How (and why) we built branching | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma built branching to preserve the benefits of real-time collaboration without letting unfinished or experimental work disrupt approved designs. Branches provide isolated spaces for exploration while keeping the main file a reliable source of truth. The design prioritizes simplicity, familiar multiplayer behavior, and protection against data loss.

The Need for Branching at Scale

• Figma’s real-time multiplayer model usually helps teams work in one shared file.
• As organizations grow, however, design workflows become harder to manage:
  • Unapproved changes can reach production code.
  • Work may be overwritten.
  • Teams may struggle to distinguish work in progress from approved designs.
• Branches let designers experiment, iterate, contribute to libraries, or preview work without changing the main file.
• Changes can be incorporated into the main file only after review and approval.

Balancing Freedom and Structure

• Growing design teams increasingly requested stronger version-control workflows.
• Traditional branching comes from software development, where files and changes are stored locally.
• Figma had to adapt the concept for cloud-based files, asking:
  • Whether people should continue editing the main file simultaneously.
  • How collaboration should work within branches.
  • How to introduce version control without overwhelming designers with complexity.

Designing Around Figma’s Multiplayer Model

• Figma chose a purpose-built approach rather than copying existing development tools.
• Simplicity and consistency became core principles:
  • The main file remains multiplayer.
  • A branch behaves like a regular Figma file.
  • Existing editor and viewer permissions continue to apply.
• The system emphasizes data safety so users’ changes remain protected.
• Figma intentionally limited complexity, including preventing branches from being created from other branches.

The Complexity of Merging

• Merging involved more than simply resolving conflicting edits.
• Figma also had to handle operational problems such as:
  • The file changing while someone reviews a merge.
  • A user losing their connection midway through the process.
• These cases required safeguards to ensure merges remain understandable, recoverable, and safe.

Branching is therefore presented as a structured layer on top of Figma’s collaborative model: teams can explore freely in branches while maintaining a dependable, approved main file.