Figma Shaders

Create and update Figma shaders

Load this skill before every create_shader or update_shader call. It covers account-library shader authoring through the Figma MCP server. Reading or applying an existing shader does not require this skill.

Shaders have two kinds:

• effect samples and transforms the rendered layer beneath it. Use it for blur, distortion, glow, color grading, pixelation, halftone, or other post-processing.
• fill generates pixels without an input raster. Use it for gradients, patterns, noise, textures, and procedural backgrounds.

Do not silently switch kinds during an update. The kind passed to update_shader must match the existing shader.

Create workflow

1. Decide whether the request is an effect or fill. Ask only when the visual intent does not resolve the distinction.
2. Resolve planKey. Reuse one supplied by the user; otherwise call whoami. Use the sole eligible plan automatically, or ask the user to choose when several materially different plans are available.
3. Call create_shader once with a concise name, description, selected kind, and planKey. This creates a starter scaffold, not the requested final shader.
4. Call get_shader with the returned id, then read every source URI. If the client cannot read MCP resources, call get_shader with includeSource: true instead. This establishes the runtime imports and the scaffold's fixed metadata contract.
5. Author the complete replacement main.ts for the requested result.
6. Call update_shader with the returned id, the same kind, files: [{ path: "main.ts", content: "..." }], and a specific commitMessage. Use metadata when changing the name, description, or animation capabilities. Set metadata.isAnimated: true when the source reads time-related frame inputs and metadata.usesMouse: true when it reads frame.mousePosition.

Never stop after create_shader: the starter scaffold is only a structural starting point.

Update workflow

1. Identify the shader with list_shaders, then call get_shader. Use its type (effect or fill) as the required update kind.
2. Read every source URI returned by get_shader before editing. If the client cannot read MCP resources, call it with includeSource: true. Treat those files as the current source of truth.
3. Preserve existing controls and behavior unless the user asks to change them.
4. Call update_shader with the complete replacement main.ts in the files array, not a diff or partial fragment. An empty files array is valid only for a metadata-only update.

Authoring rules

• Before writing the main.ts replacement, read Shader source authoring. It contains the required module shape, WebGPU lifecycle, supported parameter schemas, effect/fill alpha rules, and WGSL failure checklist.
• Match animation metadata to the source. Set metadata.isAnimated: true if main.ts reads frame.time, frame.deltaTime, or frame.frame, and set metadata.usesMouse: true if it reads frame.mousePosition. Set the corresponding value to false when removing the last such use. update_shader applies these metadata fields to the fixed features.json manifest even though that file cannot be replaced directly.
• Prefer frame.time for animation so skipped frames do not change the result. It is an absolute millisecond clock; convert it to seconds with Number(frame.time) * 0.001 when useful.
• Expose controls for values users are likely to tune per layer; hardcode implementation details.
• Keep numeric ranges bounded and defaults visually useful.
• For effects, sample the input raster intentionally. For fills, do not assume an input raster exists.
• Treat a non-error update_shader result as success. Record the returned version when present; a successful response may omit it.
• On a build error, use the returned compiler output to make the smallest source correction and retry once. If it still fails, surface the error instead of repeatedly rewriting the shader.
• If the tool reports that animation or mouse input is unavailable, treat that as a terminal capability gate: do not retry or attempt to bypass it. Offer to author a static shader whose exposed properties can be keyframed in Motion mode instead.

Completion

Report the shader name, kind, and id, plus the returned version when present. Briefly identify the controls or behavior that were added. Construct and include a clickable URL that opens a new Design file with the unpublished shader ready to try, using the exact shader id as try-tool-resource-content-id. Set try-tool-resource-type from the shader kind: gen_effect for an effect and gen_fill for a fill.

https://www.figma.com/file/new?try-tool-resource-content-id=<id>&try-tool-resource-type=<gen_effect|gen_fill>&type=design&mode=design

After presenting the new-file link, ask whether the user wants to open the shader in an existing Figma Design file instead. If yes, reuse a file URL already provided or ask for one, then add the same try-tool-resource-content-id and resolved try-tool-resource-type query parameters to that URL. Never guess the file URL.

Replace the type placeholder with exactly one value; do not include angle brackets or the pipe in the returned URL.