Nested components in Figma - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Nested components

Dashboard Goal

Understand how nested components help build reusable and consistent dashboard elements in Figma for BI reports.

Sample Data

Region	Salesperson	Sales Amount	Month
North	Alice	1000	Jan
South	Bob	1500	Jan
East	Carol	1200	Feb
West	Dave	1300	Feb
North	Alice	1100	Mar

Dashboard Components

• Base KPI Card (Component): A reusable card showing a KPI title and value. It has two text fields: Title and Value.
• Sales KPI Card (Nested Component): Uses the Base KPI Card and sets the Title to "Total Sales" and Value to the sum of all sales amounts (6100).
• Region KPI Card (Nested Component): Uses the Base KPI Card and sets the Title to "Sales in North Region" and Value to the sum of sales where Region = "North" (2100).
• Dashboard Frame: Contains the two KPI cards side by side, showing how nested components build a consistent layout.

Dashboard Layout

+---------------------------+
|      Dashboard Frame      |
| +---------------------+  |
| | Sales KPI Card      |  |
| | Title: Total Sales  |  |
| | Value: 6100         |  |
| +---------------------+  |
| +---------------------+  |
| | Region KPI Card     |  |
| | Title: Sales in     |  |
| | North Region        |  |
| | Value: 2100         |  |
| +---------------------+  |
+---------------------------+
    

Interactivity

When you update the Base KPI Card component (for example, change font or colors), all nested KPI cards update automatically. This keeps the dashboard consistent and saves time.

If you change the sales data, you update the Value text in the nested components to reflect new totals. The nested structure makes it easy to reuse the design while updating data.

Self Check

Add a new KPI card nested from the Base KPI Card to show "Sales in South Region" with value 1500. Which components update automatically if you change the Base KPI Card style?

Answer: All KPI cards nested from the Base KPI Card, including the new "Sales in South Region" card, update automatically with the style changes.

Key Result

A simple dashboard showing how nested components in Figma create reusable KPI cards with consistent style and data display.

Practice

1. What is a nested component in Figma?

easy

A. A component that is not reusable

B. A component placed inside another component

C. A component that cannot be edited

D. A component used only once in a design

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand component basics

   A component is a reusable design element in Figma.

2. Step 2: Define nested component

   A nested component is one placed inside another to build complex designs.

3. Final Answer:

   A component placed inside another component -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Nested component = component inside component [OK]

Hint: Think of components like boxes inside bigger boxes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing nested components with non-editable elements
• Thinking nested means used only once
• Believing nested components are not reusable

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a nested component in Figma?

easy

A. Drag one component inside another component frame

B. Copy and paste a component outside any frame

C. Use the text tool inside a component

D. Create a new component without any layers

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify how nesting works

   Nested components require placing one component inside another's frame or group.

2. Step 2: Check options

   Dragging a component inside another component's frame nests it correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   Drag one component inside another component frame -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Drag inside frame = nest component [OK]

Hint: Drag components inside others to nest them [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Pasting components outside frames does not nest
• Using text tool does not create nested components
• Creating empty components is unrelated

3. Given a main component with a nested button component inside, what happens if you update the nested button's style?

medium

A. No changes happen to any components

B. Only the main component updates, nested buttons stay the same

C. All instances of the nested button update automatically

D. Only the current instance of the nested button updates

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand component instances

   Nested components are reusable; updating the master updates all instances.

2. Step 2: Apply update logic

   Changing the nested button's style updates all places it is used, including inside main components.

3. Final Answer:

   All instances of the nested button update automatically -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Update nested master = update all instances [OK]

Hint: Change master component to update all nested instances [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking only main component updates
• Believing changes affect only one instance
• Assuming no automatic updates happen

4. You tried nesting a component inside another, but the nested component does not appear in the main component. What is the likely issue?

medium

A. The nested component was placed outside the main component frame

B. The nested component is locked and cannot be seen

C. The main component is not selected

D. You need to restart Figma to see changes

Solution

1. Step 1: Check nesting placement

   For a component to be nested, it must be inside the main component's frame or group.

2. Step 2: Identify common mistake

   Placing the nested component outside the frame means it won't appear inside the main component.

3. Final Answer:

   The nested component was placed outside the main component frame -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Nested component must be inside frame [OK]

Hint: Ensure nested component is inside main component frame [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming locking hides nested components
• Thinking selection affects visibility
• Believing restart is needed for nesting

5. You have a dashboard component with nested chart and button components. You want to update the button style only in this dashboard without affecting other dashboards. How can you do this?

hard

A. Lock the nested button component to prevent changes

B. Edit the master button component directly

C. Create a new button component and replace the nested one

D. Detach the nested button component instance and edit it locally

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand instance behavior

   Editing the master updates all instances, so direct edits affect all dashboards.

2. Step 2: Use detaching to customize locally

   Detaching the nested button instance breaks the link, allowing local edits without affecting others.

3. Step 3: Avoid unnecessary replacements

   Creating a new component is extra work; detaching is simpler for one-off changes.

4. Final Answer:

   Detach the nested button component instance and edit it locally -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Detach instance = local edit only [OK]

Hint: Detach nested instance to edit without global changes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Editing master affects all instances
• Replacing components wastes time
• Locking does not allow editing