Collaborate on a canvas
Work together in real time on a shared canvas session.
Collaborate with your team on a canvas using shared sessions.
Before you start
- Your workspace must be on a plan that supports multiple members (Starter or above). Free plans are single-user and cannot use shared sessions.
- All participants must be workspace members. Viewers, members, and admins can all join shared sessions.
Join a session
When you open a canvas that someone else is viewing, you automatically join the shared session. You can see:
- Who is present — participant avatars appear at the top of the canvas.
- Who is editing — the current editor is highlighted.
- Remote cursors — other participants' cursor positions and selections appear on the canvas.
Edit control
Only one person can edit the canvas at a time. This prevents conflicts and keeps things simple.
Take edit control
If nobody is editing, click Take Edit to become the editor. You can now move items, add nodes, create groups, and make any changes.
Request edit control
If someone else is editing:
- Click Request Edit.
- The current editor receives a notification with Accept and Decline buttons.
- If they accept, edit control transfers to you.
If the current editor has been idle for a few minutes and your request has been pending, edit control transfers to you automatically.
Release edit control
Click Release Edit when you are done making changes. This frees up control for the next person.
Tip: The canvas owner can force-take edit control at any time, regardless of who is currently editing.
Session chat
Shared sessions include a lightweight chat for communicating with other participants:
- Open the chat panel from the canvas menu bar.
- Send messages visible to everyone in the session.
- Chat messages are saved in the canvas activity log for reference after the session ends.
Activity log
Every significant action during a session — edits, handoffs, joins, leaves, and chat messages — is recorded in the activity log. Team members who were not present can review what happened during the session.
Next steps
- Use the canvas — basics of working with canvases
- Canvas — full canvas concept reference