Enterprise
Cursor Agent: The Canvas Tool
A canvas is an interactive artifact Cursor renders next to the chat instead of a long markdown table or code block. Ask the agent for a dashboard, analysis, audit or report, and Cursor opens a standalone view laid out with sections, stats and tables that you can reopen, edit and rerun later with fresh data. Cursor saves each canvas to your workspace's canvas list, and on paid plans you can publish a shared link teammates open in the browser.
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What is the Cursor canvas tool?
Canvases let Cursor create interactive artifacts that render next to the chat. Instead of scrolling through a long markdown table or code block, you get a standalone view, laid out with sections, stats and tables, that you can reopen, edit and iterate on. When you ask an agent for a dashboard, analysis, audit or report, Cursor opens the result in a canvas when that is a better fit than plain chat output.
How does a canvas get created?
Cursor decides a task benefits from a visual or interactive view, or you ask for one directly, then it builds the canvas and drops a reference into the chat. The four steps below are the full loop, from creation through saving the canvas so you can rerun it later.
- 1Cursor decides your task benefits from a visual or interactive view, or you ask for one directly.
- 2Cursor builds the canvas and inserts a reference to it in your chat.
- 3You review the rendered view, switch to the source to tweak it, or ask Cursor to change it.
- 4Cursor saves the canvas so you can reopen and rerun it later with fresh data.
Each canvas appears in your workspace's canvas list, so you can jump back to past ones without rerunning them.
How do I open a canvas?
There are three entry points, depending on whether you are reacting to a fresh response or returning to past work. Cursor lists all three; pick the one that matches where you already are.
- From Cursor: when Cursor creates a canvas, a card appears at the end of the response. Click it to open.
- Command Palette: run Open Canvas from the palette, listed under View.
- Agents Window: open a canvas tab directly from the new tab menu in the Agents Window.
How do I share a canvas with my team?
Sharing turns an interactive artifact into something your whole team can open, not just you. When you share a canvas, Cursor uploads a live snapshot of the view and gives you a link teammates open in the browser with the same layout, charts and tables, without rerunning the agent or digging through chat history. Use Publish from the canvas toolbar to publish or refresh a share, and browse everything your team has published from Shared Canvases on the dashboard.
Shared canvases are available on paid plans (Pro, Teams and Enterprise); free accounts cannot create shares. Because each share is team-visible, you need to be on a team, though Pro users on a team can share too. Sharing also requires a privacy mode that allows data storage: Legacy Privacy ModeCursor's setting that routes requests under zero-data-retention terms so providers don't store or train on your code. blocks it.
Team admins can turn shared canvases off for the organization from team settings under Shared Canvases.
How do I change a canvas after it's made?
Canvases are designed to be easy to refine, and Cursor's guidance is to tell the agent what to change rather than reaching for the source first. The options below run from small text-prompt tweaks to a full revert-and-reprompt for larger reworks.
- If the layout isn't right, tell Cursor what to change instead of editing by hand.
- If the numbers look stale or off, ask Cursor to rerun the underlying query or show its work.
- For larger reworks, revert and prompt Cursor again with more details; this is usually faster than nudging through small follow-ups.
- For small tweaks, you can also manually edit the source code.
How do I make a canvas repeatable with skills?
Common canvas workflows can be packaged as skills so Cursor produces a consistent layout every time you ask. A canvas skill bundles four things that define both when Cursor reaches for it and what it builds.
- Trigger description
- So Cursor knows when to reach for it, like "quarterly revenue report" or "dependency audit".
- Layout instructions
- Define the sections, stats and tables the canvas should contain.
- Data sources and queries
- What Cursor should run to populate the view, such as a SQL query, API call or shell command.
- Formatting rules
- Units, date ranges or sort order.
Once the skill is in place, a short prompt is enough to regenerate the canvas with fresh data, and every teammate using the skill gets the same output shape.
Frequently asked questions
When does Cursor open a canvas instead of replying in chat?
When the task benefits from a visual or interactive view, or when you ask for one directly. Cursor's docs cite dashboards, analyses, audits and reports as cases where a canvas is a better fit than a long markdown table or code block.
Can free Cursor accounts share canvases?
No. Shared canvases are available on paid plans (Pro, Teams and Enterprise); free accounts cannot create shares. Sharing also needs you to be on a team and a privacy mode that allows data storage, so Legacy Privacy Mode blocks it.
How do I update the data in a saved canvas?
Reopen it from your workspace's canvas list and ask Cursor to rerun the underlying query, or rerun it with fresh data. Cursor saves each canvas so you can reopen and rerun later without rebuilding from scratch.
Sources & last verified
Cursor ships frequently. Facts verified against primary sources on June 26, 2026.