Jan 30, 2026
When You Need Custom Code in Framer
Framer's visual editor handles the vast majority of website design without writing a single line of code. But there are situations where custom code is the only way to get what you need — embedding third-party widgets, adding analytics tracking, implementing custom functionality, or integrating tools that don't have native Framer support.
Framer offers several ways to add custom code to your site: custom code injection (head and body scripts), HTML embed elements, and code components (React). Each method serves a different purpose, and choosing the right one depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
Custom Code Injection: Head and Body Scripts
The most common use of custom code in Framer is injecting scripts into the head or body of your site. This is how you add analytics tools, tracking pixels, meta verification tags, custom fonts from external sources, and third-party scripts that need to run site-wide.
To add custom code, go to Site Settings → General → Custom Code. You'll see two fields:
Head code (Start of <head>): Code added here runs before the page content loads. Use this for analytics scripts (Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom), meta tags (Google Search Console verification, Facebook domain verification), custom font imports from services like Adobe Fonts, and CSS overrides that need to apply before the page renders.
Body code (End of <body>): Code added here runs after the page content loads. Use this for chat widgets (Intercom, Crisp, Tawk.to), cookie consent banners, marketing automation scripts, and any script that should load after the visible content.
For analytics specifically, our analytics and tracking guide covers the full setup process for popular tools.
Example: Adding Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the most common script people add to Framer. Copy your GA4 measurement ID from Google Analytics, then paste the tracking script into the head code section in Framer's site settings. The script includes two parts — a script tag that loads the gtag.js library and a configuration block with your measurement ID.
After adding the code and publishing your site, verify it's working by opening your site in a browser and checking the Google Analytics Real-Time report — you should see your visit appear within a few seconds.
Example: Meta Verification Tags
Services like Google Search Console, Pinterest, and Facebook require you to verify domain ownership by adding a meta tag to your site's head. These are simple one-line tags that go in the head code section. Once added and published, go back to the verification service and click "Verify."
HTML Embed Elements
While code injection applies site-wide, HTML embed elements let you add custom code to specific locations on a specific page. This is useful for embedding content that needs to appear inline within your design — YouTube videos, Calendly scheduling widgets, custom forms, maps, social media feeds, or any third-party embed that provides an HTML snippet or iframe code.
To add an HTML embed, insert an Embed element from Framer's element panel. Paste your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code into the embed field. The embedded content appears right where you place the element in your layout, and you can size and position it like any other Framer element.
Common Embed Use Cases
YouTube or Vimeo videos: Grab the embed code from the video's share options and paste it into an HTML embed. Set the embed element's width to fill its container and give it a fixed aspect ratio (16:9) for responsive behavior.
Calendly or Cal.com scheduling: Both provide embed scripts that render a scheduling widget inline. Paste the embed code and the booking interface appears directly on your page.
Google Maps: Use Google Maps' "Embed a map" option to get an iframe code. Paste it into an HTML embed for an interactive map on your contact page.
Custom forms: If Framer's built-in forms or your preferred form tool (Typeform, Tally, etc.) don't meet your needs, you can embed custom HTML forms with your own styling and validation logic. For more on form options, see our forms and integrations guide.
Social media feeds: Twitter/X timelines, Instagram grids, and other social embeds can be placed inline using their platform-provided embed codes.
Styling HTML Embeds
Content inside an HTML embed exists in its own scope, which means your site's styles don't automatically apply to embedded content. If you need to style the embed, include CSS directly in the embed code using a style tag. This keeps the styling self-contained and prevents conflicts with Framer's design system.
Code Components: React in Framer
Code components are the most powerful way to add custom functionality to your Framer site. They're React components written in TypeScript that run inside Framer's environment and appear alongside your visual components in the design panel.
Code components are appropriate when you need interactive functionality that can't be built visually — things like custom calculators, dynamic filtering interfaces, real-time data displays, advanced form validation, API integrations, or interactive data visualizations.
Creating a Code Component
In Framer, go to Assets → Code → New File. This opens Framer's built-in code editor where you write React/TypeScript code. A basic code component looks like a standard React functional component that exports as default.
The component appears in your Assets panel and can be dragged onto any page like a visual component. What makes code components especially useful is property controls — UI elements that appear in the right panel so designers can configure the component's behavior without editing code.
Property controls support several types: string (text input), number (numeric input with optional range), boolean (toggle), enum (dropdown select), color (color picker), link (URL input), and componentInstance (slot for another component). These make your code components feel like native Framer elements rather than opaque code blocks.
When to Use Code Components vs HTML Embeds
Use HTML embeds for simple third-party widgets that provide ready-made embed codes, content that doesn't need to interact with Framer's design system, and one-off embeds that you won't reuse across pages.
Use code components for reusable interactive elements that appear on multiple pages, functionality that needs to integrate with Framer's component system (variants, properties), custom logic that goes beyond what a simple script can handle, and elements that need to accept configuration through Framer's design panel.
Code Overrides: Adding Logic to Visual Elements
Code overrides are a lightweight way to add custom behavior to visual elements without creating a full code component. An override is a function that modifies the props of an existing element — you can use them to add custom animations, respond to user interactions, fetch data, or change element properties dynamically.
Overrides are created in code files (Assets → Code → New File) but instead of exporting a component, you export a function that returns modified props. Apply the override to any element through the Code Overrides section in the element's properties panel.
Common override use cases include custom scroll-triggered animations that go beyond Framer's built-in options, dynamic text content that changes based on user input or external data, conditional visibility based on screen size or user state, and integrating with browser APIs like localStorage or geolocation.
Best Practices for Custom Code in Framer
Load scripts efficiently. Every script you add increases your page load time. Use async or defer attributes on script tags when possible so they don't block page rendering. Place non-critical scripts in the body section rather than the head.
Test after every addition. Add one script at a time and test your site after each. If something breaks, you know exactly which script caused the issue. Adding multiple scripts at once makes debugging painful.
Keep embeds responsive. Wrap iframe embeds in a container with a fixed aspect ratio and width set to 100%. Without this, embeds often overflow their containers on mobile or display at incorrect sizes.
Monitor performance impact. Third-party scripts can significantly slow down your site. After adding scripts, run a Google PageSpeed Insights test and check the "Reduce unused JavaScript" section. If a script adds more than 200ms to load time, consider whether it's truly necessary. Our performance optimization guide covers how to audit and improve load times.
Use code components sparingly. If you can achieve something with Framer's visual tools, do that instead. Code components add complexity that makes the project harder for non-developers to maintain. Reserve code for functionality that genuinely requires it.
Version your code. If you're writing substantial code components or overrides, keep backup copies outside Framer. Framer's code editor doesn't have version history, so a misplaced edit can lose previous work.
Common Integrations That Require Custom Code
Here's a quick reference for popular tools and which code method to use:
Analytics (Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom, Mixpanel) — Head code injection. These need to run on every page from the moment it loads.
Chat widgets (Intercom, Crisp, Tawk.to, Drift) — Body code injection. These load after page content and float over the design.
Cookie consent (Cookiebot, CookieYes, Osano) — Head or body code injection, depending on the tool's requirements.
Marketing pixels (Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight, TikTok Pixel) — Head code injection for the base pixel. Event-specific tracking may require additional code in HTML embeds or code overrides.
Scheduling tools (Calendly, Cal.com, SavvyCal) — HTML embed on specific pages where you want the scheduler to appear.
Video players (YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia, Loom) — HTML embed for inline videos on specific pages.
Custom interactive features (calculators, configurators, dynamic filtering) — Code components with property controls for maximum reusability and designer-friendliness.
Custom code in Framer is a tool of last resort for most projects — the visual editor handles the vast majority of design and functionality needs. But when you do need code, Framer provides flexible, well-integrated options that don't compromise the design experience. Use the right method for each use case, keep performance in mind, and your site will remain fast and maintainable.
