Figma Prototype Sections: Return to Context
Connect a prototype interaction to a section when returning to the last visited frame within that area is the intended behavior. Use direct frame connections when the destination must always be a specific screen.
Before you start: Have edit access and a small prototype with at least two flows. Identify which navigation needs remembered context before adding sections across the canvas.
Worked example: A user opens a project from a filtered list, visits settings and returns. The prototype should recover the prior list context instead of always jumping to the same generic project screen.
Step-by-step guide
Define navigation expectations
List which return actions should remember context and which should reset to a known screen. Keep this behavior decision separate from how the canvas is visually organized.
Group related frames
Place the relevant frames into a named section. Use a section boundary that corresponds to one meaningful area of the flow rather than grouping unrelated review artifacts.
Connect the interaction
Select the hotspot and connect it to the destination section through the prototype controls. Use a direct frame destination for any path whose target must remain fixed.
Test the first visit
Run the flow from its starting point without prior navigation. Confirm that the initial destination is understandable and that the test does not depend on hidden earlier interaction history.
Test alternate histories
Visit different frames within the section before leaving and returning. Check each case against the intended product behavior rather than treating remembered state as automatically correct.
Explain the scope
Annotate which navigation behavior is simulated and which data state is merely illustrative. Give reviewers a short sequence that exercises both first-entry and return behavior.
Common mistakes
Sections are only visual grouping
In a prototype connection, section destinations can change navigation behavior. Review connections when reorganizing the canvas.
Remembering context everywhere
Some actions should reset. Use explicit frame targets when a fixed destination is the correct behavior.
Testing one return path
A prototype can appear correct after one sequence and fail another. Test multiple histories from a clean start.
Tips
Name sections after the user’s task or product area.
Keep reset actions explicit in the review brief.
Check navigation after moving a frame into another section.
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.