Moving Layers on the Canvas (Visual Position)

Moving layers in Figma is essential for arranging your design elements on the canvas and organizing their hierarchy in the Layers panel. You can move layers both visually on the canvas and within the Layers panel to control their stacking order and parent-child relationships.

The most common way to move layers is directly on the canvas to change their visual position within your design.

Moving a Single Layer

1. Select the Layer: Click on the layer you want to move on the canvas.
2. Click and Drag: Click and hold down your mouse button on the selected layer, and drag it to your desired location.

Moving Multiple Layers

To move several layers together on the canvas:

1. Select Multiple Layers: Click on the first layer. Hold down the Shift key and click on another layer to also mark it. Repeat with additional layers as needed, or drag a selection box around the layers you want to select.
2. Click and Drag: Click and drag the layer(s) to another location within the selection. As you drag, you will see a blue indicator showing possible placement locations, especially when moving layers into or out of frames or groups, or when aligning them relative to other selected elements.

You can also use the arrow keys to move selected layers by 1 pixel at a time, or hold Shift while using the arrow keys to move by 10 pixels at a time.

Moving Layers in the Layers Panel (Order and Hierarchy)

The Layers panel on the left side of the Figma interface allows you to manage the stacking order and hierarchy of your layers. Moving layers here doesn't change their visual position on the canvas unless you move them into a container with specific layout properties (like Auto Layout).

Reordering Layers

To change the stacking order (which layers appear on top of others):

1. Locate the Layers: Find the layers you want to reorder in the Layers panel.
2. Click and Drag: Click and drag a layer up or down within the same level of the hierarchy. A blue line indicates where the layer will be placed when you release the mouse. Layers higher in the list appear visually on top of layers lower in the list.

Reparenting Layers

To move layers into or out of groups, frames, or components:

1. Locate and Select: Find the layer(s) in the Layers panel. You can select multiple layers using Shift or Cmd/Ctrl clicks.
2. Click and Drag: Click and drag the selected layer(s) over the target group, frame, or component layer. When the target container highlights or a blue line appears inside it, release the mouse button to place the layers inside. You can also drag layers out of containers to move them back to a higher level in the hierarchy.

Summary Table

Here's a quick overview of the main methods:

Method	Location	Primary Purpose	How-To
Click and Drag	Canvas	Change visual position	Select layer(s), click and drag. Use Shift for multiple selection.
Arrow Keys	Canvas	Nudge visual position	Select layer(s), press arrow keys (with Shift for larger nudges).
Click and Drag	Layers Panel	Change stacking order	Select layer(s) in panel, drag up/down within the same hierarchy level.
Click and Drag into Container	Layers Panel	Change layer hierarchy	Select layer(s) in panel, drag over/into target frame/group/component.

Understanding both canvas movement and Layers panel organization is key to efficient design workflows in Figma.