They allow you to create reusable design elements that can be used throughout your website without rebuilding them repeatedly.

Instead of manually recreating the same button, navigation menu, card, or section on every page, you can build it once as a component and reuse it anywhere. When you update the original component, every connected instance updates automatically.

Components are the foundation of scalable website design. They help maintain consistency, speed up workflows, reduce repetitive work, and make large projects significantly easier to manage.

Whether you’re building a small landing page or a website with dozens of pages, understanding components is essential for working efficiently in Framer.

What Is a Component?

A component is a reusable design element that can be used multiple times throughout a project.

Think of a component as a master version of an element that can generate unlimited copies while remaining connected to the original source.

Common examples include:

• Buttons

• Navigation menus

• Cards

• Testimonials

• Pricing tables

• Forms

• Footers

• Feature sections

• Hero sections

• Call-to-action blocks

Rather than editing every copy individually, you can update the main component and automatically apply those changes everywhere it is used.

Why Components Matter

When building websites, repetition is unavoidable.

Most websites reuse the same elements across multiple pages, including:

• Headers

• Navigation menus

• Buttons

• Footers

• Feature cards

• Contact forms

Without components, every repeated element becomes a separate object that must be updated manually.

As websites grow, this quickly becomes difficult to manage.

Components solve this problem by creating a single source of truth for reusable elements.

Real-World Example

Imagine you’re building a website with:

• 20 pages

• One navigation menu

• One footer

• Several reusable call-to-action sections

Without components:

• Every page contains independent copies

• Every update must be made manually

• Changes take longer

• Mistakes become more likely

For example, changing a navigation link might require editing 20 separate menus.

With components:

• One navigation component powers every page

• One update changes all instances

• Maintenance becomes significantly easier

What would take hours can often be completed in seconds.

Understanding Main Components and Instances

Before using components effectively, it’s important to understand the relationship between a main component and its instances.

Main Component

The main component is the original version.

This acts as the source that controls all connected instances.

When you modify the main component, every instance receives those updates automatically.

Think of the main component as the blueprint.

Instance

An instance is a reusable copy of the main component.

Instances can be placed:

• On different pages

• Inside sections

• Within CMS layouts

• Across entire projects

All instances remain connected to the original component unless they are detached.

Think of instances as buildings created from the blueprint.

How Components Work

A simplified structure might look like this:

Primary Button Component├── Button Instance├── Button Instance├── Button Instance└── Button Instance

Primary Button Component├── Button Instance├── Button Instance├── Button Instance└── Button Instance

Primary Button Component├── Button Instance├── Button Instance├── Button Instance└── Button Instance

If you update:

• Background color

• Corner radius

• Typography

• Padding

inside the main component, every instance updates automatically.

What Can Be Turned Into a Component?

One of the biggest advantages of Framer components is flexibility.

Almost any design element can become a component.

Examples include:

• Frames

• Sections

• Buttons

• Cards

• Forms

• Navigation bars

• Hero sections

• FAQ items

• Testimonial blocks

• Pricing tables

• Entire page layouts

If something will be reused more than once, it is usually a good candidate for a component.

Benefits of Using Components

Faster Editing

Instead of updating multiple copies manually, you update a single source.

This dramatically reduces maintenance time.

Better Consistency

Components ensure consistency across:

• Typography

• Colors

• Spacing

• Layouts

• Interactions

This creates a more professional user experience.

Easier Collaboration

When teams work together, components help everyone follow the same design system.

Designers can reuse approved elements instead of creating new versions.

This reduces inconsistencies across projects.

Cleaner Projects

Without components, projects often contain dozens of duplicate layouts.

Components eliminate unnecessary duplication and keep projects organized.

Better Scalability

Components become increasingly valuable as websites grow.

A website with:

• 5 pages

may not require many components.

A website with:

• 100 pages

• Multiple CMS collections

• Team collaboration

absolutely benefits from a component-based workflow.

Common Types of Components

Most Framer projects contain several categories of components.

UI Components

These are small reusable interface elements.

Examples:

• Buttons

• Inputs

• Toggles

• Badges

• Icons

• Dropdowns

UI components are typically reused throughout an entire website.

Navigation Components

Navigation components help users move through the website.

Examples:

• Headers

• Navigation bars

• Mobile menus

• Sidebars

• Breadcrumb navigation

Because navigation appears repeatedly, components are especially useful here.

Marketing Components

Marketing websites often rely on reusable content sections.

Examples:

• Testimonials

• Feature blocks

• Pricing tables

• Call-to-action sections

• Logo grids

These sections often appear on multiple pages.

CMS Components

Components can also be connected to CMS collections.

Examples:

• Blog cards

• Portfolio cards

• Team member profiles

• Resource listings

CMS components help maintain consistent layouts across dynamic content.

Components vs Regular Frames

This is one of the most common questions for beginners.

Both components and frames can look identical visually, but they behave differently.

Regular Frames

Frames are independent containers.

When you duplicate a frame:

• The copy becomes separate

• Future edits do not sync

Example:

Frame AFrame BFrame C

Frame AFrame BFrame C

Frame AFrame BFrame C

Each frame must be updated individually.

Components

Components remain connected to a shared source.

Example:

Main Component├── Instance A├── Instance B└── Instance C

Main Component├── Instance A├── Instance B└── Instance C

Main Component├── Instance A├── Instance B└── Instance C

Updates automatically sync across all instances.

When Should You Use Components?

As a general rule:

If an element appears more than once, consider making it a component.

Common scenarios include:

• Buttons used throughout the website

• Repeated content sections

• Navigation systems

• CMS cards

• Shared layouts

Components become especially valuable when:

• Projects grow larger

• Multiple people collaborate

• Frequent updates are expected

Signs You Should Create a Component

Ask yourself:

• Will this element be reused?

• Will it appear on multiple pages?

• Will I need to update it later?

• Should it remain visually consistent?

If the answer is yes, a component is probably the right choice.

Components and Design Systems

Professional teams often build complete design systems using components.

Examples include:

Design System├── Buttons├── Forms├── Navigation├── Cards├── Typography└── Layout Components

Design System├── Buttons├── Forms├── Navigation├── Cards├── Typography└── Layout Components

Design System├── Buttons├── Forms├── Navigation├── Cards├── Typography└── Layout Components

This creates a centralized library of reusable assets.

As websites grow, design systems become increasingly valuable.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Not Using Components Early

Many beginners duplicate elements manually instead of creating reusable systems.

This works initially but creates maintenance problems later.

Build reusable components as early as possible.

Over-Componentizing Everything

Not every layer needs to become a component.

Examples that usually don’t require components:

• One-off decorative shapes

• Unique page-specific graphics

• Single-use layouts

Only create components when reuse is likely.

Poor Naming Conventions

Bad names create confusion.

Examples:

• Component 1

• Frame Copy

• New Button

Better names:

• Primary Button

• Footer Navigation

• Testimonial Card

• Pricing Plan Card

Clear naming becomes critical as projects scale.

Creating Duplicate Components

Sometimes designers accidentally create multiple versions of the same component.

This can lead to:

• Inconsistent styling

• Duplicate work

• Design system confusion

Reuse existing components whenever possible.

Best Practices

Use Clear Naming Conventions

Create descriptive names that explain purpose rather than appearance.

Examples:

• Primary CTA Button

• Footer Navigation

• Team Member Card

Organize Components Into Folders

As projects grow, folders help keep component libraries manageable.

Common folders include:

• Buttons

• Forms

• Navigation

• Cards

• Marketing Sections

Keep Components Flexible

Avoid creating overly rigid components.

Good components should be reusable across different situations.

Build Components Early

Creating components from the beginning prevents unnecessary duplication later.

Create a Consistent Design System

Components work best when combined with:

• Typography styles

• Color systems

• Layout standards

• Reusable patterns

Together, these create a scalable design workflow.

SEO and Performance Benefits

Components do not directly improve SEO rankings, but they help create websites that are easier to optimize.

Benefits include:

• Consistent layouts

• Better mobile experiences

• Faster updates

• Cleaner site structure

• Easier maintenance

These factors contribute to a healthier website overall.