new name into the Rename to field.
  4. Click the Rename button to apply.
  5. The selected layers will be updated to that name.

  Example 2: Rename each layer with a numerical suffix

  If you have a bunch of similar layers that you want to have the same name, but still be distinguishable, you can add a number to the end (or beginning) of the layer's name (e.g. Icon_1).

  1. Select the layers you want to rename.
  2. Right-click on the layers and select Rename layers.
  3. Enter the name you want to call the layers in the Rename to field.
  4. Click the Number ↑ or Number ↓ button. This adds a code to the name, that tells Figma to add a different number to the end of each layer's name.
  5. If you like, you can set the Start ascending from / Stop descending at field.
  6. You will see a Preview of the updated names on the left. Click the Rename button to apply. 
  7. The selected layers will be updated to the new name, with a unique number at the end.

  Example 3: Add a prefix to every layer

  If you already have a unique name for each layer, but would like to group them for faster editing, you can add a prefix to the existing name (e.g. Icon_Home).

  1. Select the layers you want to rename.
  2. Right-click on the layers in the layers panel and select Rename layers.
  3. Enter the prefix you'd like to add to the layer name.
  4. Click the Current Name button to add the current layer name after the prefix.
  5. You will see a Preview of the updated names on the left. Click the Rename button to apply.
  6. The selected layers will be updated to start with the prefix, followed by the original name:

  Rename part of a layer's name

  While you were using the modal, you may have noticed a " Match" field. This allows you to identify which part of the layer's name you want to update.
  
  By leaving this blank you can update the entire name, but you can also use this field to remove or update part of the layer's name (e.g. change the " Icon/" part in the name "Icon/Home" to "Image/").

  1. Select the layers you want to rename.
  2. In the Match field, enter the part of the name you'd like to update.
  3. Enter what you'd like to replace that part of the name with. This will only replace the part of the layer's name identified in the Match field.
  4. You will see a Preview of the updated names on the left. Click the Rename button to apply.

  Use Regular Expressions (Advanced)

  If you're familiar with, or confident using regular expressions, then you can also use these in the Rename Layers Modal. This is particularly handy if you want to change the syntax of the name (e.g. change "Icon_003" to  "003_Icon").

  1. Select the layers you want to rename.
  2. Use the keyboard shortcuts to open the Rename Layer Modal:
     • Mac: Command ⌘ + R
     • Windows: Ctrl + R
  3. Type ([a-zA-Z]+)_(\d+) in the Match field.
  4. Type $2_$1 in the Replace field.
  5. You will see a preview of the updated names on the left. 
  6. Click the Rename button to apply.

  New to Regular Expressions or need a refresh? Mozilla have a handy reference guide on their website.

  Some common patterns to get you started are:

  • $1, $2, etc – the first, second, etc., match marked by parentheses.
  • $& – the entire thing that was matched.
  • $` – everything before the thing that was matched.
  • $’ – everything after the thing that was matched.
  • $n – an increasing counter. (nonstandard).
  • $nnn – an increasing counter with three digits. (nonstandard)
  • $NNN –  a decreasing counter with three digits. (nonstandard)

  If you want to test your regular expressions before entering them you can try them out here https://regexr.com/

• Lock and unlock layers

  Before you start

  Who can use this feature

  Anyone on any team or plan has access to the layers Panel in the Editor.

  Only users with can edit access can lock and unlock layers.

  Lock layers to prevent them from being moved in the canvas, or protect them from accidental edits. When you lock a layer, you can't interact with or move it around in the canvas. You can still select a locked layer in the Layers Panel or adjust any properties of the layer.

  If you lock a parent frame or group, then any child layers of that frame or group will also be locked. It's not possible to unlock child layers without unlocking the parent. Learn about parent and child relationships →

  Note: It's possible to select locked layers via the right-click menu. Right-click on the layer, choose Select layer, then select the layer from the options. Locked layers have a padlock next to them.

  Keyboard shortcuts

  • Mac: ⌘ Command ⇧ Shift L
  • Windows: Ctrl Shift L

  Canvas

  1. Right-click on the layer in the canvas.
  2. Select Lock or Unlock from the options.

  Layers Panel

  1. Hover over the layer in the Layers Panel until the appears.
  2. Click the padlock to lock the layer. Figma will close the padlock next to the layer in the Layers Panel.
  3. If this is a frame or group, then any children of that frame/group will also be locked.
  4. You will no longer be able to edit the layer in the canvas.
  5. Click the padlock again to unlock the layer.

  Tip! You can lock/unlock multiple layers at once. Click on the or and drag across the layers you want to update.

• Toggle visibility to hide layers

  Before you Start

  Who can use this feature

  Users on Any plan can access this functionality

  Only users with Edit access can toggle layer visibility off and on

  You can toggle a layer's visibility in the Layers Panel. You can still change the position, or adjust the properties of a hidden layer.

  Visibility for layers (and properties) is shown with an eye icon.

  There are a few ways to toggle a layer's visibility.

  Keyboard shortcuts

  Toggle a layer's visibility off and on using the keyboard shortcut:

  • Mac:   Command Shift H
  • Windows:   Control Shift H

  Layers Panel

  You can also toggle a layer's visibility in the Layers Panel. You can toggle layers individually, or hide all child objects in a group or Frame.

  1. Hover over the layer, group or Frame in the Layers Panel.
  2. Click on the visibility icon (the eye) to toggle the layer's visibility off.
  3. The eye will close and the layer will be hidden in the canvas. It will also appear as inactive (greyed out) in the Layers Panel.
  4. Click the closed eye icon to toggle the layer's visibility on again. 

  Note: When you hide a layer, you won't be able to select it in the canvas. This includes using the Select Layer option in the right-click menu. You can still select the layer in the Layers Panel.