How to Use Sections and Pages to Organize Figma Projects Like a Pro

If you’ve ever opened a chaotic Figma file—where frames float freely and you can’t tell where the final design is—this article is for you.

Organizing your Figma projects with Sections and Pages isn’t just a matter of aesthetics. It’s about clarity, collaboration, and scale. Whether you’re working solo, in a startup, or on a multi-product enterprise team, smart structure saves everyone time and stress.

Let’s break down how to use Pages and Sections like a pro—and how to set up your files for speed, sanity, and smooth handoff.

📄 Pages vs Sections: What’s the Difference?

🔹 Pages

Think of Pages as the high-level tabs in your Figma file. Each one contains its own canvas, and is usually used to separate major phases or use cases. For example:

00 Cover or README
01 Wireframes
02 Visual Design
03 Prototypes
04 Dev Handoff
05 Design System
Archive

🔸 Sections

Sections live inside Pages. They help group related frames visually, almost like folders or chapters. Sections can contain:

Screens from the same flow
Variants of a component
Stages in a user journey
Breakpoints of a responsive layout

🗂️ Best Practices for Pages

Here’s how to use Pages to create intuitive, scalable files:

✅ Use Numbered Naming

Prefix with numbers for easy ordering, like:

 README
01 Research
02 Wireframes
03 Visual Design
04 Prototype
05 Dev Handoff

✅ Keep Archived Work Separate

Move old ideas or unused flows to a Z Archive page. This keeps your main pages lightweight and focused.

✅ One File, One Purpose

Don’t mix a design system and a product design in the same file. Use separate Figma files for reusable libraries vs product-specific designs.

🧱 Best Practices for Sections

Sections give your canvas structure without breaking frames apart.

✅ Use for Screen Flows

Group related screens (e.g. Login flow, Checkout flow) into clearly labeled sections like:

Step 1: Email Entry
Step 2: Password
Step 3: 2FA

✅ Use for Breakpoints

Show mobile, tablet, and desktop versions side by side under headings like:

📱 Mobile
💻 Desktop

✅ Use for Component Explorations

When exploring multiple options or states, group them under:

Default
Hover
Disabled

✅ Color-Code Wisely

Use section colors sparingly—e.g. green for approved, yellow for review, red for deprecated.

📌 Bonus: Section Tips

Collapse to declutter: You can collapse entire sections to make canvases less overwhelming.
Label clearly: Treat section names like headers. Avoid vague titles like “Stuff” or “Ideas.”
Drag and drop ease: Moving sections keeps their contents bundled—perfect for quick reorganization.

🔍 Real-World Use Case: Design System Page

Let’s say you have a page called 05 Design System. You might use sections like:

Buttons (with default, hover, active states)
Form Inputs
Cards
Typography Scale
Color Tokens

Each section acts as a mini catalog, making the whole system browsable and logical.

👥 Collaborating Across Teams

When PMs, engineers, or marketers view your file, structure matters. A well-organized file helps them:

Find the right flows fast
Understand context (what’s final, what’s in review)
Know where to leave comments
Trust your handoff process

Use Pages for different audiences (e.g., a Client Review page or Developer Ready page).

🛠 Tools That Help

Figma’s Outline Panel shows a mini-map of Pages—keep it tidy!
Plugins like “Clean Document” help delete unused assets and styles
Dev Mode now highlights Sections too—great for streamlining handoff

🧠 Final Thoughts: Think Like a Librarian

The best Figma designers are also great information architects.

A messy file costs hours in meetings, misinterpretations, and rework. A clean, labeled, structured file communicates your thinking—and builds trust with everyone who touches it.

Start simple:

Name your pages.
Add meaningful sections.
Revisit weekly.

It’ll change how people experience your work—and how confident you feel shipping it.

➡️ Next up: “Nested Components in Figma: Building Complexity Without Losing Control“