Handoff
Handoff is an open-source design system documentation and automation tool for teams and AI agents.
What Handoff is
Handoff is an open-source design system documentation and automation tool for teams and AI agents. It serves design system data through a browser UI, REST API, and MCP server, all reading from the same underlying data. A workspace can pull design tokens from Figma and publish tokens, components, documentation, and assets to a registry. Handoff can create documentation pages for React and other component libraries, with live previews, properties, and tokens. Its token pipeline converts Figma tokens into CSS, SCSS, Tailwind, and DTCG outputs. Compatible agents such as Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf can access the design system through the MCP server; agents can also draft component pages and usage guidelines for team approval. The promptable design space supports exploring ideas with approved components, tokens, and brand patterns. Workspaces can use a local filesystem-backed mode or a Postgres-backed registry deployed with Docker or Vercel. The handoff-app package requires Node 20.9 or later, and each registry currently serves one workspace.
Good
- UI, REST API, and MCP server share underlying data.
- Creates component pages with live previews, properties, and tokens.
- Exports Figma tokens to CSS, SCSS, Tailwind, and DTCG.
- Supports local workspaces and Postgres-backed registries.
- Open source.
Watch out
- Figma is the only source currently wired up.
- Registry currently serves one workspace.
- Workspace install requires Node 20.9 or later.
Who it suits
Handoff suits design and engineering teams, project managers, content editors, and their agents who need shared design-system documentation, token workflows, or component references. It is relevant to teams using Figma, the only source currently wired up.
Verdict
Handoff combines design system documentation, token workflows, and agent access around shared workspace data. Its current source integration is limited to Figma, and each registry serves one workspace.
The facts
Each one read from Handoff's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Agent access
- Handoff’s MCP server lets compatible agents including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf access design system data.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Agent contributions
- Agents can create component pages and usage guidelines, with team approval.checked 4 Oct 2026
- API
- Each registry publishes an OpenAPI 3.1 specification for its REST API.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Code documentation
- Handoff can create documentation pages for React or other component libraries, including live previews, properties, and tokens.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Handoff has a local filesystem-backed workspace mode and a registry mode backed by Postgres; the registry can be deployed with Docker or Vercel.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- Handoff serves design system data through a browser UI, a REST API, and an MCP server that read from the same underlying data.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Figma source
- The docs say Figma is the only source currently wired up, and workspaces can fetch design tokens from Figma.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Figma workflow
- A workspace can pull design tokens from Figma and push tokens, components, docs, and assets to a registry.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Hosting
- The docs describe deploying a registry with Docker or Vercel.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Install requirement
- The handoff-app package requires Node 20.9 or later.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Integration availability
- The docs say Figma is the only source wired up today; additional sources, npm packages, and CMS destinations are described as future direction rather than shipped connectors.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Handoff describes itself as built for designers, engineers, project managers, and their agents.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Local requirements
- The workspace install requires Node 20.9 or later.checked 4 Oct 2026
- MCP support
- The MCP server is described as compatible with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP-speaking tools.checked 4 Oct 2026
- MCP tools
- The documentation lists 56 MCP tools across 12 categories, including tools for tokens, components, assets, documentation, and build and sync workflows.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- Handoff is design system documentation and automation with a UI, REST API, and MCP server reading from the same underlying data.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Prototype
- The product offers a promptable design space for exploring ideas with approved components, tokens, and brand patterns.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Prototyping
- The site describes a promptable design space for exploring ideas with approved components, tokens, and brand patterns.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Handoff provides automated design system documentation for teams and AI agents.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Registry limit
- The docs state that one registry currently serves one workspace, with multiple workspaces sharing a database deferred.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Registry storage
- A registry stores workspace data in Postgres and serves it through the UI, REST API, and MCP.checked 4 Oct 2026
- REST API
- Each registry publishes an OpenAPI 3.1 specification for its REST API.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Security
- The registry docs describe browser UI session authentication and bearer-token authentication for CLI and MCP clients.checked 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- The contact page says messages are read by a human and directs bugs, feature requests, and pull requests to the open source repository.checked 4 Oct 2026
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