How to Use Auto Layout in Figma

Figma’s Auto Layout feature transforms how designers build responsive, flexible, and consistent interfaces. Whether you’re creating buttons, cards, or full UI sections, Auto Layout saves time by automating spacing, alignment, and resizing. This article will walk you through the basics and share advanced tips to help you master Auto Layout in your daily Figma workflow.

🔧 What Is Auto Layout?

Auto Layout is a powerful Figma feature that allows frames and components to automatically adjust based on their content. Think of it like smart containers: when you add, remove, or resize elements inside, the layout responds accordingly—like flexbox in CSS.

✨ Key Benefits

Consistent spacing and padding
Automatic resizing for buttons, menus, and UI cards
Responsive behavior for multiple screen sizes
Easier to manage updates, variants, and states

🛠️ How to Add Auto Layout

Select a frame or group of layers.
In the right-hand sidebar, click the “+” icon next to Auto Layout.
Figma will wrap the selection in an Auto Layout frame.
Choose a direction:
- Horizontal: Items align side by side.
- Vertical: Items stack top to bottom.

💡 Tip: You can also use the shortcut Shift + A to apply Auto Layout.

⚙️ Core Properties Explained

Once Auto Layout is active, you’ll see configuration options in the right sidebar:

Direction: Horizontal or vertical layout flow.
Spacing between items: Controls the gap between elements.
Padding (Left, Right, Top, Bottom): Defines internal spacing from the frame edges.
Alignment: Align items inside the container (center, left, right, top, bottom).
Resizing Behavior: Set items or the frame to “Hug Contents,” “Fixed,” or “Fill Container.”

🧪 Example Use Cases

1. Responsive Buttons

Add Auto Layout to a frame containing text.
Set padding and alignment.
As you change the text, the button resizes automatically.

2. Form Fields and Cards

Group input labels and fields in vertical Auto Layout.
Nest additional frames to manage spacing hierarchically.

3. Navbars or Grids

Combine horizontal and vertical Auto Layout frames to simulate complex responsive designs.

🔄 Nesting Auto Layouts

Auto Layout frames can be nested inside each other, making them ideal for building scalable layouts like cards, lists, or full-page sections. This also helps organize your components in a clean, maintainable way.

🧠 Pro Tips

Use “Hug contents” to make a container shrink or grow to fit its content.
Combine Auto Layout with variants and component properties to create flexible design systems.
Apply Auto Layout to interactive components for scalable prototyping.

🧭 Final Thoughts

Auto Layout in Figma isn’t just a layout tool—it’s a design philosophy that leads to more scalable, maintainable, and responsive designs. Once you start using it consistently, you’ll find it nearly impossible to go back to manual spacing. Master it now, and your future self (and your team) will thank you.