What Is Action in Figma Prototype: Simple Explanation

In a Figma prototype, an action is a trigger that connects one frame or element to another, enabling interaction like navigation or animation. Actions define what happens when a user clicks, hovers, or performs other gestures on your design.

How It Works

Think of a Figma prototype as a clickable model of your app or website. An action is like a button on a remote control that tells the prototype what to do next. When you click or tap on an element, the action triggers a change, such as moving to a new screen or showing an animation.

Actions connect frames or layers by defining the interaction type (like "On Click" or "While Hovering") and the result (like "Navigate To" another frame or "Open Overlay"). This makes your static design feel alive and interactive, just like a real app.

Example

This example shows how to create a simple click action in Figma's prototype mode.

text

1. Select a button or element in your design.
2. Switch to the Prototype tab in the right panel.
3. Drag the circular node from the element to the target frame.
4. Choose the action type, e.g., "On Click" and "Navigate To".
5. Preview the prototype and click the button to see the action work.

Output

When you click the button in the prototype preview, it navigates to the linked frame.

When to Use

Use actions in Figma prototypes whenever you want to simulate user interactions. This helps stakeholders and users understand how your design flows and behaves.

Common use cases include:

• Linking buttons to different screens in an app.
• Showing dropdown menus or overlays on hover or click.
• Creating transitions and animations between states.
• Testing navigation paths before development.

Key Points

• Actions connect elements to frames or overlays to create interactivity.
• They respond to user gestures like clicks, hovers, or drags.
• Actions help simulate real app behavior in prototypes.
• They are essential for user testing and design validation.

Key Takeaways

Actions in Figma prototypes create interactive links between design elements and frames.

They trigger responses like navigation or animations based on user gestures.

Use actions to simulate real app behavior and improve design communication.

Actions make prototypes clickable and testable without coding.