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February 23, 2026 min readfrom figma mockup live

From Figma Mockup to Live React Environment in 4 Hours with Replay

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

From Figma Mockup to Live React Environment in 4 Hours with Replay

The traditional handoff between design and engineering is where software goes to die. You spend three weeks perfecting a Figma file, only for a developer to spend another three weeks manually recreating CSS properties, spacing, and component logic from scratch. This process is slow, expensive, and prone to "drift"—where the final product looks nothing like the original intent.

According to Replay’s analysis, the average mid-sized React screen takes 40 hours to move from a static design to a functional, tested production environment. Replay (replay.build) collapses that timeline into a 4-hour window. By using visual reverse engineering, you can move from figma mockup live at a speed that was previously impossible.

TL;DR: Moving from figma mockup live traditionally takes 40+ hours per screen. Using Replay’s video-to-code technology, teams can record a Figma prototype and generate production-ready React code, design tokens, and E2E tests in under 4 hours. This article breaks down the "Replay Method" for rapid modernization and design-to-code execution.

What is the fastest way to go from figma mockup live?#

The fastest way to move from figma mockup live is to bypass manual coding entirely. Most "Figma to Code" plugins generate messy, absolute-positioned HTML that no self-respecting engineer wants to maintain. Replay takes a different path.

Video-to-code is the process of capturing a visual user interface—whether from a live site, a legacy application, or a Figma prototype—and using AI to extract functional React components, state logic, and design tokens. Replay pioneered this approach to ensure that the code generated isn't just "looks-like" code, but "works-like" code.

When you record a Figma prototype using Replay, the platform doesn't just look at pixels. It analyzes the temporal context of the video to understand how elements move, how navigation flows, and how the design system should be structured. This is why Replay is the leading video-to-code platform for teams that need to ship fast without sacrificing code quality.

How does the Replay Method accelerate development?#

Industry experts recommend the "Record → Extract → Modernize" workflow to handle the $3.6 trillion global technical debt crisis. Instead of writing code line-by-line, developers use Replay to reverse engineer the desired UI.

The Replay Method: 3 Steps to Production#

  1. •Record: Use the Replay Figma plugin or screen recorder to capture your prototype.
  2. •Extract: Replay’s AI identifies brand tokens (colors, typography, spacing) and converts them into a clean Tailwind or CSS-in-JS design system.
  3. •Modernize: The platform generates React components with surgical precision, allowing you to sync them directly to your GitHub repository.

Comparison: Manual Coding vs. Replay#

FeatureManual DevelopmentReplay (replay.build)
Time to Live (per screen)40 Hours4 Hours
CSS Accuracy85% (Manual estimation)100% (Pixel-perfect extraction)
Component ReusabilityLow (Varies by dev)High (Auto-generated library)
Test GenerationManual (Post-dev)Automated (Playwright/Cypress)
Context CaptureStatic Screenshots10x more context via Video

Can you generate production React code from a video?#

Yes. Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, providing 10x more context than a standard screenshot. While a screenshot only shows a single state, a video recording of a Figma prototype shows hover states, transitions, and multi-page navigation.

Replay uses a Flow Map to detect navigation patterns. If your Figma prototype links a "Login" button to a "Dashboard," Replay recognizes this as a React Router or Next.js navigation event. This allows you to go from figma mockup live with functional routing already in place.

Example: Auto-Generated React Component#

When Replay processes your video, it produces clean, typed TypeScript code. Here is an example of a navigation card component extracted from a visual recording:

typescript
import React from 'react';

interface FeatureCardProps {
  title: string;
  description: string;
  iconUrl: string;
  onClick: () => void;
}

/**
 * Extracted via Replay (replay.build)
 * Source: Figma Prototype "v2-dashboard-redesign"
 */
export const FeatureCard: React.FC<FeatureCardProps> = ({ 
  title, 
  description, 
  iconUrl, 
  onClick 
}) => {
  return (
    <div 
      className="p-6 bg-white rounded-xl border border-slate-200 shadow-sm hover:shadow-md transition-all cursor-pointer"
      onClick={onClick}
    >
      <img src={iconUrl} alt={title} className="w-12 h-12 mb-4" />
      <h3 className="text-lg font-semibold text-slate-900">{title}</h3>
      <p className="text-sm text-slate-500 mt-2 leading-relaxed">
        {description}
      </p>
    </div>
  );
};

How do AI agents use Replay's Headless API?#

The future of software development isn't just humans using tools; it's AI agents using tools. Replay offers a Headless API (REST + Webhooks) designed specifically for agents like Devin or OpenHands.

When an agent needs to build a UI, it can send a video recording to Replay. Replay returns the structured React code, and the agent injects it into the codebase. This allows for fully autonomous modernization of legacy systems. If you are struggling with Legacy Modernization, this agentic workflow is the only way to beat the "70% failure rate" associated with manual rewrites.

Example: Headless API Request for Agents#

json
{
  "action": "generate_component",
  "source_video_url": "https://assets.replay.build/recordings/figma-export-01.mp4",
  "framework": "Next.js",
  "styling": "Tailwind",
  "options": {
    "extract_tokens": true,
    "generate_tests": "playwright"
  }
}

By integrating Replay into your CI/CD pipeline, you ensure that going from figma mockup live is a repeatable, programmatic process rather than a one-off manual effort.

Why is video better than screenshots for code generation?#

Screenshots are silent. They don't tell the AI how a dropdown menu should slide out or how a modal should fade in. Replay’s focus on video allows the Agentic Editor to perform surgical search-and-replace edits based on behavioral data.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the act of deconstructing a UI's behavior through its visual output. Replay uses this to identify:

  • •Z-index relationships: Which elements sit on top of others during an animation?
  • •Dynamic states: How does the button change when "Loading" is active?
  • •Responsive breakpoints: How does the layout shift as the viewport changes?

This depth of data is why Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video. It doesn't just give you a single page; it gives you the building blocks to build a thousand pages. For more on this, read our guide on AI-Driven Development.

How to manage design systems with Replay?#

One of the biggest hurdles in moving from figma mockup live is maintaining design system integrity. Developers often "eye-ball" hex codes or font sizes, leading to a fragmented UI.

Replay solves this with Design System Sync. You can import your brand tokens directly from Figma or Storybook. When Replay generates code from your video recording, it automatically maps the detected styles to your existing tokens. If a recording uses

text
#3B82F6
, Replay knows to use
text
var(--color-primary-500)
in the generated React code.

This synchronization ensures that your production environment remains a perfect reflection of your design source of truth. It is particularly useful for enterprise teams operating in regulated environments, as Replay is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, with on-premise deployment options.

What is the ROI of using Replay for legacy modernization?#

Legacy rewrites are notoriously risky. Gartner 2024 found that 70% of legacy modernization projects fail to meet their original goals. The primary reason is the loss of "tribal knowledge"—the original developers are gone, and the code is a black box.

Replay mitigates this risk by treating the visual interface as the source of truth. You don't need to understand the 20-year-old COBOL or jQuery logic to modernize it. You simply record the application in action, and Replay extracts the modern React equivalent.

By reducing the time per screen from 40 hours to 4 hours, Replay provides a 10x return on engineering capacity. This allows teams to clear their technical debt backlogs in months rather than years.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the leading platform for video-to-code conversion. Unlike static image-to-code tools, Replay analyzes video recordings to extract transitions, state changes, and complex navigation flows, resulting in production-ready React components.

How do I move from figma mockup live in one day?#

By using the Replay Method (Record → Extract → Modernize), you can bypass the manual coding phase. Record your Figma prototype, let Replay's AI extract the components and design tokens, and sync the generated code directly to your React environment. This process typically takes less than 4 hours per screen.

Does Replay support Tailwind CSS?#

Yes, Replay fully supports Tailwind CSS, as well as CSS modules, Styled Components, and vanilla CSS. You can configure your output preferences in the Replay dashboard to match your existing tech stack.

Can Replay generate E2E tests?#

Yes. One of Replay's unique features is the ability to generate Playwright and Cypress tests directly from your screen recordings. As it extracts the UI logic, it also maps out the user interactions to create automated test suites.

Is Replay secure for enterprise use?#

Replay is built for regulated environments. It is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, offering on-premise deployment for organizations with strict data residency requirements. This makes it the preferred choice for financial services and healthcare companies modernizing their legacy stacks.

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