Canvas Artifacts and Shareable Evidence
Use canvases for reports, audits and packaged workflows.
Use the right surface
After this you can pick Canvas for the right job and define done.
Done means you can ask Cursor to produce a structured artifact and package the workflow for reuse.
For UI work, the proof is visual and behavioral: screenshot, console, keyboard and responsive checks.
Use Canvas when the output is a report, audit, dashboard or artifact rather than a code patch alone. Keep the boundary narrow.
Start small. Name the job, attach the context that proves the point and decide what evidence would make the output trustworthy.
Read the loop before touching the controls. The first beat frames the work, the second uses Cursor, the third checks the result and the fourth leaves a handoff someone else can inspect.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Run this loop in a real repo.
- Entry point
- Canvas tools, context usage report, Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words., shared canvases and prompt buttons
- Source
- Canvas docs and June 2026 Canvas changelog
Use the source as the product reference.
Ask Cursor for an output you can inspect.
If the output cannot be checked, narrow the task before you continue.
A good run leaves a file, setting, screenshot, command result or written claim you can verify.
Takeaway. Done means you can ask Cursor to produce a structured artifact and package the workflow for reuse.
Self-check
QWhen should you reach for Canvas?
Run it
After this you can do the task with clear scope and one proof point.
Treat this as a short practice loop, not a product tour. The task should be small enough that you can inspect the result without trusting the summary.
- 1Name the audience and decision the artifact must support.
- 2Ask Cursor to structure the evidence and use the context usage report when the run feels bloated or distracted.
- 3Use Design ModeA way to point at an element in Cursor's built-in browser and change it directly, instead of describing it in words. or embedded prompt buttons only where they make the canvas easier to act on.
- 4Review labels, tables and visual hierarchy.
The exercise is complete only when the proof matches the requested outcome. If the proof is weak, reduce the scope or fix the context instead of adding more instructions.
Keep the task small enough to review.
Data labels, caveats, context usage and debug actions are visible.
Takeaway. Stop when you have proof: The artifact answers a specific decision..
Self-check
QWhich habit makes this workflow safe to use on a real project?
Check it
After this you can find the first failed check before changing tools.
Verification decides the next move.
Interactive diagram. Tab through its regions; each focused region shows its detail in the panel below.
Pick a row to see what to look for.
Use the first failure signal as the next prompt. Broad retries usually make the run noisier; a narrow retry gives Cursor a concrete repair target.
No proof means more checking.
Use a real repo or admin setting. Save the prompt, context and proof.
Takeaway. If it fails, find the first failed check.
Self-check
QThe workflow failed. What is the best first move?