Sketch Api

Sketch's REST API provides access to designs stored in Sketch Cloud — document listing, artboard previews, component library access, and asset export. Primary agent use cases: listing documents in a workspace, generating preview URLs for artboards, exporting specific assets (icons, images), and integrating Sketch designs into documentation pipelines. More limited than Figma's API; no design token (variables) system or real-time collaboration features accessible via API. Mac-only desktop app limits team reach. Sketch for Teams required for Sketch Cloud access. Confidence is docs-derived.

REST API at api.sketch.com/v1. Resources: workspaces, documents, artboards, components, previews, shares. GET /workspaces/{id}/documents lists documents. GET /documents/{id}/artboards lists artboards (pages + frames). GET /artboards/{id}/preview returns a preview image URL. GET /documents/{id}/components lists shared components. GET /shares lists shared document links. All responses are JSON. No batch operations; per-document or per-artboard access. API focuses on read operations; no write operations for modifying design content.

Personal Access Token auth: Authorization: Bearer {token}. Tokens from Sketch Cloud account settings → API Access. Tokens are long-lived (no expiration shown in docs). Workspace-scoped access — token provides access to all documents the user can see in their workspace. No OAuth2 for third-party app access. HTTPS enforced. No granular scoping (full read access to all accessible documents with one token).

Standard HTTP status codes with JSON error bodies. 401 for invalid/missing token, 403 for missing workspace access, 404 for missing document/artboard. Rate limits not prominently documented. Preview URL generation is synchronous; URLs are time-limited CDN links. Sketch Cloud uptime at status.sketch.com. Mac desktop app required to create/edit documents; API is read-only for cloud-stored content. API stability: Sketch has historically prioritized the Mac app over the API — some endpoint gaps exist.

developer.sketch.com/reference/api provides API reference for supported endpoints. Documentation is less comprehensive than Figma's — fewer examples, less detail on pagination. Getting started requires a Sketch Teams account (paid; no free tier for API access). Personal access token creation documented in Sketch Cloud settings. No official SDK; direct HTTP calls required. Community support via Sketch Community Forum. API surface smaller than Figma — not suitable for full design system automation.