This skill ships inside the Figma Plugin plugin — install the plugin and you also get an MCP server.
Needs Figma's MCP server and a Figma account. Set that up first — this skill doesn't include it.
WHEN YOUR AGENT SHOULD USE IT
USE FOR
- Create a blank Figma design file to start a new project from scratch.
- Spin up a fresh FigJam whiteboard before running a brainstorm or planning session.
- Create a new Slides presentation file, such as a quarterly review deck.
Documents
This is the playbook your agent receives when the skill activates — you don't need to read it to use the skill, but it's here to audit before installing.
create_new_file — Create a New Figma File
MANDATORY: load this skill before every create_new_file tool call. It encodes the plan-resolution decision tree, the editor-type contract, and the post-creation handoff to use_figma.
Use the create_new_file MCP tool to create a new blank Figma file in the user's drafts folder. This is typically used before use_figma when you need a fresh file to work with.
Skill Arguments
This skill accepts optional arguments: /figma-create-new-file [editorType] [fileName]
- editorType:
design(default),figjam, orslides - fileName: Name for the new file (defaults to "Untitled")
Examples:
/figma-create-new-file— creates a design file named "Untitled"/figma-create-new-file figjam My Whiteboard— creates a FigJam file named "My Whiteboard"/figma-create-new-file design My New Design— creates a design file named "My New Design"/figma-create-new-file slides Q3 Review— creates a Slides presentation named "Q3 Review"
Parse the arguments from the skill invocation. If editorType is not provided, default to "design". If fileName is not provided, default to "Untitled".
Workflow
Step 1: Resolve the planKey
The create_new_file tool requires a planKey parameter. Follow this decision tree:
-
User already provided a planKey (e.g. from a previous
whoamicall or in their prompt) → use it directly, skip to Step 2. -
No planKey available → call the
whoamitool. The response contains aplansarray. Each plan has akey,name,seat, andtier.- Single plan: use its
keyfield automatically. - Multiple plans: ask the user which team or organization they want to create the file in, then use the corresponding plan's
key.
- Single plan: use its
Step 2: Call create_new_file
Call the create_new_file tool with:
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
planKey | Yes | The plan key from Step 1 |
fileName | Yes | Name for the new file |
editorType | Yes | "design", "figjam", or "slides" |
Example:
{
"planKey": "team:123456",
"fileName": "My New Design",
"editorType": "design"
}Step 3: Use the result
The tool returns:
file_key— the key of the newly created filefile_url— a direct URL to open the file in Figma
Use the file_key for subsequent tool calls like use_figma.
Important Notes
- The file is created in the user's drafts folder for the selected plan.
- Supported editor types are
"design","figjam", and"slides". - If
use_figmais your next step, load thefigma-useskill before calling it.
Editor-specific notes
Slides — newly created files have an empty grid
A slides file produced by this tool starts with zero rows and zero slides — figma.getSlideGrid() returns [], not a default first slide. The page's only child is the SLIDE_GRID node itself, which is empty until you create content. The first call to figma.createSlide() implicitly creates row 0 and inserts the new slide there.
If your follow-up use_figma script assumes at least one slide exists (e.g. to read theme tokens off it), guard for the empty case or call createSlide() first. See figma-use-slides → slide-grid for full details.
Installation
npx skills add figma/mcp-server-guide --skill "figma-create-new-file" --full-depthRun this in your project — your agent picks the skill up automatically.
BEFORE IT WILL WORK
1 FOR YOU- 01Connect the Figma MCP server
Connect Figma's MCP server (e.g. the Figma desktop app's Dev Mode MCP server) and sign in with a Figma account, since create_new_file and whoami need that live connection to create a file in your drafts folder.
