# Getting Started

Hi 👋  Welcome to the docs for how to use the [Google Sheets Sync Figma Plugin.](https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/735770583268406934/Google-Sheets-Sync)

'Google Sheets Sync' can take the content from your Google Sheets file and pull it into your Figma file; populating content and manipulating your design for you — saving yourself a huge amount of time.

### What can this plugin do?

* Change the content in your Text layers&#x20;
* Download and set image backgrounds from URLs
* Swap out Components for specific instances (including Variants)
* Change colours of your layers
* Plus lots more...



Buckle up and grab a coffee ☕️ Get excited, because understanding how to use this Plugin properly could save you hours of time fiddling around in Figma copy/pasting content!!

### One small favour...

Now you've got yourself coffee — as you start diving in, if you do find this plugin useful at all, please consider supporting me and the development of it by [Buying me a Coffee](https://buymeacoffee.com/davew) ☕️

Also – [follow me on Twitter](https://twitter.com/davidwilliames) for updates

## Overall Concept

Using 'Google Sheets Sync' boils down to 3 key concepts.

1. **Setting up your Sheet structure** – so the content in Google Sheets is organised in a specific way
2. **Naming your Figma layers** – they need to be named in a specific way (so it know what content goes where)
3. **Running the plugin** – and using a 'sharable Google Sheets link' to populate the content

{% hint style="warning" %}
&#x20;Right now Google Sheets Sync only supports pulling in data if you can create a 'Shareable link' to your Sheets file that is set to **"Anyone with the link can view"**.

Some organisations may have restricted options so that you can't set the link option to be 'public' — in which case you won't be able to use this Plugin right now. (I'm hoping to create an option for these restricted organsiations in the future)
{% endhint %}

![An example of what you may see in Google Sheets after clicking 'Share' to get your Shareable link](https://753346109-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MSMbM5X-SRT4-z4-oeD%2F-MSMbeTHhKkm8XXuku0l%2F-MSMlYdV_d2kIeL-w9pR%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=58f31c75-d522-4717-8ccc-0ae3e64681c7)

## TL;DR – (Too long, didn't read)

The quick overview without needing to read through all the docs.

* **STEP 1:** Make sure your Google Sheets file has a shareable link – click ‘Share > Get shareable link’
* **STEP 2:** Name your figma layers appropriately
  * Add a ‘#’ followed by the name of the value you want to sync
  * For example: to get the value ‘Title’ – name your text layer ‘#Title’
  * _(Note: it is not case sensitive, and will ignore ‘spaces’)_
* **STEP 3:** Run this plugin, paste your shareable link, and click ‘Fetch & Sync’
