> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.maiagent.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.maiagent.ai/maiagent-user-guide/maiagent-user-guide-en/maigpt/canvas.md). # Canvas Canvas is MaiGPT's built-in editor. When you ask AI to write a report, email, or create a chart, the content appears in the Canvas area on the right side, where you can directly edit and modify it, then ask AI to continue refining. *** ## When to Use Canvas | Scenario | Example Prompt | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | | Writing a report | "Write a Q1 performance summary for me" | | Writing an email | "Help me reply to this customer inquiry" | | Organizing meeting notes | "Format the following content as meeting minutes" | | Drawing a flowchart | "Draw a leave request process flowchart" | | Creating a table | "Create a comparison table for Plan A and Plan B" | *** ## How to Use ### Opening Canvas AI automatically opens Canvas when generating longer document content. You can also ask for it explicitly: > "Use Canvas to write a..." ### Editing Content Once Canvas is open, you can: 1. **Edit text directly on the Canvas** — Click anywhere to start editing 2. **Ask AI to make changes** — Say "Make the second paragraph more concise" in the chat box 3. **Select specific content for AI to adjust** — Select text, then tell AI how you want it changed ### Exporting When finished, click the export button in the top right corner: * **Copy** — Copy all content to clipboard * **Download** — Download as a file *** ## What Canvas Can Produce | Type | Good For | Example | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | **Documents** | Reports, emails, proposals, announcements | "Write a new product launch announcement" | | **Tables** | Comparative analysis, data organization | "Compare quotes from three suppliers" | | **Charts** | Flowcharts, org charts, sequence diagrams | "Draw a customer complaint handling process" | *** ## Tips {% hint style="success" %} **Let AI Iterate for You** You don't need to get it perfect on the first try. Let AI generate a first draft, then refine step by step: 1. "Write a rough draft first" 2. "Make the tone more formal" 3. "Add supporting data" 4. "Change the last paragraph to a call to action" {% endhint %} {% hint style="info" %} **Multi-Round Edits Are Never Lost** Canvas preserves all your changes. Feel free to go back and forth with adjustments — you don't need to worry about losing previous versions. {% endhint %} *** ## Writing Documents The most common use of Canvas is writing documents. You can ask AI to write reports, emails, proposals, announcements, and meeting minutes, then edit and refine them directly on the Canvas. ### Quick Start Tell AI what you want to write: > "Write a quote reply email for a client" > > "Use Canvas to organize today's meeting minutes" > > "Write an internal announcement for a new feature launch" AI will produce the complete document in Canvas, and you can start editing immediately. ### Editing and Modifying #### Direct Editing Click anywhere on the Canvas to edit text directly, just like editing in Word. #### Ask AI to Edit Type modification instructions in the chat box, and AI will update the content on Canvas directly: | You Say | AI Does | | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | "Make the tone more formal" | Adjusts the tone of the entire document | | "The second paragraph is too long, shorten it" | Condenses the specific paragraph | | "Add a section about the timeline" | Adds a new paragraph | | "Convert to bullet points" | Reformats the layout | | "Translate to English" | Translates the entire document | ### Common Document Templates Try these prompts to quickly generate common documents: | Document Type | Example Prompt | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Weekly report** | "Write my weekly report for this week. Key points: completed Project A, started Requirement B, next week will work on C" | | **Email** | "Write an email politely but firmly declining a supplier's quote" | | **Meeting minutes** | "Format the following content as meeting minutes: (paste notes)" | | **Proposal** | "Write a proposal outline for implementing AI customer service, including a benefits analysis" | | **Announcement** | "Write a system maintenance announcement, scheduled for Saturday 2-6 AM" | ### Exporting Documents Click export in the top right corner when finished: * **Copy** — Paste into Email, Slack, Word, or anywhere else * **Download** — Save as a file *** ## Creating Charts You can use natural language descriptions to have AI create flowcharts, org charts, sequence diagrams, and other charts in Canvas. No need to learn any syntax — just describe what you want. ### Quick Start Tell AI what chart you want: > "Draw a leave request process flowchart" > > "Draw our department's organizational chart" > > "Draw a process from user placing an order to shipping" ### Available Chart Types | Chart Type | Example Prompt | Use Case | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | **Flowchart** | "Draw the reimbursement process" | Steps, decision branches | | **Org chart** | "Draw the department structure" | Hierarchical relationships | | **Sequence diagram** | "Draw a sequence diagram for API calls" | System interaction order | | **Gantt chart** | "Draw a project timeline Gantt chart" | Project scheduling | | **Mind map** | "Use a mind map to organize marketing strategies" | Brainstorming and categorization | ### Modifying Charts Want to adjust after generation? Just say: | You Say | AI Does | | --------------------------------------- | ----------------- | | "Add a review step after step two" | Adds a node | | "Change the flowchart to left-to-right" | Adjusts direction | | "Remove the last step" | Deletes a node | | "Change the colors to a blue theme" | Adjusts styling | ### Exporting Charts When finished, you can: * **Copy** — Paste into presentations or documents * **Screenshot** — Capture the chart directly from Canvas *** ## Next Steps * [Deep Research](/maiagent-user-guide/maiagent-user-guide-en/maigpt/deep-research.md) * [Back to MaiGPT Overview](/maiagent-user-guide/maiagent-user-guide-en/maigpt/maigpt.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.maiagent.ai/maiagent-user-guide/maiagent-user-guide-en/maigpt/canvas.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.