Figma MCP with Codex

Yes. Codex can edit a live Figma file if it is connected to a tool that can act inside Figma. FigmaMCP is a free one, and the Figma MCP Codex setup is automatic: the Mac app connects Codex for you. Codex talks to a small local server, the server talks to a plugin in your Figma desktop app, and the edits appear in your file. It needs macOS and the desktop app, and no API token.

Set up

Install the app
Download FigmaMCP for Mac, open it, and click Add to Figma. The app also connects Codex. Figma restarts once, and only if it was running and the plugin was missing. Optionally allow Accessibility so FigmaMCP can open the plugin for Codex.
Download for Mac Version 0.1.10
Ask Codex
If Codex was already running, restart it first so it loads the new tool. Then ask it to make the change. There is nothing more to set up. For the full walk-through, see Figma MCP setup.

Prompts that work well

You ask	What happens
“On this page, rename every layer called Frame 12 to match its heading.”	Codex reads the page, then renames the matching layers in one validated batch.
“Replace the old product name in all text layers in this frame.”	It finds the text layers in the frame and rewrites them together.
“Build a pricing card with three tiers using our variables.”	It creates frames and text with auto layout, bound to your variables if you have allowed variable edits.
“Delete this color variable.”	Refused if layers still use it, so you do not get broken references.

Guardrails you control

Edits go only to the open file where the plugin’s AI can edit this file switch is on. Turn the switch off and the agent can read but not edit.
Each edit names its target layer, and the name must match.
Variables and styles follow the same switch: off means they are read-only too.
A wrong edit that follows the rules still goes through. Review the result, and use Figma version history.

More detail: what the agent can create and edit. Using Claude Code instead? See Edit Figma with Claude Code.

Limits of this setup

Questions

Does Codex need a Figma token to edit a file?

Not with FigmaMCP. It works through the Figma desktop app on your Mac, so there is no access token to create.

Do I set Codex up myself?

No. The Mac app connects Codex for you. If Codex was already running, restart it so it loads the new tool.

Does the file need to be open?

Yes. The file must be open in the Figma desktop app. With the Mac app, FigmaMCP can open the plugin for you after you allow Accessibility. Without it, open the plugin yourself once per file.

What if an edit is refused?

The tool returns a structured error explaining why, for example the layer name did not match or the file is switched to read-only. Codex can then correct the request.