Google Canvas

persona: name: "Domain Expert" title: "Master of Google Canvas" expertise: ['Specialized Knowledge', 'Best Practices', 'Industry Standards'] philosophy: "Excellence through expertise." credentials: ['Industry leader', 'Practiced expert', 'Thought leader'] principles: ['Quality first', 'Continuous improvement', 'Evidence-based decisions', 'Customer focus']

Google Canvas Skill

Overview

Full lifecycle Google Canvas and Gemini Canvas automation — create new documents, open shared canvases by URL, interact with embedded applications, read content, edit existing documents, manage collaboration, and handle permissions. Supports both traditional Canvas documents and Gemini-powered interactive applications.

Access:

• Google Canvas: canvas.google.com
• Gemini Canvas: gemini.google.com/share/{id}

Anti-Rationalization Table

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "google canvas"

• "Create new Google Canvas documents (doc, sheet, code, data)"

• "Open and interact with Gemini Canvas shared applications"

• "Read content from Canvas documents or embedded apps"

• Create new Google Canvas documents (doc, sheet, code, data)

• Open and interact with Gemini Canvas shared applications

• Read content from Canvas documents or embedded apps

• Edit existing Canvas content (append, replace, modify)

• Collaborate on shared canvases (comment, suggest)

• Extract data from Canvas documents

• Interact with AI-powered applications in Gemini Canvas

• Manage sharing permissions

When NOT to Use

• Traditional Google Docs/Sheets/Slides at docs.google.com (use productivity/google-workspace)
• When you need direct API access (use Google Workspace MCP)
• Simple text editing (use local files instead)

Gemini Canvas Shared Applications

This section covers gemini canvas shared applications for the google-canvas skill. Key operations include input validation, core processing, and output verification. Refer to the skill overview for detailed usage instructions.

Overview

Gemini Canvas can host interactive AI-powered applications accessible via share links. These apps run in iframes and provide specialized functionality beyond traditional documents.

Accessing Shared Applications

URL Pattern: https://gemini.google.com/share/{share-id}

Login Workflow:

// 1. Navigate to shared URL
window.location.href = 'https://gemini.google.com/share/e5bf9afa6676';

// 2. Wait for page load
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 3000));

// 3. Focus iframe (app runs in cross-origin iframe)
const centerX = window.innerWidth / 2;
const centerY = window.innerHeight / 2;
// Click center to focus iframe

// 4. Tab to input field
// Press Tab key

// 5. Enter email
// Type email address

// 6. Submit
// Press Enter

Common Login Elements:

• Email input field (usually centered)
• Submit button or Enter key submission
• Verification/loading screen
• Dashboard after successful login

Example: Affiliate GO Foto Studio

Tested Application: AI-powered photo studio for affiliate marketing content generation.

Interface Structure:

Sidebar Navigation

• Beranda (Home): Dashboard with AI Assistant
• Membuat Model: AI model generation from photos
• Mockup Studio: Product visualization templates
• POV Tangan: Hand-holding product shots
• Foto Touring: Travel/car-themed staging
• POV Mirror Selfie: Mirror-style product shots
• Foto Produk Affiliate: Professional product staging
• Affiliate Islami: Ramadan/Lebaran themed content

Header Elements

• Cici Button: AI Assistant chatbot toggle
• Logout Button: End session
• Collapse Sidebar: Expand workspace

Interaction Patterns for Embedded Apps

Navigation

// Click sidebar items (approximate coordinates)
// Sidebar is ~15% of viewport width (~250px on 1710px screen)

// Example: Click "Mockup Studio"
const sidebarX = 100; // Left sidebar area
const mockupY = 500; // Approximate Y position
// Click at (sidebarX, mockupY)

Content Generation Workflow

1. Select Module
   - Click sidebar item (e.g., "Mockup Studio")
   
2. Upload Content
   - Find upload zone (dashed rectangle)
   - Click or drag-and-drop file
   - Supported: PNG, JPG, HEIC (max 10MB)
   
3. Configure Settings
   - Model/Template selection
   - Aspect ratio: 1:1, 16:9, 3:4, 9:16
   - Theme selection
   
4. Generate
   - Click primary action button
   - Example: "Generate 7 Mockup"
   
5. View Results
   - Results appear in "Hasil" (Result) panel
   - Download or save generated content

AI Assistant (Cici)

// Toggle AI assistant
// Click "Cici" button in header (top-right area)
// Approximate coordinates: X=905, Y=115

// Use for:
// - Creative suggestions
// - Prompt refinement
// - Troubleshooting
// - Feature guidance

Technical Considerations

Cross-Origin Iframes:

• Apps run in shim.html iframes
• Direct DOM access limited
• Use pixel-based clicking or keyboard navigation
• Focus iframe before interactions

Element Selectors:

// Since iframe is cross-origin, use coordinate-based clicking
// or keyboard navigation

// Focus iframe
click(centerX, centerY);

// Tab navigation
pressKey('Tab');

// Type in focused field
type('text content');

// Submit
pressKey('Enter');

File Uploads:

• Handle via browser file picker
• Drag-and-drop simulation
• Upload zones are large dashed rectangles

Google Canvas Documents

This section covers google canvas documents for the google-canvas skill. Key operations include input validation, core processing, and output verification. Refer to the skill overview for detailed usage instructions.

1. Create New Canvas Document

1. Navigate: https://canvas.google.com
2. Click: "+ New" or "Create new" button
3. Select canvas type:
   - Document (rich text)
   - Spreadsheet (data/tables)
   - Code (programming)
4. Wait for editor to load
5. Enter content via the prompt/input area
6. Title: Click the untitled document name → type title
7. Verify: Content renders correctly

Canvas Types:

2. Open Shared Canvas by URL

1. Navigate to the shared URL:
   - Format: https://canvas.google.com/doc/{document-id}
   - Or: Use the full sharing link from the owner
2. Handle auth if prompted:
   - If login required → Sign in with Google account
   - If permission denied → Request access (click "Request access" button)
3. Wait for document to fully load (check for content area)
4. Identify your access level:
   - Viewer: Can read, cannot edit
   - Commenter: Can read and add comments
   - Editor: Full read/write access

Troubleshooting access:

• "You need access" → Click "Request access" → owner must approve
• "Sign in required" → Authenticate with correct Google account
• "Document not found" → URL may be incorrect or document deleted
• Blank page → Wait longer, Canvas content loads asynchronously

3. Read Content from Canvas

1. Open the Canvas document (new or shared)
2. Wait for content to fully render
3. Select all content:
   - Keyboard: Cmd+A (Mac) / Ctrl+A (Windows)
   - Or: Manually select specific sections
4. Copy content:
   - Keyboard: Cmd+C / Ctrl+C
   - Parse clipboard content
5. For structured data (spreadsheets):
   - Identify cell ranges
   - Read row by row
   - Extract headers separately

Reading specific sections:

• Scroll to target section
• Use search (Cmd+F) to find specific text
• Screenshot for visual content (charts, images)

4. Edit Existing Canvas

Prerequisites: Must have Editor access.

Append Content

1. Open the Canvas document
2. Click at the end of existing content
3. Type or paste new content
4. Verify content appears correctly
5. Changes auto-save

Replace/Modify Content

1. Open the Canvas document
2. Find target text:
   - Cmd+F → search for text to modify
   - Or: Scroll to target section
3. Select the text to replace:
   - Click and drag to select
   - Or: Double-click for word, triple-click for paragraph
4. Type replacement content
5. Verify modification
6. Changes auto-save

Insert at Specific Position

1. Open the Canvas document
2. Click at the desired insertion point
3. Type or paste content
4. Verify positioning is correct

5. AI-Assisted Editing (Canvas AI Features)

Google Canvas has built-in AI capabilities:

1. Open Canvas document
2. Select text you want AI to work with
3. Look for AI action buttons:
   - "Help me write" / "Suggest" / AI sparkle icon
4. Enter your instruction (e.g., "Make this more concise")
5. Review AI suggestion
6. Accept or reject the suggestion
7. Verify final content

6. Collaboration & Sharing

Share a Document

1. Open the Canvas document
2. Click "Share" button (top-right area)
3. Enter email addresses or generate link
4. Set permission level:
   - Viewer: Can only read
   - Commenter: Can read and comment
   - Editor: Full access
5. Click "Send" or "Copy link"

Add Comments

1. Open shared Canvas document (need Commenter+ access)
2. Select the text you want to comment on
3. Click comment icon (or Cmd+Option+M)
4. Type your comment
5. Click "Comment" to post

Resolve Comments

1. Click on the comment thread
2. Read the discussion
3. Click "Resolve" to close the thread
4. Or reply with additional context

7. Export & Download

1. Open the Canvas document
2. Look for menu/settings (three dots or File menu)
3. Select export format:
   - PDF
   - Plain text
   - HTML
4. Download to local storage

Complete Automation Examples

# Basic usage
invoke <skill-name> with appropriate parameters

# Advanced usage with options
invoke <skill-name> --option value --verbose

Example 1: Access Gemini Canvas App

// Complete workflow: Open shared app and navigate
async function accessGeminiCanvasApp(shareUrl, loginEmail) {
  // 1. Navigate to shared URL
  window.location.href = shareUrl;
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 5000));
  
  // 2. Focus iframe
  const centerX = window.innerWidth / 2;
  const centerY = window.innerHeight / 2;
  // Click center to focus
  
  // 3. Tab to email input
  // Press Tab
  
  // 4. Enter email
  // Type loginEmail
  
  // 5. Submit
  // Press Enter
  
  // 6. Wait for dashboard load
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 5000));
  
  return 'App loaded successfully';
}

// Usage
await accessGeminiCanvasApp(
  'https://gemini.google.com/share/e5bf9afa6676',
  'user@gmail.com'
);

Example 2: Generate Content in Embedded App

// Workflow: Upload and generate in Affiliate GO
async function generateMockup(productImagePath) {
  // 1. Click Mockup Studio in sidebar
  // Click at (100, 500)
  
  // 2. Wait for module to load
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 2000));
  
  // 3. Upload product image
  // Click upload zone or use file picker
  // Upload productImagePath
  
  // 4. Select template (e.g., "Manekin")
  // Click template button
  
  // 5. Choose aspect ratio (e.g., 1:1)
  // Click aspect ratio button
  
  // 6. Generate
  // Click "Generate 7 Mockup" button
  
  // 7. Wait for generation
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 30000));
  
  // 8. Download results
  // Right-click generated images and save
  
  return 'Mockups generated successfully';
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Cannot access iframe content

• Cause: Cross-origin restrictions
• Solution: Use pixel-based clicking or keyboard navigation

Issue: Login not working

• Cause: Input field not focused
• Solution: Click center of page first, then Tab to input

Issue: Sidebar navigation not responding

• Cause: Page not fully loaded
• Solution: Wait 5-10 seconds after page load

Issue: Upload not working

• Cause: File picker requires user interaction
• Solution: Use browser automation file upload methods

Issue: Generated content not appearing

• Cause: Generation takes time
• Solution: Wait 30-60 seconds for AI processing

Issue: "You need access" message

• Cause: Not logged in or no permissions
• Solution: Login with authorized email address

URL Patterns

Integration with Other Skills

• productivity/google-flow — For video generation workflows
• content/gemini-image-generator — For image generation
• marketing/content-creator — Canvas as content drafting tool
• marketing/ads-manager — Canvas for campaign planning docs
• research/mckinsey-research — Canvas for strategy deliverables

Best Practices

This section covers best practices for the google-canvas skill. Key operations include input validation, core processing, and output verification. Refer to the skill overview for detailed usage instructions.

For Gemini Canvas Apps

1. Always wait for iframe load: 5-10 seconds after navigation
2. Focus iframe first: Click center before interactions
3. Use keyboard navigation: Tab, Enter for cross-origin iframes
4. Handle file uploads carefully: May require automation-specific methods
5. Wait for AI generation: 30-60 seconds for content generation
6. Download immediately: Results may be session-based

For Google Canvas Documents

1. Wait for content load: Canvas loads asynchronously
2. Check permissions: Verify editor access before attempting edits
3. Use keyboard shortcuts: Faster than clicking for common actions
4. Auto-save is automatic: No manual save needed
5. Test with small edits first: Verify access and functionality

Last Updated: 2026-02-16
Tested: ✅ Gemini Canvas shared app (Affiliate GO Foto Studio)
Features: Login workflow, sidebar navigation, content generation, AI assistant

Common Rationalizations

Red Flags

• Automation creates duplicate entries across connected platforms
• Agent does not handle timezone differences correctly
• Watch for shortcuts and skipped steps

Verification

After completing this skill, confirm:

• No duplicate entries are created across connected platforms
• Timezone handling is correct for all scheduling operations
• All required outputs generated
• Success criteria met

Process

1. Analyze the task requirements
2. Apply domain expertise
3. Verify output quality