The conversion of a design from Figma design to a WordPress website is among the most crucial processes in web development. Two main methods are used to accomplish the figma design to wordpress site conversion: manual and automatic. Both methods have their weaknesses and strong points, and their application depends on the nature of the project.
Manual conversion allows you complete control over each WordPress website component, as required by complex and bespoke projects. At the same time, automatic conversion will save you time and energy but is limited by certain WordPress template tags and functionality.
In the article below, we’ll discuss both approaches in detail to allow you to choose the best possible solution for your project. What is Figma to WordPress сonversion?
What is Figma to WordPress сonversion?
Figma design to WordPress website conversion service involves taking a design layout in Figma and turning it into a live WordPress website on the WordPress dashboard. It is arguably the most crucial stage of WordPress development. Even the most beautiful and beneficial layout will remain just an image if it’s not turned into an interactive WordPress site.
Importance of Figma to WordPress conversion
Figma design is a well-liked tool for designing websites because of its versatility, simplicity of collaboration, and responsiveness of layouts. Nonetheless, a Figma design isn’t a fully functional website on its own. It needs layout and CMS (content management system) integration.
WordPress offers easy content management, great performance, and extensive customization through themes, plugins, and your own code. It is one of the most popular platforms for website development.
Transformation of the layout from Figma design to WordPress site is an important step because it:
- Embodies the idea of the designer. Accurate rendering of the layout ensures that all graphic elements, colors, fonts, and block arrangement match the original concept.
- Makes the WordPress site responsive. In the process of conversion, one needs to correctly configure the display on different devices so that the site is convenient both on mobile phones and on big screens.
- Optimizes WordPress website performance. Proper development allows to reduce page loading time to a minimum, which has a positive impact on user experience and search engines(SEO).
- Provides easy content management. Integration with the WordPress dashboard makes it simple for website owners to change texts, images, and other content without touching the code.
- Allows extensibility. A fully functional WordPress website can be easily expanded with new features using plugins or custom development
Method 1: Manual Figma to WordPress conversion
Manual Figma design to WordPress website conversion is the most accurate and flexible way to create custom websites. This allows you to achieve the highest layout consistency, efficient operation, and code optimization.
Step 1. Exporting Figma design to HTML/CSS
In Figma, a layout consists of graphical elements: images, buttons, blocks of text, In Figma design, a layout consists of graphical elements: images, buttons, blocks of text, icons, etc. To apply them in a WordPress site, you need to export images and all resources and create an HTML structure with CSS for styling.
Key steps:
- Export images (icons, background images, logos) in SVG, PNG, or WebP formats.
- Employ HTML to define a page layout with regard to code semantics.
- Create CSS styles matching the Figma design and define responsiveness (mobile-device media queries).
- Include JavaScript (if necessary) for interactive elements, e.g., animation or dynamic data. At this stage, it is important to render the design correctly and optimize the code so that the site is quick to load and works well in different browsers.
At this stage, it is important to render the Figma design correctly and optimize the code so that the WordPress website is quick to load and works well in different browsers.
Step 2. Converting HTML to WordPress theme
The second action is to place the finished layout in WordPress theme development, and that means creating custom themes. WordPress themes consist of PHP templates that allow you to divide the WordPress website structure into distinct pieces.
Primary actions:
- Cutting the HTML structure into WordPress template tags (header.php, footer.php, sidebar.php, index.php, single.php, etc.). This dynamizes the wordpress website and provides simple content management.
- Connecting CSS and JS files to display styles and functionality correctly.
- Creating a functions.php file, where the main theme settings and necessary resources are added.
- Managing WordPress Loop to display dynamically the database content, e.g., site pages or blog posts.
Step 3. Adding WordPress functionality
After the layout is converted into a fully functional WordPress website, you need to add functionality to make the wordpress website a complete, user- and admin-friendly website.
Important tasks cover adding Gutenberg or custom templates for simple content editing and integrating custom fields (ACF or Meta Box). Also, it is about adding menus and widgets so that you can simply change navigation using the WordPress dashboard. Moreover, install WordPress and the necessary plugins (SEO, caching, security, contact forms) and configure the page templates for the blog, individual posts, categories, etc.
Manual figma design to wordpress conversion process allows you to introduce exactly the functionality the project needs without unnecessary plugins and overloading the wordpress website.
Step 4. Testing and optimization
The last but not the least important step of figma design to wordpress site conversion is to test the wordpress website functionality before launch. Testing will identify any bugs, improve performance, and ensure that the site functions as it should on all devices.
The main testing and optimization stages:
Cross-browser testing
Ensuring the functionality in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and other browsers.
Responsiveness
Testing the wordpress website on mobile phones, tablets, and multiple screen resolutions.
Load time
Images optimization, CSS/JS files compression, caching settings.
SEO optimization
Checking for correct meta tags, titles, URL structure and working speed.
Security
Implementation of an SSL certificate, anti-spam and WordPress security must-haves.
Passed testing successfully, it is now only possible to install WordPress to deploy the site to a production environment and transfer it to the client or in a real environment.
Method 2: Automated Figma to WordPress conversion
Automated Figma to WordPress conversion is gaining traction due to its convenience and effectiveness. There are special plugins and software that allow you to convert a design into a working site without any manual coding.
It is an ideal solution for people who are impatient to have a website from a mockup in a matter of minutes without taking into account development and layout issues. Let’s observe how they work and what tools are more appropriate.
Best Figma to WordPress tools and plugins
There are some tools that facilitate the automated Figma to WordPress conversion quite easily. Some of these best Figma to WordPress tools use plugins to export, some others employ third-party services to generate code.
Figma to WordPress plugins and services
Here are some of the most sought-after Figma to WordPress plugins and solutions:
Figma to Code: it converts the design into HTML/CSS/React/Vue, which can be used as a base for creating a WordPress theme.
Anima: it is a high-end Figma to WordPress plugin that helps you export responsive HTML and CSS from Figma.
Locofy: this allows you to auto-generate code for React, Vue, and HTML/CSS, which can be used for WordPress.
Uizard: it is an automatic UI design-to-code service.
Framer: it is not WordPress-specific, but you can easily make responsive websites from Figma designs.
WordPress plugins to import Figma
There are also plugins that import the design directly into WordPress, for example:
- Fignel: It exports layouts to HTML and translates them for WordPress.
- Figma to WordPress Elementor Pro + Figma Plugin: This allows you to easily transfer items from Figma to WordPress Elementor designer for real-time editing.
Thus, the best Figma to WordPress tools and plugins make the process of creating a site very simple, especially for those who have no layout experience.no layout experience.
How automated tools work
WordPress page builders transform visual design to source code, which the tool then utilizes to create a WordPress theme. Below are the main steps of what they do:
1. Figma layout analysis
The designs are read, and the page structure, fonts, colors, images, and sizes of elements are determined by the tools.
2. HTML/CSS generation or pre-made WordPress theme
After analysis, source code is generated by the tool, which takes the form of:
- Static HTML + CSS, that still has to be incorporated in WordPress.
- Pre-made WordPress theme customization, downloadable and installable.
3. Optimization and editing
Despite automation, the code would still require adjustments. There might be responsiveness or performance problems, so after being exported, reviewing and optimizing the site is critical.
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Get in TouchManual vs automated Figma to WordPress conversion
Two methods to convert Figma to WordPress are manual or automatic. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and the decision is based on the project complexity, flexibility needs, development speed, and budget.
Let us have a closer look at when to opt for a manual method and when to opt for an automatic Figma to WordPress conversion.
Pros and cons of manual conversion
Manual coding is the process by which developers manually create a custom WordPress theme using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and WordPress-specific functions.
| Manual Figma to WordPress conversion process | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Flexibility and control | High cost |
| Unique design elements and functionality | Long process |
| Clean and optimized code | Programming knowledge required |
| High security | |
Pros and cons of automated conversion
Automated Figma to WordPress conversion is done with the help of special plugins and online converters that translate the UX/UI design to WordPress source code.
| Automated Figma to WordPress conversion | |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Speed of implementation | Limited customization |
| Ease of use | Adaptability problems |
| Cheap option | Security issues |
| Convenient for simple sites | |
When to choose manual vs automated conversion
In choosing between manual and automatic Figma to WordPress conversion, some thought has to be given to project complexity, technical requirements, and cost implications.
Use manual conversion if:
- You are seeking an elite, bespoke site with optimal speed and SEO optimization.
- There is complicated functionality, CRM (customer relationship management) integration, APIs (application programming interfaces), or customized animation involved in the project.
- You want total control of the code, security, and performance.
Choose automated conversion if:
- You want to have a simple site deployed quickly with no complex features.
- You have a limited budget and are not yet ready to pay for manual development.
- You do not have programming skills and want the simplest solution possible.
Both automatic and manual Figma to WordPress migration have advantages and disadvantages. If you need fast and cheap work, automation could be an acceptable option. However, if you need something unique and secure with extensive customization options, manual development will be the best option.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Even experienced developers can fail when they convert Figma to WordPress. The most common issues are in two aspects: responsiveness and SEO optimization. Mistakes in these aspects can lead to slow loading times, incorrect display on mobile phones, and poor search engine rankings.
Figma to WordPress responsiveness issues
Misuse of responsive grid
Designers in Figma are able to make layouts based on fixed block widths without the need for a flexible grid. This will get the job done for static layouts but not for actual web pages where content is dynamic based on the device.
How to avoid it? Use flexible grids (flexbox, CSS grid) when making your theme layout. Use relative units (%, em, rem) instead of hard-coded pixels. Make sure all sections are scalable without loss of design.
Wrong breakpoints
You can design responsive versions of the layout in Figma, but the sizes of the breakpoints may not suit the real needs of browsers and devices. Most often, developers simply copy layouts without checking in practice.
How to avoid it? Follow the next points:
- Use common breakpoints (320px – smartphones, 768px – tablets, 1024px – laptops, 1440px and more – large screens).
- Test the site on multiple devices and emulators, e.g., in Chrome DevTools.
- Use CSS media queries to define custom breakpoints if needed.
Insufficient mobile testing
Even when a Figma design includes mobile versions, element positioning, buttons, and text may be an issue in WordPress conversion.
How to avoid it? Always test your site on real devices (phone, tablet). Test mobile optimization with Google Mobile-Friendly Test. Avoid large images and resource-hungry animations that make mobile slow..
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Get in TouchSEO challenges in Figma to WordPress conversion
Unordered heading structure (H1, H2, H3)
Figma designers can create great-looking visual headings without proper HTML. For example, they might use H1 for all headings or not use semantic tags at all.
How to avoid it? Use only one H1 on each page. Then, structure content hierarchically: H2 → H3 → H4. Make all important headings text, not pictures.
Heavy unoptimized images
Figma allows you to export high-resolution images. But if you upload them on the site without optimization, it can severely ruin the site’s performance.
How to avoid it? Use WebP formats instead of PNG/JPEG. Also, compress pictures using TinyPNG or Squoosh. Load images progressively with lazy loading.
Lack of meta tags and ALT descriptions
Most auto tools and even coders neglect to add title, meta description, and alt descriptions in images. This decreases the ranking of the site in Google.
How to avoid it? Apply SEO settings automatically with Yoast SEO or Rank Math. Next, add ALT descriptions to all images, especially for content. Create distinct meta tags for each page.
Bad URL structure
Sometimes, after automatic conversion or incorrect manual setup, the site receives long URLs without keywords.
How to avoid it? Set an SEO-friendly URL in WordPress. Avoid dynamic parameters in the URL. Use clear category and tag logic.
Conclusion
Manual or automated Figma to WordPress conversion relies on the project’s specifics, your budget, and the level of customization you would prefer on your future site.
Manual labor will be the most desirable solution if the project needs a unique design with fast loading and simple adaptation. If speed in development and saving money are the main requirements, automatic software might be a viable option.
Not certain what choice to pick? Allow our WordPress agency to help you select the most suitable option and implement your design accurately. Contact us to create a professional, fast, and effective website!
FAQ
Convert Figma to WordPress by manually coding the design using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript or using a page builder/plugin. Manual coding offers full customization, while plugins or builders provide a faster, though less flexible, solution.
Third party plugins speed up conversion but may limit customization. For quick results, plugins work well, but for more control and flexibility, manual coding or using a theme builder might be a better choice.
The manual conversion time depends on design complexity. Simple designs may take days, while complex ones with animations and responsiveness can take weeks, requiring coding, testing, and optimization.
