Keep documents and visual context beside the work
Choose notes, documents, linked files, and attachments without confusing them with tasks.
A useful canvas contains enough context for someone to act: a brief, an explanation, a sketch, or the source material for a decision. Choose the simplest item that carries that context.
Choose the right supporting item
| Material | Good use |
|---|---|
| Text box, Sticky Note, Callout | A heading, short explanation, decision, or visual annotation |
| Document | A longer brief or instructions with structured text |
| Image | A diagram, screenshot, or visual reference |
| Linked Google Doc, Google Sheet, or PDF | Material maintained at an external source |
| Code Block | A readable snippet for explanation; not executable task automation |
| Available Drive asset | Reuse supported material already available to you |
Use File → Upload file for the supported image and text/code formats. Use File → Insert linked file for a Google Doc, Sheet, or PDF URL. These are different insertion routes; the upload picker is not a general importer for every document type.
Write a brief on the canvas
Add a Document from the left rail and give its content a clear heading. The document toolbar supports headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, text color, bulleted and numbered lists, alignment, links, tables, horizontal rules, and code blocks. Formatting availability follows the editor's current state and whether editing is allowed.
A short brief might contain the outcome, scope, acceptance criteria, and links to source material. Keep the actionable follow-up as a Task node instead of relying on a paragraph or a table row to act as a task.
When the document creation flow reports that a document was created in Drive but could not be placed on Canvas, locate that document before retrying creation. Repeatedly creating it can leave additional documents without solving the placement problem.
Relate a supporting item to work
Place the material near its Task, Project, Milestone, or Blocker. For a supported work attachment, enable Work, connect the supporting item and work item, choose the attachment relationship, and confirm Create Connection. Merely placing two items beside each other does not record that relationship.
The relationship explains which work the material supports. It does not grant access to the document, make a linked file public, or turn the material into a task.
Keep access and sources clear
For external material, check the source provider's sharing permissions and whether it permits embedding. A colleague may be able to open the canvas but still be unable to read the linked document. Resolve the source access with the appropriate owner rather than copying restricted content into the diagram.
Use the available Drive assets deliberately: check that you are using the intended source and do not assume every placement is an independent copy. When instructions change, update the appropriate source and review any separate visual explanation that could become stale.