Show Notes
OpenAI’s Canvas feature in ChatGPT-4o just landed, and this first impressions look focuses on what it actually feels like for coders and marketers right now. It shines for isolated components and editing tasks, but isn’t yet a drop-in for building full apps.
What Canvas 4o actually feels like today
- Canvas is strong for component-level work and document editing, but not a full app builder yet.
- Output tends to be a single, large file rather than multiple project files, which changes how you’d integrate it into a real project.
- The tool is early; the real bang comes from combining Canvas with other workflows (e.g., Cursor for end-to-end apps, or API-style usage for docs and writing).
For coders: what works and what doesn’t
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Good for isolated UI components
- Example tests included: building a calendar preview and exploring different weeks/views.
- You can see quick previews and tweak details in one place, but it isn’t a plug-and-play Next.js app generator yet.
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Not ideal for end-to-end app scaffolding (yet)
- Comparisons noted: Vercel’s v0 does a better job at multi-file scaffolding and composing components into an app.
- Claude tends to return multiple files, which Canvas currently doesn’t consistently do.
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Output and ties to your editor
- Canvas often produces a single, large file rather than a full project; this makes it more of a collaborative design/document tool than a complete code exporter.
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Practical workflow tips observed
- Cursor is charged per request (around 0.40) — manage prompts accordingly.
- In the Playground, you can customize system instructions to enforce your own rules (useful for “Cursor rules” and project standards).
- Repo-pack prompts help guide the model on your objectives before it starts generating.
- Keyboard-macro style prompts (e.g., using shortcuts like command-K to trigger prompts) can streamline your workflow if you already use text expanders.
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Quick takeaways for coders
- Use Canvas to prototype isolated components or to sanity-check UI ideas.
- Don’t rely on Canvas for full app scaffolding; pair it with Cursor or other tooling for production-ready code.
- If you want to explore how Canvas handles code, try translating a small feature between languages (e.g., TS/Next.js to Python) to see how it handles structure.
For marketers and writers: where Canvas shines
- Drafting and editing text
- Can generate newsletter drafts and long-form content, then refine with prompts.
- You can request tone, length, and structure changes, and add style constraints (italics, bold, tables, etc.).
- Readability and polish controls
- Readability levels (e.g., “kindergarteners” to advanced), final polish, and tone controls are accessible in the UI.
- Features to add sources and stats to back up arguments are practical for research-heavy content.
- Formatting and presentation
- Supports markdown formatting (links, tables, bold/italics) and can adjust layout via prompts.
- Emoji handling: can add suggestions, but it’s easy to overdo; you can steer it toward cleaner copy.
- Practical takeaways for writers
- Use Canvas to generate first drafts, then apply “final polish” to hit your desired voice and length.
- Leverage the “elaborate on the following topic” and source-citation capabilities to build well-supported content.
- Treat the tool as a writing assistant rather than a final editor; you’ll still want human review for nuance and accuracy.
Workflow tips and practical tactics
- System prompts and rules
- In Playground, you can embed project rules and constraints in a system prompt to keep the model aligned with your workflow.
- Macro-friendly prompts
- Quick prompts like “at comments” (as a macro) can trigger predefined editing tasks or code annotations without retyping.
- Debugging and exploration
- Canvas feels productive for exploring ideas quickly (e.g., red-teaming or refactoring concepts) but expect iterative, not turnkey, outputs.
- Cost considerations
- Budget your prompts; the per-request pricing means you’ll want to batch tasks or use targeted prompts to avoid drift and waste.
Takeaways: when to use Canvas now
- If you’re a coder:
- Use Canvas for isolated component ideas, quick UI experiments, and collaboration on design details.
- Don’t expect production-ready multi-file apps out of the box; continue using dedicated tooling for end-to-end builds.
- If you’re a marketer or writer:
- Canvas is compelling for drafting, editing, and polishing content with style/format controls.
- It’s especially useful for newsletters, blog drafts, and content briefs that need structure, sources, and tone control.
What’s next to watch
- API potential and inline editing
- There’s a strong case for an API that supports inline editing and multi-file outputs, plus smoother export options for different formats.
- Export and multi-file workflows
- Look for better multi-file project exports and more flexible file trees to fit into existing repos and builds.
- Deeper integration with existing tools
- Expect tighter integration with editors, IDEs, and CMS workflows as Canvas matures.