Why Is My Figma Library Not Showing Up?

1. It was never published. A library must be published before any other file can add it. The author opens Assets → Libraries icon → This file → Publish. See how to publish a Figma library.
2. You don't have access. You need at least can view access to the library file. Ask the owner to share it or move it into a team or project you're part of.
3. The library lives in someone's drafts. Draft files have to move to a project folder before they can be published at all.
4. You're on the Starter plan. Starter can't publish libraries. Publishing needs a paid plan and a Full seat.

This is a long-running forum thread with more than 15,000 views. The library is added, but a component you expect isn't in Assets. The usual causes:

1. The component wasn't in the last publish. New components only appear after the author publishes again.
2. It failed validation. Components with problems are listed in the Invalid section of the Publish modal and get skipped. The author has to fix and republish them.
3. It's hidden on purpose. Assets marked Hide when publishing (right-click the asset in the library file) stay private to that file.
4. It's in a file in your drafts. For libraries in drafts, turn on account settings → Library → Enable Libraries for all files in your Drafts. On Starter this covers styles only. On Professional and Education it covers styles and components.

The most-discussed library thread on the Figma forum (17,600 views, 69 replies) is about published changes that never reach instances in other files. Check these in order:

1. The author didn't publish. Saving the library file isn't enough. If the author's Libraries icon says Review unpublished changes, the edits are still local.
2. You didn't accept the update. In your file, open the Libraries icon when its tooltip says Review library updates, and accept the changes.
3. The instance was detached. Detached layers are plain frames and never update. Replace them with fresh instances. More in detaching instances.
4. Your override is covering the change. An instance keeps its own overrides, so a property you changed locally can hide the library's new value for that property. Reset the instance from More actions → Reset.

• Library file is on a paid plan, out of drafts, and published.
• You have at least can view access to it.
• It's added to this file under Assets → Libraries icon.
• The component isn't hidden or listed as Invalid in the last publish.
• You accepted the latest updates when the icon says Review library updates.

Repeat the same steps for each one: Assets → Libraries icon → pick a library → Add to file. Anyone with can edit access to the file can manage its libraries, and adding one applies to everyone who opens the file.

In the Assets tab, right-click the library name and choose Remove library from file. Components, styles and variables you already used stay on the canvas. They just stop being listed in Assets for new use.

Styles and variables follow the same rules: published, then enabled. If a variable doesn't appear in the picker even though the library is on, scoping may restrict where it can be used. See Figma variables not showing. For building the components themselves, start at how to create a component in Figma.