How to share a Figma design as a link that opens for anyone
Sunny 7 min read
Figma's sharing is powerful and, for the specific job of “show this to a client,” surprisingly easy to get wrong. Three things go wrong over and over: the client hits a sign-in wall, the client lands in your working file instead of the polished prototype, or the design quietly changes underneath them while they're reviewing it. Each has a fix, and for one common case the fix is to leave Figma entirely.
The three links Figma can give you
The Share button does not produce one kind of link. Which button you press, and from which view, decides what your client actually receives.
| What you press | What they get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Share, from the editor | The working file — every frame, every scratch layer, your comments | Teammates and other designers |
| Share prototype, from the presentation view | The clickable prototype only, not the file | Client reviews and stakeholder demos |
| Export → PDF / PNG, then share the export | A frozen snapshot that can't change or drift | Sign-off, proposals, anything you'll be held to |
Fix 1: stop the sign-in wall
This is the most common complaint, and it's a single setting. In the Share dialog, the access dropdown must be set to “Anyone with the link”. The default in many teams is “Only people invited to this file,” which forces every viewer to have a Figma account and be individually invited — a wall your client will not climb, and often will not even report to you. They'll just say “it didn't work.”
Fix 2: send the prototype, not your working file
Sharing from the editor hands over the whole canvas. Your client sees the three rejected versions parked off to the side, the frame called final-FINAL-v2, and the comment where you called the brief confusing. Designers do this by accident constantly.
- Open the prototype (the play button) so you're in the presentation view.
- Use the Share button inside that view — not the one in the editor behind it.
- Set access to “Anyone with the link” and copy.
That link opens the prototype and nothing else. It is the right answer for any review where the client should click through the flow.
Fix 3: the version drift problem
Here is the one that no setting solves, because it isn't a bug — it's the design of the product. A Figma link points at the live file. Send it Tuesday, keep working Wednesday, and when the client opens it Thursday they review Wednesday's half-finished state. If they approved something on Tuesday, there is now no shared artifact showing what they approved.
For anything you'll be held to, you want a snapshot rather than a window:
- Select the frames to share, then Export — PDF for multi-frame flows, PNG at 2× for a single screen.
- Upload the export and get a link that opens in any browser.
- Send that link. It shows exactly what you sent, permanently.
You also pick up three things Figma doesn't give you for this job:
- You can see it was opened. Figma shows live avatars while someone is in the file and nothing afterwards — no record of who looked or when. A tracked link timestamps every open, which is exactly what you want before a follow-up call.
- No Figma UI around your work. No toolbar, no cursor chrome, no “try Figma free” prompt sitting next to the design you're presenting.
- It opens on a phone properly. A Figma prototype on a client's phone is a pinch-and-zoom negotiation; an exported PDF or image just opens.
When to use which
| Situation | Send this |
|---|---|
| Design review with another designer | Editor link — they need the layers |
| Client clicking through a flow | Prototype link, access “Anyone with the link” |
| Sign-off, or anything contractual | Exported PDF as a permanent link |
| Inside a proposal or pitch deck | Exported PDF as a tracked link |
| Your org has disabled public links | Exported PDF as a link — the only route that works |
Quick answers
Can someone view a Figma file without an account?
Yes, if link access is set to “Anyone with the link”. With that setting a viewer opens the file or prototype in their browser with no Figma account and no sign-up. If your organisation's admin has disabled public links, the “Anyone” option will not appear and every viewer will hit a sign-in wall.
How do I share a Figma prototype without giving access to the working file?
Open the prototype in the presentation view and use the Share button inside that view — not the Share button in the editor. The link it produces opens the prototype only. Sharing from the editor grants access to the file itself, including your scratch frames and comments.
Why does my client see a different design than the one I showed them?
Because a Figma link points at the live file, not at a snapshot. Every edit you make after sending the link changes what the client sees, including work in progress. To freeze a version, export the frames to PDF or PNG and share that export as a link instead.
How do I know whether the client actually opened the design?
Figma shows live avatars while someone is in the file, but nothing after they leave — there is no record of who opened the link or when. Sharing an exported PDF as a tracked link gives you a timestamped view count instead.
Related guides
- How to share a Canva design as a link — the same problem, the same fix, a different tool.
- Send a proposal your client will actually open
- Share a PDF people can view but not download
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