Create a canvas to visualize your automated system

Beta

This product is in open beta. It’s available for use but still in active development and may change.

Zapier Canvas helps you visualize and organize full business systems. You can create systems that include manual and automated steps, add Zaps, Zapier Chatbots, Tables, Interfaces, and many other apps, share these systems with others, and invite team members to collaborate.

Draft a canvas

1. From the Canvas home, click + Create canvas. You'll be directed to your new canvas.
2. In the dialog box, describe what you want to build. Canvas will use AI to generate a system suggestion. Learn how to create an effective prompt for Zapier Canvas.
   • If you prefer to create your system manually, click anywhere outside the dialog box to see the blank canvas and add steps.
3. You can make changes to the suggested system after it's displayed:
   • Edit or rewrite your initial request and click Generate to start again or refine your request.
   • Click an underlined app name to replace it with a different app.
   • In the section Additional steps to consider, select the checkbox to add more steps to your canvas.
4. When you're happy with your system, click Start building. You'll be taken to your new canvas.

Review and build the canvas

Once you start building, Canvas will display all the steps and apps suggested previously as a draft system. If you're happy with what it creates, click Build it. The assets will be added to your Zapier account, and you can edit any part of the system. 

Note

The account must have enough Zapier assets available (such as interfaces, chatbots, or tables) to create the whole system. If you need more assets, upgrade your plan.

Make changes before building the canvas

If you want to review or make changes to any part of the system before building:

• Preview each asset by hovering over it and clicking the View asset icon.
• If you want to start over, click Start from scratch.
• Use the AI chat to make changes to the displayed system.

Use AI Chat to make changes

While your system is in draft, you can chat with the AI to edit any parts of it or add new steps, for example.

• In the chat text field on the bottom left, enter the changes you want to make and press Enter on your keyboard, or click the Send icon .
• The AI will make the requested changes and update any other steps that may be affected.
  • Click the Stop button in the chat field to stop the AI generation.

Add steps

You can add new steps to a canvas by clicking the icon that appears whenever you hover over an existing step. Use this icon to add a step, split a path, or get a step suggestion.

Note

You can only add assets you own to a canvas. Shared tables, interfaces, and chatbots cannot be added as a step.

You can also add: 

• Split paths: connect one step to multiple outcomes.
• Text boxes: add a title or description anywhere in your canvas.
• Groups: group steps and other objects to move them together, and label these groups. 

To create these elements, click any of the options in the Basic menu at the bottom of the canvas, and then click an empty area of the canvas.

Learn about the different element types in Canvas.

Connect steps

When you hover over a step, small dots appear on each side of it. Click any dot and drag it to a dot on another step to connect them.

Move steps

You can move steps by clicking on the step border and dragging it to a new position, using either the Select or Hand tool. When you move a step to a new position, all connected lines will move with it.

Delete a step

To delete a step:

1. Click a step or drag over multiple steps.
2. On your keyboard, click the delete (Mac) or backspace (Windows) key.

Only the selected steps are deleted. Any steps that were attached to it will be attached to another step. 

Delete a canvas

From the Canvas home:

1. Click the three dot icon beside the canvas' name.
2. Click Delete. This action cannot be undone.

Collaborate on systems

You can invite other members of your Zapier account to help develop the system. Learn how to collaborate on a system.

Data retention

Zapier's Data Retention, deletion, and export practices vary depending on the product. Learn more about the specific guidelines for the product you're using.

Provide feedback and get help

You can request a feature, provide feedback on the product, and get help from the Canvas team.