Smart Animate is one of the most useful animation features in Figma for creating smooth and realistic transitions between frames. It automatically detects matching layers between two frames and animates the differences in their position, size, rotation, opacity, fill, and other supported properties.
Smart Animate is especially useful for creating interactive prototypes, micro-interactions, sliders, toggles, menus, image galleries, loading animations, expanding cards, onboarding screens, mobile navigation, and many other UI interactions.
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Smart Animate is a Figma prototyping animation feature that creates smooth movement between matching layers in two frames. Instead of simply replacing one screen with another, Figma analyzes the matching objects and calculates how they should move from the starting state to the destination state.
For example, if a button is positioned at the bottom of Frame 1 and at the center of Frame 2, Smart Animate can smoothly move the button from the bottom to the center.
Smart Animate can also animate changes such as scaling, rotation, opacity, and fill.
Smart Animate = Matching Layers + Changed Properties + Smooth Transition
Figma identifies matching layers between frames using their names and hierarchy, compares their properties, and animates supported differences between the two states.
Frame 1
↓
Matching Layers
↓
Property Changes
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Smooth Transition
↓
Frame 2
Smart Animate compares layers in the starting frame with layers in the destination frame. When Figma finds matching layers, it checks what has changed and animates supported properties.
Frame A
Button: x=50, y=500
Size: 200x50
Opacity: 100%
Rotation: 0°
↓ Smart Animate
Frame B
Button: x=150, y=300
Size: 250x60
Opacity: 80%
Rotation: 10°
↓
Result:
Button moves + scales + rotates + changes opacity
Suppose you have a button in Frame 1 and want it to move upward in Frame 2.
Frame 1:
Button position = Bottom
Frame 2:
Button position = Center
Prototype:
Frame 1 → Frame 2
Animation = Smart Animate
During the prototype preview, Figma smoothly moves the button from the bottom position to the center position.
Matching layers are the foundation of Smart Animate. Figma looks at the layer name and the layer's position within the hierarchy when determining whether objects correspond between frames.
For example:
Frame 1
└── Button
└── Text
Frame 2
└── Button
└── Text
Because the layers have matching names and hierarchy, Figma can recognize them as corresponding layers.
Layer names are important because Figma uses them when matching layers. If an object has different names in the two frames, Smart Animate may not treat them as the same object.
| Frame 1 | Frame 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Button | Button | Likely matching |
| Product Image | Product Image | Likely matching |
| Circle | Circle 2 | May not match |
The easiest method is to duplicate the original frame and then modify the duplicate. Duplicating helps preserve layer names and hierarchy.
Original Frame
↓
Duplicate Frame
↓
Change Position
Change Size
Change Rotation
Change Opacity
Change Fill
↓
Connect Frames
↓
Smart Animate
Smart Animate can recognize changes in the X and Y position of matching objects.
Frame 1:
Card X = 50
Card Y = 200
Frame 2:
Card X = 250
Card Y = 200
Result:
Card smoothly moves horizontally.
Position animation is useful for menus, cards, sliders, navigation elements, floating buttons, and onboarding screens.
Frame 1:
☰ Menu Icon → Left
Frame 2:
✕ Close Icon → Left
Navigation Panel:
Hidden → Visible
Matching elements can move smoothly when the state changes.
Smart Animate can animate an object's size when the same matching layer has a different size in the destination frame.
Frame 1:
Image = 100 × 100
Frame 2:
Image = 300 × 300
Result:
Image smoothly grows.
Scale animation is useful for image galleries, product cards, profile images, dialogs, and selected navigation elements.
Thumbnail
↓ Click
Expanded Image
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Smooth Zoom Effect
Smart Animate can animate rotation changes between matching layers.
Frame 1:
Rotation = 0°
Frame 2:
Rotation = 180°
Result:
Object rotates smoothly.
A hamburger icon can be transformed into a close icon using different states and matching layers.
Closed State
☰
↓ Click
Open State
✕
Smart Animate can be combined with carefully designed matching layers to create a smooth icon transformation.
Smart Animate can animate opacity changes between matching layers. For example, an object can change from 100% opacity to 0% opacity.
Frame 1:
Opacity = 100%
Frame 2:
Opacity = 0%
Result:
Object gradually disappears.
Using opacity is generally preferable to simply hiding the layer when you want a smooth transition.
Card 1:
Opacity = 100%
Card 2:
Opacity = 0%
Smart Animate
↓
Smooth fade effect
Smart Animate can animate changes to fills. This can be useful for buttons, backgrounds, indicators, charts, cards, and status components.
Frame 1:
Button Fill = Blue
Frame 2:
Button Fill = Green
Result:
Button color transitions smoothly.
A button can change appearance between normal and active states.
Normal:
Background = Primary
Text = White
Active:
Background = Success
Text = White
Animation:
Smart Animate
| Property | Example | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Position | X/Y movement | Menus, cards, sliders |
| Scale | Small → Large | Images, cards |
| Rotation | 0° → 180° | Icons, loaders |
| Opacity | 100% → 0% | Fade effects |
| Fill | Blue → Green | Buttons, indicators |
| Smart Animate | Instant |
|---|---|
| Creates movement between states | Changes immediately |
| Uses matching layers | Does not animate layers |
| Useful for realistic prototypes | Useful for immediate navigation |
| Supports duration and easing | No visual transition |
| Smart Animate | Dissolve |
|---|---|
| Animates matching layers | Fades destination frame |
| Moves objects | Does not create object movement |
| Supports position and scale changes | Mainly visual fade transition |
| Best for state changes | Best for simple screen transitions |
Move transitions move the destination frame into view, while Smart Animate focuses on matching layers and their changed properties.
Move:
Entire destination frame moves.
Smart Animate:
Matching objects animate individually.
Push transitions generally move one frame against another. Smart Animate can instead animate matching elements independently.
Push:
Screen A ← Screen B
Smart Animate:
Object A → New Position
Object B → New Position
Object C → New Size
Figma also provides an option to Smart Animate matching layers while using another main transition. This is useful when you want the overall frame to use a transition such as Push while selected matching elements animate independently.
Main Transition = Push
Smart Animate Matching Layers = Enabled
Result:
Matching layers → Smart Animate
Other content → Push
This technique is useful when persistent elements such as navigation bars or status bars should remain visually consistent while the main content changes.
Navigation = Matching
Status Bar = Matching
Main Content = Different
Transition:
Push + Smart Animate Matching Layers
Layer hierarchy is important when matching layers. Figma considers where a layer sits within the hierarchy in addition to its name.
Frame 1
Page
└── Card
└── Image
Frame 2
Page
└── Card
└── Image
Keeping the hierarchy consistent makes Smart Animate more predictable.
Matching objects are layers that Figma identifies as corresponding elements between frames. They may be shapes, text, images, groups, components, or other supported layers.
For example, the same product image can appear as a small thumbnail in one frame and a large image in another frame.
When creating Smart Animate prototypes, inspect the Layers panel and ensure that objects intended to animate have consistent names and hierarchy.
Check:
✓ Layer name
✓ Parent hierarchy
✓ Object type
✓ Position
✓ Size
✓ Other changed properties
Groups can be used to control which objects should or should not match. Grouping related content and giving the group an appropriate name can help prevent unwanted matching.
Frame 1
└── Product List
├── Product 1
├── Product 2
└── Product 3
Frame 2
└── Product List
├── Product 1
├── Product 2
└── Product 3
If a layer exists only in the destination frame, it does not have a matching source layer. Figma can dissolve the new layer into view rather than Smart Animating it from an existing matching object.
Frame 1:
Button
Frame 2:
Button
New Badge
Button → Smart Animate
New Badge → Appears/Fades In
If a matching layer has the same relevant properties in both frames, there may be no visible animation for that layer. This is useful for elements that should remain stable while other elements move.
Frame 1:
Header = Same
Content = State A
Frame 2:
Header = Same
Content = State B
Result:
Header stays stable
Content animates
Buttons are excellent candidates for Smart Animate micro-interactions.
Default:
Width = 180px
Height = 50px
Opacity = 100%
Active:
Width = 190px
Height = 54px
Opacity = 90%
Animation:
Smart Animate
A toggle can be designed with two states.
OFF
[●------]
↓ Tap
ON
[------●]
The thumb position and background fill can be changed between frames and animated using Smart Animate.
Smart Animate can help create a mobile navigation interaction.
Closed
┌─────────────┐
│ ☰ │
└─────────────┘
↓
Open
┌─────────────┐
│ ✕ │
│ Home │
│ Products │
│ Contact │
└─────────────┘
Smart Animate is useful for expandable cards, FAQs, dropdowns, and show-more interactions.
Collapsed:
Title
────────────
▼
Expanded:
Title
────────────
Description
Additional Details
────────────
▲
Sliders can be designed with multiple frames containing different positions of the same matching elements.
Frame 1:
●───○───○
Frame 2:
○───●───○
Frame 3:
○───○───●
Smart Animate can smoothly move the active indicator between positions.
Image galleries are one of the strongest use cases for Smart Animate. Matching image layers can transition between thumbnail and expanded states.
Gallery
[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3]
↓
Click Image 1
↓
Expanded Image 1
↓
Smart Animate
A small product or content card can transition into a larger detailed card.
Small Card
┌─────────┐
│ Image │
│ Product │
└─────────┘
↓
Large Card
┌─────────────────┐
│ Large Image │
│ Product Name │
│ Description │
│ Price │
│ Buy Now │
└─────────────────┘
Smart Animate can make side navigation feel more polished by moving icons, labels, and menu containers between expanded and collapsed states.
Expanded:
[Icon] Dashboard
[Icon] Products
[Icon] Settings
Collapsed:
[Icon]
[Icon]
[Icon]
Progress indicators can use matching layers whose width or position changes between frames.
Step 1:
████░░░░░░
Step 2:
██████░░░░
Step 3:
████████░░
Smart Animate can be used to create smooth onboarding transitions by moving illustrations, text, buttons, and indicators between screens.
Onboarding 1
Illustration → Center
Text → Bottom
Onboarding 2
Illustration → Left
Text → Center
Animation:
Smart Animate
A product thumbnail can smoothly transform into a product detail image.
Product List
[Phone Image]
₹25,000
↓ Click
Product Details
[Large Phone Image]
₹25,000
Add to Cart
Food delivery prototypes can use Smart Animate for cart interactions, product details, category navigation, and order progress.
Food Card
Burger
₹199
[Add]
↓
Cart
Burger × 1
₹199
[Checkout]
Dashboard cards can expand when selected.
Compact:
Revenue
₹8,45,000
↓ Click
Expanded:
Revenue
₹8,45,000
+12.5%
Monthly Chart
Transactions
A profile image can transition from a small avatar into a larger profile header.
Frame 1:
Small Avatar
Frame 2:
Large Profile Image
Name
Bio
Actions
Animation:
Smart Animate
Smart Animate can be combined with duplicate frames and timed prototype connections to create loading sequences.
Loading 1
● ○ ○ ○
Loading 2
○ ● ○ ○
Loading 3
○ ○ ● ○
Loading 4
○ ○ ○ ●
↓
Loop
Figma's loading animation workflow can combine Smart Animate with After Delay, rotation, resizing, and repeated frame connections.
After Delay is useful when an animation should begin automatically instead of waiting for a click.
Frame 1
↓
After Delay
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Frame 2
↓
After Delay
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Frame 1
This approach is useful for loaders, carousels, banners, and automatic onboarding sequences.
Smart Animate can help demonstrate parallax-like effects by moving different layers by different amounts between states.
Background:
Move 20px
Middle Layer:
Move 50px
Foreground:
Move 100px
Result:
Depth-like movement
Smart Animate can be used to prototype interactions such as drag, swipe, and long-press behavior.
Initial:
Card → Position A
Gesture:
Swipe
Destination:
Card → Position B
Animation:
Smart Animate
Smart Animate can also be used in certain video prototype scenarios. Matching video layers can help preserve video progress when navigating between frames, when configured appropriately.
Frame 1
Video Layer
Name = ProductVideo
↓
Frame 2
Video Layer
Name = ProductVideo
Smart Animate
+
Matching Video Layer
Smart Animate is not used as a normal direct animation of an overlay action. However, Smart Animate can be useful when swapping between overlays that contain matching layers.
Overlay A
Product Card
↓
Overlay B
Expanded Product Card
Matching Layers
↓
Smart Animate
Not every property can be Smart Animated. For unsupported situations, Figma may use a dissolve-style fallback instead of producing the expected Smart Animate result.
For example, drop shadow and inner shadow changes are not supported as Smart Animate properties. Moving between different shapes is also not treated like a normal supported property transition.
Some effects can work with Smart Animate, but designers should test the result carefully. Texture and noise effects can be randomly generated, so duplicating the original frame is recommended when using such effects.
Drop shadows and inner shadows should not be relied upon as Smart Animate properties.
Recommended:
Animate position
Animate scale
Animate opacity
Animate fill
Avoid relying on:
Drop Shadow transition
Inner Shadow transition
Smart Animate matching layers can be combined with other transitions. However, because matching layers may animate independently, the resulting layering can sometimes appear unexpected.
Use consistent hierarchy and background layers to prevent unwanted overlap.
If content overlaps unexpectedly during a transition, check the layer hierarchy and frame background.
Problem:
Destination content overlaps
or appears behind unexpected layers.
Check:
1. Layer order
2. Matching layer hierarchy
3. Background rectangle
4. Fixed layers
5. Main transition
6. Smart Animate Matching Layers setting
Easing controls how quickly an animation accelerates and decelerates. Good easing can make an animation feel natural instead of mechanical.
| Easing Type | Typical Feel |
|---|---|
| Linear | Constant movement |
| Ease In | Starts slowly |
| Ease Out | Ends smoothly |
| Ease In and Out | Smooth start and finish |
| Spring | Natural and dynamic |
Duration determines how long the transition takes to complete. A very short duration can feel abrupt, while an extremely long duration can feel slow.
Fast Micro Interaction:
100ms – 200ms
Common UI Transition:
200ms – 400ms
Complex Demonstration:
400ms – 800ms+
These are practical design starting points; the best duration depends on the interaction and desired experience.
Frame 1:
Button
Width: 180
Height: 50
Frame 2:
Button
Width: 190
Height: 54
Position: Slightly Up
Connection:
On Click → Navigate To
Animation:
Smart Animate
Frame 1:
Small Card
Image
Title
Price
Frame 2:
Large Card
Large Image
Title
Description
Price
Button
Animation:
Smart Animate
OFF
Track = Gray
Thumb = Left
ON
Track = Green
Thumb = Right
Trigger:
On Click
Animation:
Smart Animate
Frame 1:
Avatar = Small
Name = Below Avatar
Frame 2:
Avatar = Large
Name = Header
Bio = Visible
Animation:
Smart Animate
Gallery Frame
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
↓
Expanded Frame
Image 1 = Large
Image 2 = Small
Image 3 = Small
Animation:
Smart Animate
Frame 1:
Circle 1 = Active
Frame 2:
Circle 2 = Active
Frame 3:
Circle 3 = Active
Frame 4:
Circle 4 = Active
Connections:
After Delay
Animation:
Smart Animate
Product Listing
↓
Select Product
↓
Product Detail
↓
Large Product Image
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Add to Cart
Restaurant Screen
↓
Select Food
↓
Food Detail
↓
Add to Cart
↓
Cart Count Changes
↓
Smart Animate
Dashboard
↓
Click Revenue Card
↓
Card Expands
↓
Chart Appears
↓
Smart Animate
Closed Menu
↓ Tap
Hamburger → Close
Navigation Panel → Visible
Menu Items → Move In
↓
Smart Animate
| Problem | Possible Solution |
|---|---|
| Object does not animate | Check layer name and hierarchy |
| Object fades instead of moving | Check whether a matching layer exists |
| Wrong object animates | Review duplicate layer names |
| Animation looks messy | Check layer order and background |
| Animation is too fast | Increase duration |
| Animation is too slow | Reduce duration |
| Shadow does not animate | Use supported properties instead |
| New object fades in | Ensure a matching source layer exists if movement is required |
Smart Animate can improve UX prototypes because movement helps users understand relationships between interface states.
User Action
↓
UI State Changes
↓
Object Movement
↓
Visual Feedback
↓
User Understands Result
Micro-interactions are small animations that communicate system feedback. Smart Animate is particularly useful for prototyping them.
Components and component states can be used together with Smart Animate to create reusable interactive UI behavior. This is especially useful for buttons, toggles, cards, menus, and other repeated components.
Component
├── Default
├── Hover
├── Active
└── Disabled
Prototype Interaction
↓
State Change
↓
Smart Animation
Smart Animate is part of Figma's prototyping workflow. A prototype interaction normally involves a trigger, action, destination where applicable, and animation settings.
Trigger
↓
Action
↓
Destination
↓
Animation
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Preview
1. Define Interaction
↓
2. Design Initial State
↓
3. Duplicate Frame
↓
4. Design Destination State
↓
5. Check Matching Layers
↓
6. Create Prototype Connection
↓
7. Select Smart Animate
↓
8. Configure Duration
↓
9. Configure Easing
↓
10. Preview
↓
11. Refine
↓
12. Final Prototype
Create a login screen where the login button, input fields, logo, and supporting content transition smoothly into a logged-in dashboard.
Login Screen
↓
Click Login
↓
Dashboard
↓
Logo Position Changes
Content Changes
Profile Appears
↓
Smart Animate
Create an e-commerce card that expands when the user clicks the product.
Small Product Card
↓ Click
Large Product Card
↓
Large Image
Product Details
Price
CTA
↓
Smart Animate
Create a responsive mobile navigation prototype with an animated hamburger menu.
Closed
☰
↓
Open
✕
Home
Products
Services
Contact
Animation:
Smart Animate
Create a photo gallery where selecting an image expands it into a detailed view and pressing the back button returns it to the gallery.
Gallery
↓
Select Image
↓
Expanded Image
↓
Smart Animate
↓
Back
↓
Gallery
Create a reusable loading animation using multiple frames, matching objects, Smart Animate, and After Delay.
Loading 1
↓ After Delay
Loading 2
↓ After Delay
Loading 3
↓ After Delay
Loading 1
Animation:
Smart Animate
Smart Animate is a prototyping feature that detects matching layers between frames and animates supported property changes between them.
Figma uses layer names and hierarchy to determine which layers correspond between frames.
Common supported properties include position, scale, rotation, opacity, and fill.
The unmatched layer can appear using a dissolve-style transition rather than being Smart Animated from an existing matching layer.
Duplicating a frame helps preserve layer names and hierarchy, making matching more predictable.
Yes. Figma provides Smart Animate matching layers so matching layers can Smart Animate while the rest of the transition uses another animation.
Yes. Changes in opacity can be animated between matching layers.
Yes. Rotation changes can be animated for matching layers.
Easing controls the acceleration and deceleration of an animation, helping movement feel more natural.
It is commonly used for toggles, sliders, image galleries, expanding cards, navigation menus, loading animations, onboarding, dashboards, and mobile app interactions.
Smart Animate is a powerful Figma prototyping feature for creating smooth, meaningful, and realistic interface animations. By maintaining consistent layer names and hierarchy between frames, designers can animate changes in position, scale, rotation, opacity, fill, and other supported properties.
Smart Animate is especially valuable for modern UI/UX projects because it allows designers to demonstrate how an interface behaves instead of showing only static screens. With proper layer organization, appropriate duration, suitable easing, and thoughtful interaction design, Smart Animate can turn a basic Figma prototype into a highly realistic product experience.
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