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ZeroTwo’s Canvas Mode embeds a rich document editor directly in your chat. It supports 7 editor types: rich text, code, Mermaid diagrams, spreadsheets, and more. This guide covers common issues with opening, editing, and exporting canvases.

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Canvas Troubleshooting

If you’ve sent a message but the canvas panel didn’t open on the right side of the screen:
  1. Check that the Canvas pill is toggled ON. Before sending your message, look at the tool pills in the prompt bar. The Canvas pill should be highlighted (active/blue). If it’s not, click it to activate it and resend your message.
  2. Use an explicit canvas prompt. ZeroTwo may not always infer that you want a canvas. Be direct: “Open a canvas and write…”, “Create a canvas document for…”, “Write this as a canvas:”
  3. Refresh the page. If the canvas pill is active but the panel still doesn’t open, try a hard refresh (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R) and resend.
  4. Check screen width. The canvas panel requires sufficient horizontal space. On a narrow browser window, the panel may be collapsed. Try widening your browser window or using a larger display.
If you’re frequently using canvas, pin it as your default by activating the Canvas pill before starting a new chat. It will stay active for the session.
Canvas is a suggestion, not a guarantee — the AI may choose to respond directly in the chat for short or simple answers, even when the Canvas pill is active.To reliably get canvas output, use explicit prompts:
  • “Create a canvas document with…”
  • “Write this in the canvas:”
  • “Open a new canvas and draft…”
  • “Make a canvas version of…”
The AI is more likely to use canvas for:
  • Long-form writing (articles, reports, essays)
  • Code files and scripts
  • Structured documents (tables, outlines)
  • Diagrams and visual content
The AI is less likely to use canvas for:
  • Short factual answers
  • Conversational replies
  • Simple calculations or lookups
ZeroTwo has 7 canvas editor types. If the wrong one opened, the AI inferred the wrong type from your prompt.Specify the editor type explicitly:
  • For code: “Create a Python canvas”, “Write this as a JavaScript code canvas”, “Open a code canvas for…”
  • For diagrams: “Make a Mermaid diagram canvas”, “Create a flowchart canvas using Mermaid”
  • For spreadsheets: “Open a spreadsheet canvas”, “Create a table canvas”
  • For rich text: “Write a rich text canvas document”
Available canvas editor types:
  1. Rich text (default for prose)
  2. Code (syntax-highlighted, language-specific)
  3. Mermaid (diagrams: flowcharts, sequence, ER, etc.)
  4. Spreadsheet
  5. HTML preview
  6. Markdown
  7. Math (LaTeX)
The canvas editor should be fully editable. If it seems locked or read-only:
  1. Click inside the canvas panel to focus it. The editor requires focus before it accepts input. Click directly on the text content area.
  2. Look for the editing cursor. After clicking in the canvas, you should see a blinking text cursor.
  3. Try refreshing and reopening. If the canvas still won’t accept input after clicking, do a hard refresh (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R) and reopen the chat.
  4. Check if the canvas is loading. If the AI is still generating content, the canvas may be in a read-only streaming state. Wait for generation to complete, then try editing.
Shared canvas links (shared with others via a public URL) are read-only for viewers. Only the owner can edit. If you’re viewing a shared canvas, you’ll need your own copy to edit.
The inline edit toolbar (with formatting options like bold, italic, headings, etc.) appears when you select text in the rich text canvas:
  1. Select text by clicking and dragging across the text you want to format
  2. The toolbar should appear above or near your selection
  3. If it doesn’t appear: click somewhere else to deselect, wait a moment, then try selecting again
  4. Ensure you’re in the right editor type. The inline toolbar appears in the rich text and Markdown editors. Code canvases use a different formatting system. If you need a rich text toolbar, switch to the rich text editor.
  5. Try a slow, deliberate selection. Rapid mouse movements sometimes don’t register a proper text selection.
Mermaid diagrams require valid Mermaid syntax. If your diagram shows a red syntax error:The easiest fix: Ask ZeroTwo directly in the chat: “Fix the Mermaid syntax error in this diagram” — ZeroTwo will review the code and correct the syntax.Manual debugging:
  1. In the canvas, switch to the code view (the left or source pane) to see the raw Mermaid code
  2. Check against the Mermaid documentation for valid syntax
  3. Common issues: missing semicolons, invalid arrow syntax, unsupported diagram type names, unclosed brackets
Common Mermaid syntax patterns:
flowchart TD
  A[Start] --> B{Decision}
  B -->|Yes| C[Do this]
  B -->|No| D[Do that]
Tip: Ask ZeroTwo to regenerate the diagram with a more specific prompt: “Regenerate this Mermaid flowchart with correct syntax showing…”
If clicking the export button doesn’t start a download:
  1. Allow downloads and pop-ups for zerotwo.ai. Some browsers block automatic file downloads. In Chrome: click the lock icon in the address bar → Site settings → ensure Downloads is “Allow” (not “Block”).
  2. Try a different export format. If PDF fails, try DOCX. If DOCX fails, try Markdown or plain text.
  3. Wait longer for PDF generation. Large documents take more time to render as PDF. After clicking export, wait 10–15 seconds before assuming it failed. The download may start after a brief delay.
  4. Refresh and try again. Do a hard refresh (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R), reopen the chat, and attempt the export again.
  5. Check your Downloads folder. The file may have downloaded but to an unexpected location. Search your file system for the document name.
PDF generation for very large canvas documents (50+ pages) may time out. If PDF consistently fails for large documents, try exporting as DOCX and converting locally.

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Canvas Quick Reference

IssueSolution
Canvas panel not openingActivate Canvas pill; use explicit canvas prompts
AI writes in chat insteadUse explicit prompts: “Create a canvas document with…”
Wrong editor typeSpecify editor type in prompt (Python canvas, Mermaid canvas, etc.)
Can’t edit canvasClick inside the canvas panel to focus it
Inline toolbar missingSelect text by clicking and dragging
Mermaid syntax errorAsk ZeroTwo to fix it, or check Mermaid docs manually
Export not workingAllow downloads in browser; try different format
Shared link shows not foundCheck Settings → Data Controls → Shared Links

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Need More Help?

Contact reed@zerotwo.ai with a description of your canvas issue, the editor type, and your browser.