YNSPIRAGemini Canvas
Gemini Canvas is a separate workspace inside Gemini where you write, edit and develop content together with the AI instead of only getting an answer in the chat. Google describes it as a place to create and edit drafts of documents and presentations, code and apps, with autosave and the option to export onward to Google Slides among others.
Gemini Canvas is most useful when you want to keep working on a draft rather than just get a quick answer. Canvas content can also be shared by link, so others can open it and make their own copy to work from.
Availability
Gemini Canvas is available in the Gemini Chat app, but how much you can use it varies with your plan and account. The free plan covers the basics, while paid Google AI plans give higher limits and access to more advanced features.
Limitations
Canvas suits simpler coding tasks and drafts (the work-in-progress phase) rather than finished deliverables. Presentations come out as a decent starting point, but the design stays fairly basic and needs work afterwards to look good.
How to use it
Open Canvas from the tools menu in Gemini. For writing and presentations: describe what you want and edit iteratively. For coding: describe the app you want to build and Canvas generates a prototype with a live preview. Click 'Code' to see and edit the code manually.
Features
Writing and editing documents
Create first drafts and keep working in Canvas. You can edit yourself or ask Gemini to suggest changes to selected text.
Presentations
Use Canvas to build presentations and then export them to Google Slides for further work.
App building
Describe an app in plain text and get a working prototype with a live preview.
Other content
Turn content into other formats such as a quiz, an infographic, a web page or an Audio Overview.
Sharing
Canvas content can be copied, exported and shared by link.
Using Gemini, but not for what matters most?
We help your team use it on the tasks that matter in their work.
Tips for good use
- For documents and presentations, Canvas works best for the first draft, before you export to Google Docs or Slides for the final polish.
- For coding: describe the app you want in plain text. Canvas builds a simple prototype with a live preview.
- Be clear about what you want to make. Say explicitly whether you want a document, a presentation, a quiz, a web page or an app.
- Ordinary Canvas content (text, presentations and so on) can be shared by link, so others can view it or make their own copy to work from.
- For apps, sharing is more powerful. A public share link can let others both see and edit data tied to the app, so share carefully.
Available on
Links and pricing
Included in both free and paid Google AI plans, though what you can do varies with the plan.
AI is an assistant, not an authority. Always verify what matters.