Interactive Components in Figma allow designers to create reusable components that respond to user interactions directly inside a component set. They are especially useful for creating realistic prototypes for buttons, toggles, checkboxes, tabs, navigation items, dropdowns, switches, input states, and other interactive UI elements. Instead of manually creating prototype connections on every screen, interaction behavior can be built into the component itself and reused whenever an instance is placed in a design.
Interactive Components extend Figma Variants by allowing prototype interactions between variants in the same component set. When an interactive component is added to a design, its configured variant interactions are already available for prototyping.
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Interactive Components are reusable Figma components that contain predefined prototype interactions between their variants. When a user interacts with an instance, Figma can automatically switch it from one variant to another.
Default Variant
↓
User Interaction
↓
Change to
↓
Hover Variant
↓
User Clicks
↓
Pressed Variant
For example, a button can automatically change from Default to Hover when the cursor moves over it and then change to Pressed when the user clicks it.
Interactive Components are component-set variants connected with prototype interactions so that reusable UI components can respond to user actions.
Interactive Component
=
Component Set
+
Variants
+
Prototype Interactions
Traditional prototyping can require many duplicate frames and prototype connections. Interactive Components allow common component behavior to be defined once and reused across multiple instances.
| Concept | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Component | Reusable design element | Button |
| Variant | Different version of a component | Button / Hover |
| Component Set | Groups related variants | Button states |
| Trigger | Starts an interaction | On click |
| Action | Defines what happens | Change to |
| Interactive Component | Reusable component with built-in interactions | Interactive toggle |
Component Set
│
├── Default Variant
│
├── Hover Variant
│
├── Pressed Variant
│
└── Disabled Variant
│
↓
Prototype Connections
│
↓
User Interaction
│
↓
Figma Changes Variant
Interactive Components are an extension of Figma Variants. You first create a component set containing variants and then create prototype interactions between those variants.
Variants
↓
Component Set
↓
Prototype Interaction
↓
Interactive Component
Variants define the different states or versions of a component, while Interactive Components define how the component can move from one state to another during prototyping.
Interactive Components require a component set with variants. The variants used for a Change to interaction must belong to the same component set.
A component set is the foundation for many Interactive Component workflows.
Button Component Set
├── Default
├── Hover
├── Pressed
└── Disabled
Each variant represents a different state of the same component.
A trigger is the event that starts an interaction. It describes what the user needs to do before the prototype responds.
Common triggers include:
In Figma prototyping, an interaction consists of a trigger and an action that determines what happens next.
An action defines what happens after the trigger occurs.
For Interactive Components, the most important action is Change to.
Trigger:
On click
Action:
Change to
Destination:
Checked Variant
Change to is the prototype action used to switch between variants in the same component set. For example, a checkbox can change from an unchecked variant to a checked variant when clicked.
Unchecked
↓
On click
↓
Change to
↓
Checked
Suppose you want a button to have Default, Hover, and Pressed states.
Button
State = Default
│
│ While hovering
↓
State = Hover
│
│ While pressing / click
↓
State = Pressed
A disabled state normally represents a state that should not respond to normal user interaction.
Button
├── Default
├── Hover
├── Pressed
└── Disabled
Do not create normal interaction transitions from Disabled to active states unless that behavior is specifically required by the prototype.
A checkbox is one of the simplest examples of an Interactive Component.
Checkbox
Unchecked
↓ On click
Checked
↓ On click
Unchecked
The same component can be duplicated across many screens while retaining its interaction behavior.
Toggle
Off
↓
On click
↓
On
On
↓
On click
↓
Off
This allows designers to simulate a real toggle without creating separate prototype connections for every individual toggle instance.
Tabs can use variants to represent active and inactive states.
Tab
State = Active
State = Inactive
Prototype behavior can then change the selected tab state when the user interacts with a tab.
Navigation Item
Default
Hover
Active
Disabled
Hover and active states can be represented by variants and connected with appropriate triggers.
An accordion can use collapsed and expanded variants.
Accordion
Collapsed
↓ On click
Expanded
↓ On click
Collapsed
This is useful for FAQ, settings, help, and documentation interfaces.
A dropdown can use variants such as Closed and Open.
Dropdown
Closed
↓
On click
↓
Open
Additional variants can represent selected or disabled states where required.
Like Button
Not Liked
↓ On click
Liked
↓ On click
Not Liked
This can be combined with icons, text, color changes, and animation to create a realistic prototype.
Favorite
Inactive
↓
On click
↓
Active
The interaction can change the icon, color, and other visual properties through the destination variant.
Input fields can use variants to represent different visual states.
Input
Default
Focus
Filled
Error
Success
Disabled
Prototype interactions can demonstrate how the field changes as the user interacts with it.
Radio
Unselected
↓ On click
Selected
For complex forms, Interactive Components can reduce the amount of repetitive prototype wiring required.
Switch
Off
On
Off Disabled
On Disabled
Use separate properties when that creates a clearer and more reusable component architecture.
Interactive Components can use animation settings to make state changes feel more realistic.
Common animation approaches include:
The exact animation options and interface may evolve as Figma updates its prototyping features.
Smart Animate can create smooth visual transitions between compatible layers in different variants.
Default
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Hover
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Pressed
Keep layer names and structures consistent between variants when you want predictable Smart Animate behavior.
Toggle Off
●────────
↓ Smart Animate
Toggle On
────────●
The moving switch indicator and background can animate between the two variants.
While hovering is useful for desktop interactions such as buttons, navigation items, cards, and menus.
Default
↓
While hovering
↓
Hover
On click is useful for controls that change state after a user clicks them.
Off
↓
On click
↓
On
While pressing can be used to demonstrate a temporary pressed state while the user holds the pointer interaction.
Default
↓
While pressing
↓
Pressed
Some components can use drag interactions when the design requires movement-based behavior.
Examples include:
Button
Default
↓ While hovering
Hover
↓ While pressing
Pressed
↓ On release
Default
Multiple interactions can be connected between variants to simulate realistic component behavior.
| Normal Prototyping | Interactive Components |
|---|---|
| Connections often created on individual screens | Interactions can be defined at component level |
| Can require many duplicate connections | Instances inherit component interactions |
| More repetitive for repeated controls | Reusable interaction behavior |
| Harder to maintain at scale | Easier to maintain component behavior |
| More frame duplication may be required | Can reduce unnecessary frame duplication |
Interactive Components are particularly useful when the same control appears repeatedly because the interaction behavior can be configured once and reused across instances.
| Component Variants | Interactive Components |
|---|---|
| Create different versions of a component | Add interactions between those versions |
| Define states and styles | Define behavior between states |
| Example: Default, Hover, Disabled | Example: Default → Hover on hover |
| Static component configuration | Interactive prototype behavior |
Component properties control how an instance can be customized, while Interactive Components define how the component can respond to prototype interactions.
Component Property
↓
Controls Configuration
Interactive Component
↓
Controls Prototype Behavior
Interactive Components can be combined with component properties to create flexible and realistic components.
Button
Variant:
State = Default
State = Hover
State = Pressed
Text Property:
Label = Continue
Boolean Property:
Show Icon = True
Instance Swap:
Icon = Arrow Right
Interactive Components can contain nested components. A Change to interaction can also be used with supported nested component structures to change a parent component variant.
Parent Component
↓
Nested Interactive Component
↓
User Interaction
↓
Change to Parent Variant
Expandable
Collapsed
├── Icon: Plus
└── Content: Hidden
Expanded
├── Icon: Minus
└── Content: Visible
The nested icon or content can participate in the component structure while the parent switches between its variants.
Interactive Components can work with variables to create more advanced prototype behavior. When supported in the prototype setup, a component interaction and variable-driven behavior can work together so that other elements using the same variable can respond to changes.
User Interaction
↓
Interactive Component
↓
Variant Changes
↓
Variable Updates
↓
Other Bound Elements Update
Product Card
Selected = False
Selected = True
Interaction:
Click Product
↓
Change to Selected
Variable:
Selected Product Count
↓
Other UI updates
Interactive checkboxes are especially useful in forms, onboarding flows, task lists, settings screens, and e-commerce filters.
Unchecked
↕
Checked
Once the interactive checkbox component is created, multiple instances can be placed on a screen without manually recreating the same state interaction for every checkbox.
Imagine a screen containing five independent checkboxes. If every checkbox can be checked or unchecked, there are many possible combinations. Building all those states with traditional frame-based connections can become extremely complex.
Interactive Components allow the checkbox behavior to be defined once and then reused across all checkbox instances. This significantly reduces repetitive prototype connections.
Traditional Approach
Screen
↓
Duplicate Frames
↓
Different Checkbox Combinations
↓
Many Prototype Connections
Interactive Component Approach
Checkbox Component Set
↓
Unchecked ↔ Checked
↓
Create Instances
↓
Interactions Reused
Interactive Components are valuable in design systems because they allow interaction behavior to be standardized at the component level.
Interactive prototypes can show developers how a component is expected to behave instead of only showing static screenshots.
For example:
Button
Default
↓
Hover
↓
Pressed
↓
Loading
↓
Success
This provides additional context about state transitions, animation, and interaction behavior.
When interaction behavior is built into a component, designers do not need to manually recreate the same behavior every time the component is used.
This helps maintain consistent hover, pressed, selected, expanded, and checked states throughout a product.
Use clear names for interactive component sets and their properties.
Good example:
Button
Property: State
Values:
Default
Hover
Pressed
Disabled
Poor example:
Component 1
Variant 1
Variant 2
Variant 3
Choose names that clearly communicate the component's behavior and design-system meaning.
A state model describes the possible states and transitions of a component.
State Model
Default
↓
Hover
↓
Pressed
↓
Default
Default
↓
Disabled
Default
↓
Loading
↓
Success
| Current State | Trigger | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Default | While hovering | Hover |
| Hover | While pressing | Pressed |
| Pressed | Release | Default |
| Default | On click | Loading |
| Loading | After completion | Success |
A Save button can demonstrate several component states.
Save Button
Default
↓ On click
Saving
↓
Saved
Saved
↓ On click
Saving
This can create a more realistic prototype for applications where an action has a loading and success state.
Favorite
Inactive
↓ On click
Active
↓ On click
Inactive
Use different icon and visual treatments for the two variants.
FAQ Item
Collapsed
↓ On click
Expanded
↓ On click
Collapsed
The expanded state can reveal additional content while the collapsed state hides it.
Dropdown
Closed
↓ On click
Open
↓ Select item
Selected
For complex dropdown prototypes, additional frames or overlays may be required depending on the desired behavior.
Card
Default
↓ Hover
Hover
↓ Click
Selected
This can be useful for selectable products, plans, dashboard cards, and content collections.
Interactive Components are specifically designed to simplify reusable prototype behavior. Figma prototypes can be used to preview interactions, share flows, gather feedback, test user behavior, and demonstrate designs to stakeholders.
Interactive Components do not eliminate the need for regular prototype frames. Instead, they reduce the need to create separate frames for every component state.
Screen Frame
│
├── Interactive Button
├── Interactive Checkbox
├── Interactive Toggle
└── Interactive Dropdown
You can add regular prototype interactions on top of Interactive Component behavior. This allows a component to both change its internal state and perform a larger prototype action such as navigating to another frame.
Button
↓
Change to Hover
Button
↓
On click
↓
Navigate to Next Screen
When a regular prototype interaction and a variant interaction use the same trigger, Figma follows the prototype interaction and ignores the variant interaction for that trigger.
Therefore, carefully review trigger conflicts when combining component-level interactions with screen-level prototype interactions.
When a regular interaction uses a different trigger from the variant interaction, Figma can play both behaviors where applicable.
Variant Interaction:
While hovering → Change to Hover
Regular Interaction:
On click → Navigate to Next Screen
This allows a component to show a hover state and then navigate when clicked.
When working with Interactive Components, the Prototype panel provides areas for regular Interactions and variant interactions.
When you need to change the interaction behavior of the main component, edit the source component in the source file rather than trying to permanently change the main component through an instance.
Prototype instances can have interaction behavior adjusted in supported workflows. However, changes to the source component's main interaction setup should be made from the source component so that the component system remains maintainable.
Interactive Components can maintain state across prototype navigation. Figma can remember the last variant state of an interactive component.
Frame 1
Checkbox = Checked
↓
Navigate
↓
Frame 2
↓
Return
↓
Checkbox remains Checked
This behavior is called state memorization.
Figma can also share states between matching interactive components across frames after the component has initially been interacted with.
Frame 1
Checkbox = Checked
↓
Navigate
↓
Frame 2
Matching Checkbox
↓
Checked
State sharing can be useful when the same interactive component appears in multiple parts of a prototype.
If you do not want a component to maintain its state across interactions, you can use the Reset component state option in the interaction details where supported.
Interactive Component
↓
State changes
↓
Navigate
↓
Reset component state
↓
Component returns to default state
When interactive components use custom fonts, prototype viewers may not have those fonts installed. Font availability can affect how text renders in shared prototypes, so using appropriate fonts and checking the prototype in the intended viewing environment can reduce unexpected differences.
Interactive prototypes should communicate important states clearly.
Interactive Components help designers test whether component behavior feels natural before development begins.
For example, designers can test:
Interactive Components can make usability testing more realistic because participants can interact with controls instead of only viewing static screens.
Static Design
↓
Looks Correct
Interactive Prototype
↓
Feels Correct
↓
Test User Behavior
Interactive Components can become part of a reusable design-system workflow where component appearance and behavior are both standardized.
Design System
│
├── Button
│ ├── Visual Variants
│ └── Interactive States
│
├── Checkbox
│ ├── Visual Variants
│ └── Interactive States
│
└── Toggle
├── Visual Variants
└── Interactive States
An interaction cannot switch to a state that does not exist as a destination variant. Make sure all required states have been created before configuring the interaction.
Default
↓
Change to
↓
Hover
Requirement:
Hover variant must exist.
Interactive Components are designed to reduce unnecessary frame duplication for repeated component states.
Instead of:
Frame 1 → Frame 2 → Frame 3 → Frame 4Use:
Component Set
Default ↔ Hover ↔ Pressed
This keeps component behavior reusable.
Creating a separate variant for every tiny content change can make a component set difficult to manage.
Use component properties when appropriate:
Variant:
State = Default
Text Property:
Label = Save
Boolean:
Show Icon = True
When regular prototype interactions and variant interactions use the same trigger, unexpected behavior can occur because Figma gives priority to the prototype interaction in that situation.
Always review interaction triggers carefully.
When using Smart Animate, keep corresponding layers between variants consistently named and structured.
Variant A:
Icon
Label
Background
Variant B:
Icon
Label
Background
Consistent structure makes animations more predictable.
When prototypes contain multiple frames, understand whether state memorization or state sharing should be used. Otherwise, a component may remain selected or checked when you expected it to reset.
Hover interactions are primarily useful for pointer-based experiences. For mobile prototypes, design interactions around taps, presses, swipes, and other appropriate touch behaviors.
Create a button with four states.
Button
Default
Hover
Pressed
Disabled
Interactions:
Default
↓ While hovering
Hover
Hover
↓ While pressing
Pressed
Pressed
↓ Release
Default
Create a toggle with On and Off variants.
Toggle
Off
↓ On click
On
On
↓ On click
Off
Add Smart Animate to make the switch movement feel realistic.
Create a checkbox with Checked and Unchecked variants.
Checkbox
Unchecked
↕
Checked
Connect both states using On click → Change to.
Create an accordion with Collapsed and Expanded variants.
Accordion
Collapsed
↓ On click
Expanded
↓ On click
Collapsed
Use Smart Animate for the visual transition where appropriate.
Create a favorite button with two variants.
Favorite
Inactive
↓ On click
Active
↓ On click
Inactive
Change the icon and visual treatment between variants.
Create a navigation item with Default, Hover, Active, and Disabled states.
Navigation
Default
↓ Hover
Hover
Hover
↓ Click
Active
Create an input field component with several states.
Input
Default
Focus
Filled
Error
Success
Disabled
Use interactions to demonstrate how the input should behave in a realistic prototype.
Identify Component
↓
List Required States
↓
Create Base Component
↓
Create Variants
↓
Define Variant Properties
↓
Open Prototype Tab
↓
Define Triggers
↓
Use Change to
↓
Select Destination Variant
↓
Configure Animation
↓
Test Individual States
↓
Create Component Instances
↓
Test in Real Screens
↓
Check State Persistence
↓
Document Behavior
↓
Use in Product Prototype
Interactive Components are reusable components with prototype interactions between variants.
You generally need a component set containing variants and prototype interactions between those variants.
Change to switches an interactive component from one variant to another variant in the same component set.
A variant represents a component state or variation, while an Interactive Component connects those variants with prototype behavior.
Yes. Instances inherit the configured component-level variant interactions.
Yes. Prototype animation settings can be configured for interactions between variants.
Yes. Figma supports using variables with Interactive Components for more advanced prototype behavior.
State memorization allows Figma to remember the last state of an interactive component when navigating through prototype frames.
Figma uses the regular prototype interaction and ignores the variant interaction for that same trigger.
They reduce repetitive prototype work, improve consistency, and allow reusable component behavior to be defined once and reused across many instances.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Interactive Component | Reusable component with prototype behavior |
| Variant | Specific version or state of a component |
| Component Set | Collection of related variants |
| Trigger | User action that starts an interaction |
| Action | Result of an interaction |
| Change to | Switches between component variants |
| Smart Animate | Animates compatible layer changes between states |
| State Memorization | Remembers an interactive component's state |
| State Sharing | Shares matching component state across frames |
| Variable | Reusable value that can work with interactive behavior |
Create Component
↓
Create Component Variants
↓
Create Component Set
↓
Define State Properties
↓
Define Variant Values
↓
Open Prototype Tab
↓
Choose Trigger
↓
Choose Change to
↓
Select Destination Variant
↓
Configure Animation
↓
Test Interaction
↓
Create Component Instances
↓
Use in Product Screens
↓
Add Regular Prototype Navigation
↓
Test State Persistence
↓
Document Component Behavior
Interactive Components are a powerful Figma feature for creating reusable and realistic prototype behavior. Instead of manually connecting every repeated button, checkbox, toggle, tab, or input on every screen, designers can define interactions between variants at the component level and reuse that behavior across multiple instances.
The most effective Interactive Component workflow starts with a well-structured component set, clearly named variant properties, meaningful states, appropriate triggers, Change to actions, and carefully selected animations. Combining Interactive Components with component properties, Auto Layout, variables, and other Figma features allows designers to create flexible and realistic prototypes while keeping the design system organized.
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