Scroll behavior (vertical, horizontal) in Figma - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Vertical Scroll Behavior

In a dashboard design, you want users to scroll only up and down to see more data. Which scroll behavior setting in Figma achieves this?

A Disable scrolling completely

B Set overflow scrolling to horizontal only

C Set overflow scrolling to both vertical and horizontal

D Set overflow scrolling to vertical only

💡 Hint

Think about which direction allows vertical movement but restricts sideways movement.

Vertical scroll behavior allows users to scroll up and down, which is ideal for long dashboards. Horizontal scroll would allow sideways movement, which is not desired here.

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Choosing Horizontal Scroll for Data Tables

You have a wide data table that doesn't fit the screen width. You want users to scroll sideways to see all columns. Which scroll behavior should you enable in Figma?

A Horizontal scroll only

B Vertical scroll only

C Both vertical and horizontal scroll

D No scroll, use page break

💡 Hint

Consider which scroll direction lets users move left and right.

Horizontal scroll allows sideways movement, perfect for wide tables. Vertical scroll won't help see columns beyond screen width.

❓ visualization

advanced

Visualizing Mixed Scroll Behavior

You want to create a dashboard prototype in Figma where the main content scrolls vertically, but a side panel scrolls horizontally. How should you set the scroll behaviors for these two frames?

A Both frames: vertical scroll only

B Main content: vertical scroll; Side panel: horizontal scroll

C Main content: horizontal scroll; Side panel: vertical scroll

D Both frames: horizontal scroll only

💡 Hint

Think about typical dashboard layouts and how users navigate content.

Main content usually scrolls vertically to see more data. Side panels with menus or filters often scroll horizontally if content is wide.

🔧 Formula Fix

advanced

Fixing Unexpected Scroll Behavior

You designed a dashboard frame in Figma with vertical scroll enabled, but users report they can scroll sideways too. What is the most likely cause?

A The frame width is smaller than the content width, causing horizontal overflow

B Vertical scroll setting automatically enables horizontal scroll

C The frame height is larger than the content height

D Scroll behavior settings are ignored in Figma

💡 Hint

Check the size of the frame compared to its content.

If content is wider than the frame, horizontal overflow occurs, allowing sideways scroll even if only vertical scroll is set.

🎯 Scenario

expert

Designing Responsive Scroll Behavior for BI Dashboard

You are designing a BI dashboard in Figma that must work on desktop and mobile. On desktop, the dashboard should scroll vertically only. On mobile, the dashboard should allow both vertical and horizontal scroll because of limited screen width. How do you set scroll behaviors to meet these requirements?

A Set the frame to both vertical and horizontal scroll for all devices

B Set the frame to vertical scroll only and rely on pinch zoom on mobile

C Create two frames: one with vertical scroll for desktop, one with both scrolls for mobile, and switch visibility based on device

D Disable scrolling and use pagination instead

💡 Hint

Think about how to handle different device needs in one design file.

Using separate frames with different scroll settings and toggling visibility per device ensures the best user experience on each platform.

Practice

1. What does vertical scroll behavior do in a Figma frame?

easy

A. It allows users to move content up and down inside the frame.

B. It allows users to move content left and right inside the frame.

C. It locks the content so it cannot be scrolled.

D. It automatically resizes the frame to fit all content.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand vertical scroll behavior

   Vertical scrolling means moving content up and down inside a frame.

2. Step 2: Match behavior to options

   It allows users to move content up and down inside the frame. correctly describes vertical scrolling as up and down movement.

3. Final Answer:

   It allows users to move content up and down inside the frame. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Vertical scroll = up/down movement [OK]

Hint: Vertical scroll means up and down movement [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing vertical with horizontal scrolling
• Thinking vertical scroll locks content
• Assuming vertical scroll resizes frame

2. Which option correctly sets horizontal scroll behavior in Figma's frame properties?

easy

A. Set Overflow behavior to 'Horizontal scrolling'.

B. Set Overflow behavior to 'Resize frame'.

C. Set Overflow behavior to 'No scrolling'.

D. Set Overflow behavior to 'Vertical scrolling'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate Overflow behavior setting

   In Figma, scroll behavior is set under Overflow behavior in the right panel for frames.

2. Step 2: Choose correct scroll type for horizontal

   To enable horizontal scroll, select 'Horizontal scrolling' option.

3. Final Answer:

   Set Overflow behavior to 'Horizontal scrolling'. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Horizontal scroll = 'Horizontal scrolling' setting [OK]

Hint: Choose 'Horizontal scrolling' for horizontal scroll [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Selecting vertical scrolling for horizontal scroll
• Choosing no scrolling by mistake
• Confusing resize frame with scroll behavior

3. Given a Figma frame with Overflow behavior set to 'Vertical scrolling' and content taller than the frame, what happens when you preview the frame?

medium

A. You can scroll left and right to see hidden content.

B. You can scroll up and down to see hidden content.

C. The frame resizes automatically to show all content.

D. No scrolling is possible; content is clipped.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand vertical scrolling with taller content

   Vertical scrolling allows moving content up and down when content height exceeds frame height.

2. Step 2: Predict preview behavior

   Since content is taller, vertical scroll lets user scroll up/down to see hidden parts.

3. Final Answer:

   You can scroll up and down to see hidden content. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Vertical scroll + taller content = up/down scroll [OK]

Hint: Vertical scroll lets you move up/down if content is taller [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking horizontal scroll works for tall content
• Assuming frame resizes automatically
• Believing no scroll means content is visible

4. You set a frame's Overflow behavior to 'Horizontal scrolling' but users cannot scroll horizontally in preview. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The frame is set to 'Vertical scrolling' instead.

B. The frame's content height is larger than the frame height.

C. The frame's content width is smaller or equal to the frame width.

D. The frame has no fill color.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check content size relative to frame

   Horizontal scrolling works only if content width exceeds frame width.

2. Step 2: Identify cause of no horizontal scroll

   If content width is smaller or equal, no horizontal scroll is needed or possible.

3. Final Answer:

   The frame's content width is smaller or equal to the frame width. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Horizontal scroll needs wider content [OK]

Hint: Check if content width exceeds frame width for horizontal scroll [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing height with width for horizontal scroll
• Assuming vertical scroll setting causes issue
• Thinking fill color affects scroll behavior

5. You want a Figma frame to allow users to scroll vertically but not horizontally, even if content is wider than the frame. How should you set the scroll behavior and frame properties?

hard

A. Set Overflow behavior to 'No scrolling' and resize frame to fit content.

B. Set Overflow behavior to 'Horizontal scrolling' and increase frame height.

C. Set Overflow behavior to 'Vertical scrolling' and resize frame width to fit content.

D. Set Overflow behavior to 'Vertical scrolling' and ensure frame width clips content horizontally.

Solution

1. Step 1: Choose vertical scroll behavior

   Set Overflow behavior to 'Vertical scrolling' to allow up/down movement only.

2. Step 2: Control horizontal clipping

   Keep frame width fixed so wider content is clipped horizontally, preventing horizontal scroll.

3. Final Answer:

   Set Overflow behavior to 'Vertical scrolling' and ensure frame width clips content horizontally. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Vertical scroll + fixed width = vertical only scroll [OK]

Hint: Use vertical scroll and fixed width to block horizontal scroll [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Setting horizontal scroll instead of vertical
• Resizing frame width to fit content allowing horizontal scroll
• Choosing no scrolling disables all scroll