OpenAI has unveiled a new interface for ChatGPT called Canvas, aimed at streamlining coding and writing tasks. Currently in beta, Canvas is being rolled out to ChatGPT Plus and Teams users, with Enterprise and Edu users gaining access next week. Free users will have to wait until the beta phase concludes, though no specific timeline has been provided.
During the beta phase, users can manually select the “ChatGPT-4o with Canvas” model from the drop-down menu. This selection process may change once the feature exits beta.
ChatGPT has been trained to automatically detect scenarios where Canvas would be beneficial and open it accordingly. For instance, a prompt like “Write a blog post about the history of coffee beans” is likely to trigger Canvas, while “Help me cook a new recipe for dinner” probably won’t.
To manually activate Canvas, users can include the phrase “use canvas” in their prompts. This works even for existing ChatGPT projects where model selection is no longer available.
Canvas opens in a separate window, allowing for easier collaboration with ChatGPT on extended writing or coding projects. While it may seem similar to Anthropic’s Artifacts in Claude, Canvas offers a unique setup with the chat window on the left and the Canvas window on the right.
Canvas significantly improves the workflow for those who frequently use ChatGPT for writing and coding. It simplifies the process of requesting specific changes and tracking them, eliminating the need for constant copy-pasting or prompt refinement. Users can also make their own edits to the output and revert to previous versions using the back button in Canvas.
Writing tools in Canvas
Canvas offers several writing tools accessible from the menu in the bottom-right of the Canvas window:
- Suggest edits: Select specific text to receive inline suggestions and feedback from ChatGPT, or request particular edits to the selected text.
- Adjust length: Use a slider to make the document shorter or longer.
- Reading level: Modify the content’s complexity for different audiences, from “Kindergarten” to “College” and beyond.
- Add final polish: Check for grammar, consistency, and clarity.
- Add emojis: Insert relevant emojis based on the text content.
Coding tools in Canvas
When using Canvas for coding, the following specialized tools are available:
- Review code: Select portions of code to receive inline suggestions and feedback from ChatGPT, or request specific edits to the selected code.
- Add logs: Insert print statements to aid in understanding and debugging the code.
- Add comments: Automatically add explanatory comments to make the code more comprehensible.
- Fix bugs: Identify and resolve errors in the code.
- Port to a language: Convert your code to other programming languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, or PHP.
These features make Canvas a powerful tool for both writers and programmers, streamlining the process of creating and refining content with AI assistance.