Understanding the Canvas
The canvas is your visual workspace for building automations. This guide covers the essentials.
Canvas Layout
The workflow canvas has three main areas:
Main Canvas Area
The center of your screen where you place and connect nodes. This is where you design your automation flow.
Top Toolbar
Contains workflow controls:
- Name - Click to rename your workflow
- Test - Run your workflow with test data
- Activate/Deactivate - Turn your workflow on or off
- Save - Manually save changes (auto-save is enabled by default)
Node Palette
Click the + button to open the node palette. Here you'll find all available triggers, actions, and logic nodes organized by category.
Working with the Canvas
Pan and Zoom
- Pan: Click and drag on empty space
- Zoom: Scroll wheel or pinch gesture
- Fit to view: Click the fit button in the bottom toolbar
Adding Nodes
Three ways to add nodes:
- Node palette - Click + and browse categories
- Quick add - Double-click empty canvas space
- From connection - Click the + on an existing node's output handle
Connecting Nodes
- Hover over the right edge of a node to see the output handle
- Click and drag from the handle
- Drop on another node's input (left edge)
The connection line shows data will flow from the first node to the second.
Selecting and Moving
- Click a node to select it
- Drag to move selected nodes
- Shift+click to select multiple nodes
- Delete or Backspace to remove selected items
Node Anatomy
Each node has:
- Icon - Visual indicator of the node type
- Title - The node's name (editable)
- Status - Shows when the node is running or has errors
- Input handle - Left side, receives data from previous nodes
- Output handle - Right side, sends data to next nodes
Canvas Controls
The bottom toolbar provides:
| Control | Function | |---------|----------| | Zoom in/out | Adjust zoom level | | Fit to view | Show all nodes | | Minimap | Toggle navigation overview | | Lock | Prevent accidental moves |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|--------|----------|
| Delete | Delete or Backspace |
| Copy | Cmd/Ctrl + C |
| Paste | Cmd/Ctrl + V |
| Undo | Cmd/Ctrl + Z |
| Select all | Cmd/Ctrl + A |
Tips for Clean Workflows
- Flow left to right - Keep triggers on the left, final actions on the right
- Name your nodes - Double-click titles to add meaningful names
- Group related nodes - Keep related logic close together
- Use comments - Add note nodes to explain complex sections
Next Steps
- Node Types Explained - Learn about all node types
- Using Variables - Pass data between nodes
- Conditional Logic - Add branching to workflows