Variables Skipped on Export
Tokens skipped when exporting as Variables When Exporting to Figma, the plugin sometimes can't create or update your Variables as expected.
Your Export to Figma Options configuration allows you to skip certain types of Variables if needed.
→ Jump to the Export to Figma Options guide for more details
However, there are three main reasons why the plugin will skip creating individual Variables when Exporting to Figma:
The Token Type isn't compatible with any Variable type.
The Token Value isn't supported in Variables.
You have exceeded the number of allowed variables.
Token type isn't compatible
Figma only supports 4 types of Variables, and Tokens Studio supports 24 unique Token Types in the plugin.
While we have figured out how to support most Tokens to Figma as Variables, these are the Token Types that will be skipped when you Export to Figma as Variables as there is no compatible Variable Type.
Asset Token
Composition Token
Other Token
Composite Token Types will also be skipped as Figma only supports single value Tokens as Variables. However, they can be exported as Styles with Variable references where possible.
Styles with Variable ReferencesSelect the Token Type to jump to its guide and read the specific pro-tips on exporting as Styles with Variable references:
Multiple value Tokens
Figma only supports a single value for a variable.
This means if you have a Token with multiple values, like a Color Token with its value defined as a linear gradient, that Token can not be exported to Figma as a variable.
Tokens Studio supports multiple values for:
Color Tokens as gradients (which can be exported as color Styles with Variable References)
Value is "AUTO"
The AUTO
value is used for Line Height Tokens and Typography Composite Tokens to match Figma's required string value.
The plugin isn't able to resolve the AUTO
value but relies on Figma to apply the correct value based on the Font Size.
Figma only accepts numeric values for this property, and therefore, it is skipped when exporting as Variables.
When you export as Text Styles, the
AUTO
value will be applied in Figma as expected.
→ Read the Typography Line Heights guide for more details.
Value contains a percentage (%)
Figma's Number Variables must be unitless.
The plugin will skip Tokens with %
values that should be exported as Number Variables as it can't resolve the value and pass it over to Figma is a numeric value.
If the Token Type is text
or opacity
, those will be exported as those Variables support the percentage value.

More than 5000 variables in one collection
Figma has a limit of 5000 variables per collection.
If you export more than 5000 tokens as variables, we will create the first 5000 and skip the remaining Tokens.
This size of the Variable library is bound to lead to memory issues, so you might want to split up your Tokens into multiple collections.
Modes skipped
Each Figma plan allows for a different number of modes per Variable collection. → Read their pricing plan for more details
If you are exporting more Themes than you are allowed to have as modes in Figma, we will create as many as possible and then skip the remaining.
In the plugin, under the Themes dropdown, you will see the list of Themes in each Theme group.
We will create as many as possible, starting at the top.
In the image below on the left, there are 5 Themes within the brands
Theme Group, and on the right, the first 4 Themes have been created as modes within a Variable collection in Figma called brands
. The 5th Theme in our list at the bottom called black-berry
was not exported.

Note that Figma doesn't allow Variable modes when a file isn't in a project
If you are on any paid plan and we aren't exporting your themes as expected, check to see if your Figma file is in your drafts folder.
The image below shows how to tell if your file is in your Drafts.
Move the file to a Figma project then Export to Figma as Variables again to create your other modes.

Resources
Figma resources:
Design in Figma - Overview of Variable Collections and Modes
Community resources:
The Tokens Studio collection of Variable videos - YouTube Playlist
Our friends at UI Collective have free learning resources on Variables - YouTube Playlist
💡 Something to share? Submit it here!
Known issues and bugs
Tokens Studio Plugin GitHub - Open issues for Figma export
Tokens Studio Plugin GitHub - Open issues for Figma Variables
🐞 If you are experiencing an issue not listed here, please reach out to us on the Troubleshooting channel of our community Slack, submit it on our feedback tool, or send us an email [email protected]
Requests, roadmap and changelog
Add support for scoping and publishing variables and styles - Feature Request
Ignore parts of the token name for variables and styles - Feature Request
Theme Switcher for non-DS designers so I don't need variables anymore - Feature Request
Tokens applied with Figma UI as Styles or Variables are Fragile - Feature Request
Create Variable Collections With The Plugin's Order of Themes - Feature Request (blocked by Figma)
Show updated number of Variables (or styles) when exporting to Figma with updated values - Feature Request
💌 Visit https://feedback.tokens.studio/ to contribute or subscribe to updates.

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