Choose the right Canvas connector
Separate diagram flow from work relationships and technical execution links.
A connector can explain a drawing or record a relationship between work items. Choose the behavior before drawing the connection. Color and arrow styling alone do not determine its meaning.
Ordinary connectors: explain a flow
With Work off, connectors between ordinary shapes and task items are visual links. Use them to explain a sequence, a handoff, or a branch. They do not automatically start tasks, assign people, or enforce a task prerequisite.
For example, connect Collect requirements to Prepare proposal to show the intended order. The team still owns the task updates and the decision to start the next step.
Work connectors: organize related work
Turn on Work in the ribbon and draw from the first item to the second. Supported pairs create a defined work relationship. If more than one relationship is possible, choose the intended option in Choose Relationship and select Create Connection.
| Draw from → to | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Task → Task | The first task is a subtask of the second |
| Task → Project | The task belongs to that Canvas Project node |
| Task → Milestone | The task contributes to that milestone |
| Milestone → Project | The milestone belongs to that Canvas Project node |
| Milestone → Milestone | The first milestone is a submilestone of the second |
| Project → Project | The first Canvas Project node is a subproject of the second |
| Task → Blocker | Choose whether the task is blocked by the blocker or resolves it |
| Blocker → Task | Choose whether the blocker blocks the task or is resolved by it |
| Supporting item ↔ work item | Choose the attachment relationship to associate the material with the work |
Task → Task means subtask, not “must finish before.” For a visual sequence, use ordinary connectors. For a breakdown, connect the smaller task to its parent task with Work enabled. Direction matters: drawing from the parent to the child would describe the opposite hierarchy.
Work mode accepts specific pairs. If a connection is rejected, check both item types and direction. A connection between two ordinary, non-work shapes remains a diagram connection even when Work is enabled.
What Work does not change
The ribbon's Work toggle controls new connector behavior. It is separate from a project's BAU, Project, or Hybrid work-mode setting. Turning it on does not retroactively convert ordinary lines to work relationships.
A work attachment does not grant permission to the source document. A visual group or swimlane does not create a work relationship. Moving a Task beside a Project node is not the same as connecting Task → Project.
Technical execution links
Connections between executable Code nodes use execution links; cyclic execution connections are rejected. Drawing the link does not itself run the code. These are for technical workflows and are different from ordinary process arrows and from a display-only Code Block. For everyday team planning, use shapes, Task nodes, and the relevant ordinary or Work connections.