Instance Swap Property in Figma: What It Is and How to Use It

The instance swap property in Figma allows you to replace one component instance with another while keeping overrides intact. It helps designers quickly switch components without rebuilding or losing custom changes.

How It Works

The instance swap property in Figma works like swapping a part in a machine without taking the whole machine apart. Imagine you have a button component used many times in your design. If you want to change the button style, instead of deleting and adding a new one, you can swap the existing button instance with a new button component.

This swap keeps any custom changes you made to the original instance, like text or color overrides, so you don’t lose your work. It’s like changing a tire on a car but keeping the car’s unique paint and stickers intact.

Example

Here is a simple example of swapping instances in Figma using the UI:

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1. Select the instance of a component on your canvas.
2. In the right sidebar under the 'Instance' section, find the 'Swap Instance' button.
3. Click it to open a list of available components.
4. Choose the new component to replace the current instance.
5. The instance updates to the new component but keeps your overrides like text or colors.

Output

The selected instance changes to the new component while preserving any custom overrides.

When to Use

Use instance swap when you want to update or change components across your design quickly without losing custom edits. For example, if you have a set of buttons and want to switch from a primary style to a secondary style, instance swap lets you do this in seconds.

It is also useful when you want to test different component versions or themes without rebuilding your design from scratch. This saves time and keeps your design consistent.

Key Points

• Instance swap replaces one component instance with another.
• Overrides like text and colors remain after swapping.
• It speeds up design updates and testing different styles.
• Helps maintain consistency across large designs.

Key Takeaways

Instance swap lets you replace components without losing custom changes.

It saves time by avoiding manual rebuilds of design elements.

Use it to quickly test or update component styles across your project.

Overrides like text and colors stay intact after swapping.

It helps keep your design consistent and efficient.