Figma File Permissions for Design Reviews
Choose the review audience first, then grant the smallest useful access and test it with a recipient. Direct invitations, folder access and link settings can interact, so the visible invitation list is not the complete access picture.
Before you start: Have the authority to change sharing and a list of reviewers. Identify confidential frames and organizational sharing restrictions before copying a public or broad-audience link.
Worked example: An external adviser needs to review an onboarding prototype, not edit the source file or browse unrelated billing concepts. Decide that boundary before selecting the sharing method.
Step-by-step guide
Define reviewer needs
Write whether each person needs to view, comment through the supported review experience or edit. Separate internal collaborators from external reviewers and check whether prototype-only access fits the task.
Inspect inherited access
Review the folder and team context as well as direct invitations. A narrow direct invite does not remove access inherited from a broader resource.
Set the audience
Use the sharing controls to choose the intended audience and permission level. Respect administrator restrictions instead of broadening sharing merely to avoid an access request.
Remove accidental exposure
Check the content reachable through the link, including adjacent flows or source-file access where applicable. Move sensitive unrelated material if a narrowly scoped sharing configuration cannot protect it.
Test the exact link
Ask an intended reviewer to open the shared URL in their own account. Confirm access to the review scope and verify that editing or unrelated content is not available unexpectedly.
Close access after review
Record who still needs ongoing access. Remove temporary direct invitations or broad links where appropriate, while checking inherited access before declaring the file restricted.
Common mistakes
Only reviewing explicit invites
Team or folder access may still allow entry. Inspect all relevant access paths.
Public link as a workaround
A permission problem should be resolved deliberately. Do not expose sensitive material just to make the review convenient.
Testing with the owner account
The owner’s access does not represent the reviewer. Validate from an actual recipient account.
Tips
Keep the review scope separate from sensitive exploration.
Record temporary external access with a review end date.
Check organizational sharing policy before inviting a new audience.
Sources and verification
Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.