Why It Matters
Main components (also called master components) are the single source of truth in your design system. They're identified by the four-diamond icon and typically live in a dedicated component library file. Edits to main components propagate to all instances across your entire organization, making them powerful but requiring careful governance.
Examples
1
A Button main component defines the base structure: icon slot, label, padding, border radius, and color tokens.
2
Main components for a card system might include CardBase, CardHeader, CardBody, and CardFooter.
3
Publishing a library makes your main components available across all team files as instances.
Related Terms
Instance
A linked copy of a main component that inherits its properties and automatically updates when the main component changes.
Component Set
A group of related component variants combined into a single component with configurable properties, allowing users to switch between variants without swapping components.
Component Library
A collection of reusable UI components organized in a Figma library file, available for use across multiple design files and team projects.
Design Tokens
Named, platform-agnostic values that store design decisions like colors, spacing, typography, and shadows, enabling consistent styling across design tools and code.
Explore More Design Terms
Browse our complete glossary of Figma and design systems terminology.