What is Conduit?
Conduit is an MCP server that connects an AI agent to Figma Desktop through a plugin. The agent joins a channel, then uses tools for nodes, auto layout, components, variables and styles to change a design. It can also export frames as HTML and CSS.
Conduit, published as conduit_design, lets an LLM-powered agent act as a collaborator inside Figma. You describe the change, and the agent calls tools that create shapes, set auto layout, apply styles or rename nodes.
It needs the Figma Desktop app, free or paid. The browser version of Figma is not supported, because the pairing relies on a development plugin imported from a manifest file.
How the pairing works
- Start your MCP application. The first run downloads and unpacks the Conduit Figma plugin to a folder named .conduit/figma-plugin in your home directory.
- In Figma Desktop, import the plugin from the manifest.json file in that folder.
- Copy the channel ID the plugin shows, for example purple-owl-27.
- Tell the agent to talk to Figma on that channel. The join tool must run before any other operation.
File access and early access limits
Conduit can read files across your system and create new ones anywhere, but it overwrites only inside directories listed in ALLOWED_ROOTS. The README calls the project early access and advises backups before you grant write permissions.
Who it is for
Best for
- Designers who want batch edits by prompt, such as restyling many nodes or rebuilding a component set.
- Developers who want design to HTML and CSS export using frame names like home-desktop-light.
- People weighing it against Talk to Figma or Figma Pilot for write access to a file.
Not for
- Browser-only Figma users, since Figma Desktop is required.
- Read-only workflows, where an agent should not be able to change a file. The Figma MCP is another way to connect an agent to Figma.
- Teams that cannot run a setup script from the vendor domain, because the README config fetches and runs one.
Use it with UiChemy
Conduit edits a Figma file and can export HTML and CSS from named frames. To turn a finished Figma design into a WordPress page, UiChemy's Figma to WordPress is the product built for that. Click Get Started on uichemy.com.
Connect Conduit Design MCP: Let an AI Agent Operate Figma Desktop to your AI client
/bin/bash -c "curl -sSL https://conduit.design/run.sh | bash"Add the MCP entry
Put the snippet above in ~/.cursor/mcp_settings.json for Cursor, .vscode/mcp.json for VS Code, or the equivalent file of another MCP editor. On Windows the README uses powershell.exe with an iwr command instead.
Start your MCP application
Starting the app runs the script, which downloads the server and unpacks the Figma plugin. Read the script first if you prefer.
Import the plugin in Figma Desktop
Open Plugins, then Development, then Import plugin from manifest, and pick the manifest.json inside the .conduit/figma-plugin folder.
Join the channel
Copy the channel ID from the plugin window and ask your assistant to talk to Figma on that channel.
Set optional variables
CHANNEL_KEY keeps a permanent channel, PORT changes the WebSocket port from 3055, PROJECT_ROOT sets the log folder and ALLOWED_ROOTS lists folders it may overwrite, separated by a pipe.
Client configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"conduit": {
"command": "/bin/bash",
"args": ["-c", "curl -sSL https://conduit.design/run.sh | bash"]
}
}
}Endpoints and ports
~/.conduit/figma-plugin/manifest.jsonImported into Figma Desktop3055Default value of PORTWhat you can do with it
- Wide Figma coverageNineteen core tools reach nodes, shapes, text, styles, variables, components, variants, constraints, grids, guides and pages.
- Batch operationsMost tools accept single or batch input, and bulk runs a sequence of commands with structured results.
- Frame to code exportName frames with the page-breakpoint-theme pattern and export builds HTML and CSS, with responsive breakpoints, light and dark themes, Google Fonts and multi-page output.
- JSX view of designsThe jsx tool reads and writes a JSX representation of a node, including an AI-assisted edit mode.
- Optional instant AI editAdd an API key and model name for OpenAI, Anthropic or Google to enable AI-powered edits, with temperature and token limits configurable.
- Three tiers of file accessReads are open, new files can be created anywhere, and overwrites only happen inside ALLOWED_ROOTS.
- Automatic updatesRestarting the MCP application checks for a new server binary and plugin, and updates both without a manual re-import.
- Local by designThe README says Conduit has no analytics and calls no external service, except the AI providers you configure for instant edit.
Tools it exposes
annotation
Get, set and delete annotations on Figma nodes.
asset
Get or set images, SVG and vector assets on nodes.
autolayout
Configure auto layout stacks and grids with spacing, padding and alignment.
boolean
Run union, subtract, intersect and exclude operations, or flatten nodes.
component
Create, manage and modify components, instances and component sets.
constraint
Set layout constraints such as left, right, top, bottom, center, scale and stretch.
effect
Apply shadows, blurs and other visual effects to nodes.
grid
Create, update, delete and read layout grids on frames and components.
group
Group or ungroup nodes.
guide
Add, delete or read ruler guides on pages.
node
Insert, move, clone, rename and delete nodes with full hierarchy control.
page
Create, delete, rename, duplicate or navigate between pages.
property
Set visibility, locked state and opacity on nodes.
shape
Create rectangles, ellipses, stars, polygons, lines and frames with styling.
style
Create, update, remove and apply fill, stroke, text and effect styles.
text
Create and style text nodes with typography, alignment and formatting.
transform
Set position, size and rotation, or apply transformation matrices.
variant
Manage component variants and their properties inside component sets.
variable
Create and manage design tokens for colors, numbers, strings and booleans.
bulk
Run several MCP commands in sequence and return structured results.
compare
Compare JSON data and produce diffs for tracking changes.
describe
Return metadata and documentation for any Conduit tool.
info
Retrieve node information in several formats with depth control.
join
Connect to a Figma channel. Required before other operations.
selection
Get or set the current node selection in Figma.
export
Export Figma frames to HTML and CSS with responsive breakpoints and themes.
jsx
Get, set or AI-edit the JSX representation of Figma nodes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Conduit design MCP?
Conduit is an MCP server plus a Figma Desktop plugin that lets an AI agent read, modify and create Figma designs. The agent joins a plugin channel and then uses 27 tools covering nodes, styles, variables, components, export and JSX.
How do I install Conduit for Cursor or VS Code?
Add the mcpServers entry that runs the vendor's run.sh script through bash, then start the editor so it unpacks the Figma plugin. Import manifest.json in Figma Desktop, copy the channel ID and tell the agent to join that channel.
Does Conduit work with the browser version of Figma?
No. The README requires the Figma Desktop app, free or paid, because the plugin is imported from a manifest file under Plugins, then Development. The browser version of Figma is listed as not supported.
Which AI coding agents can use it, and does that include Claude Code?
The README lists Cursor, Google Antigravity and VS Code as tested and says other MCP-enabled editors can use Conduit too. Claude Code is not on the tested list, so confirm your own setup before depending on it.
Can Conduit overwrite files on my computer?
Only inside folders you list in ALLOWED_ROOTS. It can read files across the whole system and create new files anywhere, but it cannot overwrite existing files elsewhere. Keep that list narrow and back up projects before granting write permission.
Does Conduit send my designs to an AI provider?
The README says Conduit is local and calls no external service. The exception is instant edit: if you configure it, requests go to OpenAI, Anthropic or Google under their terms. Leave the provider variables unset to avoid that.
Can it export a website from a Figma design?
Yes, through the export tool. Name frames like home-desktop-light or about-mobile-dark, and it produces HTML and CSS with breakpoints, themes, assets and CSS tokens. For a WordPress page, see UiChemy Figma to WordPress, a separate route.
What license does Conduit use?
GitHub reports no detected license for the repository, so check the repository and its releases page directly before using it in client work. The project is under active development and labels itself early access.