How to Convert Figma to WordPress: Complete 2026 Guide

You’ve spent hours perfecting your Figma design. The spacing is pixel-perfect, the typography is on point, and your client has signed off with enthusiasm. Now comes the part that makes most designers cringe: turning that beautiful mockup into a functional WordPress website.

The gap between design and development has frustrated creative professionals for years. Traditional handoff processes involve endless back-and-forth with developers, lost design details, and timelines that stretch far beyond estimates. But the landscape has shifted dramatically. Today, you have multiple pathways to convert Figma to WordPress from manual coding to automated conversion tools that preserve your design intent.

This guide walks you through every viable method for bringing your Figma designs to WordPress. You’ll discover which approach matches your skill level, project requirements, and budget. Whether you’re a designer learning development or an agency scaling your workflow, you’ll find actionable strategies to bridge the design-to-development gap.

Understanding the Figma to WordPress Workflow

Before diving into conversion methods, let’s establish what actually happens when you move a design from Figma to WordPress. This understanding helps you choose the right approach and set realistic expectations.

What Gets Converted (And What Doesn’t)

Figma designs contain visual specifications: colors, typography, spacing, layout structures, and component relationships. WordPress needs functional code: HTML for structure, CSS for styling, PHP for dynamic content, and JavaScript for interactions.

The conversion process translates visual properties into code equivalents:

What doesn’t convert automatically includes complex animations, advanced hover states, dynamic content logic, and WordPress-specific functionality like forms, menus, and plugin integrations. These require manual implementation regardless of your chosen method.

The Three Conversion Pathways

Every Figma-to-WordPress project follows one of three pathways:

Manual Development: Export assets from Figma, write custom code, build theme files from scratch. Maximum control, highest skill requirement, longest timeline.

Page Builder Translation: Use Figma as a reference while manually recreating the design in Elementor, Divi, or similar builders. Moderate skill requirement, good design fidelity, medium timeline.

Automated Conversion: Use specialized tools that parse Figma designs and generate WordPress-compatible output. Lower skill requirement, variable design fidelity, fastest timeline.

Most professionals use a hybrid approach—automated tools for the heavy lifting, manual refinement for polish and functionality. Understanding each method helps you determine where to invest your time.

Method 1: Manual Figma to WordPress Development

Manual development gives you complete control over every line of code. It’s the approach preferred by experienced developers building custom themes or complex web applications.

When Manual Development Makes Sense

Choose manual development when:

• Your project requires custom functionality beyond standard WordPress features
• You need optimized performance with minimal code bloat
• The design includes complex interactions or animations
• You’re building a theme for distribution or multiple sites
• Budget allows for extended development timelines

Manual development typically takes 20-40 hours for a standard 5-page website, depending on complexity and developer experience.

Step-by-Step Manual Conversion Process

Step 1: Export and Organize Assets

In Figma, select all exportable images, icons, and graphics. Use these export settings for optimal WordPress compatibility:

• Images: PNG for transparency, JPEG for photos, WebP for modern browsers
• Icons: SVG for scalability and small file size
• Backgrounds: Consider CSS recreation vs. image export

Create a folder structure matching WordPress theme conventions:

theme-name/
├── assets/
│   ├── images/
│   ├── icons/
│   └── fonts/
├── css/
├── js/
└── template-parts/

Step 2: Extract Design Specifications

Use Figma’s inspect panel to document:

• Font families, weights, and sizes for each text style
• Color values (hex or RGB) for the complete palette
• Spacing values (padding, margins, gaps)
• Container widths and responsive breakpoints
• Shadow, border, and effect specifications

For teams working on larger projects, our design system workflow guide covers efficient documentation practices.

Step 3: Build the Theme Structure

Start with WordPress theme fundamentals:

// style.css header
/*
Theme Name: Your Theme Name
Theme URI: https://yoursite.com
Author: Your Name
Description: Custom theme converted from Figma
Version: 1.0.0
*/

Create essential template files: index.php, header.php, footer.php, functions.php, and page templates as needed.

Step 4: Translate Figma Layouts to HTML/CSS

Convert Figma’s auto-layout to CSS flexbox or grid:

/* Figma auto-layout: horizontal, gap 24px, padding 32px */
.container {
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: row;
  gap: 24px;
  padding: 32px;
}

Use CSS custom properties to maintain design consistency:

:root {
  --color-primary: #2563eb;
  --color-secondary: #64748b;
  --spacing-sm: 8px;
  --spacing-md: 16px;
  --spacing-lg: 32px;
  --font-heading: 'Inter', sans-serif;
}

Step 5: Implement Responsive Behavior

Figma designs typically show desktop, tablet, and mobile variants. Map these to CSS breakpoints:

/* Mobile first approach */
.hero-section {
  padding: 24px;
}

/* Tablet: 768px+ */
@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .hero-section {
    padding: 48px;
  }
}

/* Desktop: 1024px+ */
@media (min-width: 1024px) {
  .hero-section {
    padding: 64px;
  }
}

Common Manual Conversion Challenges

Challenge 1: Font Licensing Figma allows any Google Font or uploaded font file. WordPress requires proper font hosting. Use Google Fonts API, upload to your server, or use services like Adobe Fonts for licensed typefaces.

Challenge 2: Responsive Images Figma exports static images. WordPress needs responsive image markup with srcset attributes. Consider using WordPress’s built-in responsive image handling or a solution like ShortPixel for automatic optimization.

Challenge 3: Dynamic Content Areas Static Figma designs don’t account for variable content lengths. Build flexibility into your CSS to handle longer headlines, multi-paragraph descriptions, and varying image aspect ratios.

Method 2: Page Builder Translation (Elementor Focus)

Page builders offer a middle ground between manual coding and fully automated conversion. You recreate the Figma design visually while the builder generates the underlying code.

Why Elementor Dominates This Space

Elementor powers over 16 million websites and offers the closest visual editing experience to Figma itself. Its container-based layout system (introduced in Elementor 3.6) mirrors Figma’s frame and auto-layout concepts.

Key advantages for Figma users:

• Visual editing: Drag-and-drop interface similar to Figma
• Flexbox containers: Direct translation of auto-layout properties
• Design system support: Global colors and fonts like Figma variables
• Responsive controls: Per-breakpoint settings matching Figma variants

For a detailed comparison of page builder options, see our Elementor vs Gutenberg analysis.

Translating Figma Designs to Elementor

Step 1: Set Up Global Design Settings

Before building any pages, configure Elementor’s global settings to match your Figma design system:

1. Navigate to Elementor > Settings > Style
2. Set default content width to match your Figma frame width (typically 1280px or 1440px)
3. Configure default fonts under Site Settings > Typography
4. Add your color palette under Site Settings > Global Colors

This upfront work ensures consistency across all pages and reduces repetitive styling.

Step 2: Understand the Figma-to-Elementor Mapping

Step 3: Build Section by Section

Work through your Figma design from top to bottom:

1. Create a container for each major section (hero, features, testimonials)
2. Set the container properties to match Figma’s frame settings
3. Add nested containers for column layouts
4. Insert widgets (headings, text, images, buttons)
5. Apply styling using Figma specifications

For complex layouts, our Figma to Elementor conversion tutorial provides detailed walkthroughs.

Step 4: Implement Responsive Behavior

Elementor provides three default breakpoints: Desktop, Tablet (1024px), Mobile (767px). For each element:

1. Click the device icon in the bottom panel
2. Switch to tablet view
3. Adjust spacing, font sizes, and visibility
4. Switch to mobile view
5. Make final mobile adjustments

If your Figma design uses different breakpoints, customize Elementor’s responsive settings under Site Settings > Layout > Breakpoints.

Time Investment: Manual Recreation vs. Automated Tools

Building a typical 5-page website manually in Elementor takes:

• Simple landing page: 2-4 hours
• Multi-section homepage: 6-10 hours
• Full website (5-7 pages): 15-25 hours
• Complex site with custom interactions: 30-50 hours

This timeline assumes proficiency with both Figma and Elementor. For teams processing multiple projects, these hours add up quickly. Tools like Figmentor reduce this conversion time to minutes by automatically translating Figma frames into Elementor-compatible JSON, preserving spacing, typography, and layout structure.

Method 3: Automated Figma to WordPress Conversion

Automated conversion tools parse your Figma design file and generate WordPress-compatible output. This approach offers the fastest timeline but requires understanding the technology’s capabilities and limitations.

How Automated Conversion Works

Modern conversion tools use Figma’s API to read design data:

1. Parse the design tree: Identify frames, groups, and layer hierarchy
2. Extract styling: Colors, typography, spacing, effects
3. Map to output format: Generate HTML/CSS, page builder JSON, or theme files
4. Handle assets: Export and optimize images, icons, fonts

The quality of output depends on how well the tool handles Figma’s design patterns and how closely the output format matches WordPress requirements.

Types of Automated Tools

Code Generators: Output clean HTML and CSS from Figma designs. Examples include Anima, Locofy, and Builder.io. These require manual integration with WordPress.

Page Builder Exporters: Generate files compatible with Elementor, Divi, or other builders. Figmentor falls into this category, producing JSON that imports directly into Elementor.

WordPress Theme Generators: Create complete theme packages from designs. Less common and typically limited to simpler designs.

Low-Code Platforms: Host both design and website, bypassing WordPress entirely. Framer and Webflow are popular options, though they move away from the WordPress ecosystem.

Evaluating Automated Tool Quality

When testing conversion tools, check these factors:

Layout Accuracy

• Do containers maintain correct widths?
• Is spacing preserved between elements?
• Are nested layouts handled correctly?

Typography Fidelity

• Are font sizes accurate?
• Is line height calculated correctly?
• Do font weights translate properly?

Responsive Behavior

• Does the output include mobile styles?
• Are Figma variants recognized?
• Can you adjust breakpoints post-conversion?

Code Quality

• Is the HTML semantic and accessible?
• Is CSS organized and maintainable?
• Are there unnecessary wrapper elements?

For Elementor-specific conversions, check our Figma to Elementor plugin comparison for detailed tool evaluations.

Limitations of Automated Conversion

No automated tool handles everything perfectly. Expect to manually address:

• Interactive elements: Forms, sliders, accordions, tabs
• Dynamic content: Post loops, custom fields, conditional logic
• WordPress integration: Menus, widgets, plugin functionality
• Complex animations: Scroll effects, micro-interactions
• SEO elements: Meta tags, schema markup, heading hierarchy

The best workflow uses automation for structural conversion, then applies manual refinement for functionality and polish.

Optimizing Your Converted WordPress Site

Regardless of conversion method, every Figma-to-WordPress project needs optimization before launch. Design tools prioritize visual fidelity; websites require performance, accessibility, and SEO.

Performance Optimization

Converted sites often include unoptimized assets and redundant code. Address these issues:

Image Optimization

• Convert images to WebP format (30-50% smaller than JPEG/PNG)
• Implement lazy loading for below-fold images
• Use responsive images with srcset for different screen sizes
• Consider a CDN for global audience delivery

Code Optimization

• Remove unused CSS (common in page builder output)
• Minify CSS and JavaScript files
• Defer non-critical JavaScript loading
• Enable browser caching

For Elementor sites specifically, our Elementor performance guide covers advanced optimization techniques.

Hosting Considerations

• Choose managed WordPress hosting for better performance
• Enable server-level caching
• Use PHP 8.0+ for improved processing speed
• Consider static site generation for content-heavy pages

Accessibility Compliance

Figma designs don’t inherently include accessibility features. Add these during implementation:

Structural Accessibility

• Use semantic HTML elements (header, nav, main, footer)
• Implement proper heading hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3)
• Add skip navigation links
• Ensure keyboard navigation works

Visual Accessibility

• Verify color contrast ratios (4.5:1 minimum for text)
• Don’t rely solely on color to convey information
• Ensure text remains readable when zoomed 200%
• Provide visible focus states for interactive elements

Content Accessibility

• Add descriptive alt text to all images
• Include captions for video content
• Use ARIA labels where semantic HTML isn’t sufficient
• Test with screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA)

SEO Implementation

Design mockups rarely account for SEO requirements. Ensure your converted site includes:

Technical SEO

• XML sitemap generation (use Yoast or Rank Math)
• Robots.txt configuration
• Canonical URL implementation
• Structured data markup

On-Page SEO

• Unique title tags per page (50-60 characters)
• Meta descriptions (145-155 characters)
• Proper heading structure
• Internal linking strategy

Content SEO

• Alt text for images with target keywords
• Descriptive anchor text for links
• Mobile-friendly formatting
• Fast loading speeds (Core Web Vitals compliance)

Our WordPress SEO optimization guide provides comprehensive implementation strategies.

Workflow Automation for Agencies and Teams

For designers and developers handling multiple Figma-to-WordPress projects, workflow efficiency becomes critical. Streamlined processes reduce errors, improve consistency, and increase project capacity.

Establishing Design-to-Development Standards

Create internal guidelines that both designers and developers follow:

Figma Design Standards

• Consistent naming conventions for frames and layers
• Required auto-layout usage for all layouts
• Component library for repeated elements
• Design system with defined variables

Handoff Requirements

• Specific export settings for each asset type
• Documentation of interactions and animations
• Responsive variant requirements
• Content placeholders with realistic lengths

WordPress Implementation Standards

• Naming conventions for template parts
• Required plugins and configurations
• Code quality standards
• Testing checklist before delivery

Scaling with Automation Tools

Teams processing 5+ projects monthly should consider automation investments:

Time Savings Analysis

Figmentor’s automated conversion addresses the most time-intensive tasks—structural layout, spacing, and typography translation—while leaving creative refinement to human judgment.

Quality Control Processes

Implement systematic review processes:

Pre-Launch Checklist

• All links functional (internal and external)
• Forms submit correctly and send notifications
• Mobile layout displays correctly on actual devices
• Page speed scores meet targets (LCP < 2.5s)
• Accessibility audit passes (WAVE or axe tools)
• Browser testing complete (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)
• Content matches approved designs
• SEO elements configured correctly

Client Handoff Package

• Login credentials and user training
• Content editing documentation
• Backup and update procedures
• Support contact information

Troubleshooting Common Conversion Issues

Even experienced professionals encounter challenges during Figma-to-WordPress conversion. Here are solutions to the most frequent problems.

Layout Breaking on Different Screen Sizes

Symptom: Design looks correct at one breakpoint but breaks at others.

Causes and Solutions:

• Fixed pixel widths: Replace with percentage or viewport units
• Missing responsive styles: Add explicit styles for each breakpoint
• Overflow issues: Set overflow handling on containers
• Image sizing: Use max-width: 100% on images

Fonts Not Matching Design

Symptom: Typography appears different in browser than in Figma.

Solutions:

• Verify font files are loading (check Network tab in DevTools)
• Confirm font weights match (Figma “Medium” = font-weight: 500)
• Account for browser font rendering differences
• Use font-display: swap for performance

Spacing Inconsistencies

Symptom: Margins and padding don’t match Figma specifications.

Solutions:

• Reset default browser margins (CSS reset or normalize)
• Check for inherited styles from parent elements
• Verify box-sizing: border-box is set globally
• Account for margin collapse in vertical layouts

Colors Appearing Different

Symptom: Brand colors look slightly off in browser.

Solutions:

• Check Figma color space (sRGB vs Display P3)
• Verify hex values were copied correctly
• Account for monitor calibration differences
• Test on multiple devices before finalizing

For Elementor-specific troubleshooting, our Elementor troubleshooting guide covers additional solutions.

Making the Right Choice for Your Project

The best conversion method depends on your specific circumstances. Use this decision framework:

Choose Manual Development If:

• You’re an experienced developer comfortable with WordPress themes
• The project requires custom functionality or unique interactions
• Performance optimization is a top priority
• You’re building a theme for distribution

Choose Page Builder Translation If:

• You’re comfortable with visual editors like Elementor
• The client needs ongoing content editing capabilities
• Timeline allows for manual recreation (15-30 hours)
• Design includes standard layouts and interactions

Choose Automated Conversion If:

• You need to process multiple projects efficiently
• Timeline requires rapid turnaround (hours, not days)
• Design uses clean auto-layout and organized structure
• You’re willing to refine output for polish

Hybrid Approach (Recommended for Most Projects)

1. Use automated tools for initial structure conversion
2. Manually refine typography and spacing
3. Implement custom functionality and interactions
4. Optimize for performance and SEO

This approach captures 70-80% time savings from automation while ensuring professional quality output.

Next Steps: From Figma to Live Website

Converting Figma to WordPress is a learnable skill that improves with practice. Start with simpler projects—a single landing page or a basic multi-page site—before tackling complex web applications.

Key takeaways from this guide:

1. Understand what converts (and what doesn’t) before starting
2. Choose your method based on skill level, timeline, and project requirements
3. Establish consistent workflows for repeatable results
4. Optimize for performance, accessibility, and SEO regardless of conversion method
5. Use automation strategically to handle structural work while focusing human effort on refinement

The gap between design and development is narrowing. Tools like Figmentor continue to improve conversion accuracy, while page builders like Elementor offer increasingly sophisticated layout capabilities. The designers and developers who master this workflow gain a significant competitive advantage.

Ready to convert your first design? Start with our complete Figma to Elementor tutorial for a hands-on walkthrough, or explore our template library for pre-built starting points.

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