Prototypes do not render correctly in a web browser
Learn how to correct the rendition of artboards in prototype links.

Issue

XD prototypes shrink in size when you view them in a browser.

Root cause

If your prototypes appear shrunk in a browser with the entire width and height of the artboard fitting into the browser window, the Scrolling setting is applied to your artboard.

Artboards in XD have a setting in Property Inspector called Scrolling which can either be set to None or Vertical.

  • If Scrolling is set to None, the entire artboard is fit into the browser window without any scroll bars.
  • If Scrolling is set to Vertical, the Viewport Height value set for the artboard in the Property Inspector decides how content appears in the browser:
    • If the viewport height is not the same as the artboard height, viewport height fits into the browser window, and the width is adjusted to maintain the aspect ratio.
    • If the viewport height is same as the artboard height, its width fits into the browser window (if necessary), and height is adjusted.

When you create a custom artboard in XD, Scrolling property is automatically set to None. This causes a large artboard to appear small. 

Review link with Scrolling set to None
Review link with Scrolling set to None
Review link with Scrolling set to Vertical
Review link with Scrolling set to Vertical

Solution

Use the Scrolling setting to control the appearance of your published prototype as you expect your stakeholders to view it.

For designs that represent large pages such as websites and flyers, set Scrolling as Vertical and provide an appropriate viewport value.

Setting Scrolling attribute to Vertical
Setting Scrolling attribute to Vertical