What it does
A mode is a skill too — one you switch on top of the model. Canvas opens a document/code in a panel on the right (like Google Docs with an AI next to you): you edit selected fragments instead of rewriting the whole chat. For text there are shortcuts (length, reading level, final polish); for code there's change tracking and running Python right inside Canvas with chart output.
How to set it up
- It often opens by itself when the answer is long (10+ lines) or it's clearly a text/code edit.
- To force it: write "open a canvas" / "use canvas" in your prompt, or pick Canvas from the tools menu (the "+" icon).
- Rolled out on Plus/Team/Enterprise/Edu and available to free users.
When to use it
- ✅ Long work on a single document or script: an article, a spec, a function you iterate on a lot.
- ✅ You need targeted edits ("rewrite this paragraph shorter") rather than another wall of text.
- ❌ A short question and answer — a regular chat is more convenient.
Example
You write: "Open a canvas and draft a README for the project" — the text appears in the right-hand panel; you select the "Installation" section → "make it step by step with commands", and the edit is applied in place.