PrimeFlow Canvas Basics

The PrimeFlow canvas is where you build a visual map of connected work. Start by opening or creating a canvas, add nodes, move them into place, connect related items, and save the result for the active Space.

This article covers the everyday canvas actions that apply before you get into specific node types, templates, FlowMode, export, or MCP.

What you can do

How to open a canvas

• Navigation: Open PrimeFlow from the main navigation.
• Command palette: Press ⌘+K (or Ctrl+K) and search for PrimeFlow.
• Canvas Library: In PrimeFlow, open Canvas Library to choose a saved canvas.
• New canvas: In PrimeFlow, choose New Canvas to start a blank canvas in the active Space.

For saved canvas management, see PrimeFlow Canvas Library and Saving.

Move around the canvas

Use the canvas controls, mouse, trackpad, or keyboard shortcuts to move through a canvas and adjust zoom.

Common actions:

• Drag empty canvas space to move around the canvas
• Scroll or pinch to zoom, depending on your input device
• Hold Shift and scroll to move left and right
• Swipe sideways on a trackpad to move left and right
• Use zoom controls to zoom in, zoom out, or fit the current canvas into view
• Use Cmd + =, Cmd + -, and ⌘+0 on macOS
• Use Ctrl + =, Ctrl + -, and Ctrl+0 on Windows

Moving sideways helps most on a wide canvas, where the part you want is often off to one side rather than above or below. A plain scroll still zooms, so nothing you are used to has changed.

If the Mini Map is enabled, use it as a quick way to understand where you are in a larger canvas.

Select and move nodes

Click a node to select it. To select several, hold Shift and drag a box across empty canvas space, or hold Shift and click each one in turn. Select multiple nodes when you want to move, copy, delete, or duplicate more than one item together.

Useful shortcuts:

• Select all nodes: ⌘+A on macOS, or Ctrl+A on Windows
• Copy selected nodes: ⌘+C on macOS, or Ctrl+C on Windows
• Paste: ⌘+V on macOS, or Ctrl+V on Windows
• Duplicate selected nodes: ⌘+D on macOS, or Ctrl+D on Windows
• Delete selected nodes: Delete or Backspace

When you move selected nodes, PrimeFlow keeps their relationships intact. If a selected group is deleted, PrimeFlow keeps child nodes usable rather than leaving them trapped inside a removed group.

Copy and paste nodes

Copy a node, or a whole selection, and paste it back wherever you need it. Any connections between the copied nodes come across with them.

A pasted copy lands where your mouse pointer is, and steps aside if something is already there, so copies never end up buried under each other. Duplicate places a copy beside the original, and repeating it lays a tidy row. Both leave the originals where they are and select the new copies, so you can drag them straight away.

Everything about a node comes across: its size, its color, the angle of a sticky note, whether it is opened out or locked, and whatever is written inside it.

Nodes that show a task, contact, company, or project keep pointing at the same record. Pasting one of those never creates a second task or a duplicate contact, so you can place the same piece of work in more than one part of a canvas.

Copying works between canvases and between Spaces, and it survives switching to another app and back.

Connect nodes

Connect nodes when one item supports, depends on, explains, or belongs with another. A new connection starts with PrimeFlow's default connection type, and you can adjust it later.

When you are zoomed out, select a node and connection points appear around it at a size you can actually aim at, however far out you are. Drag from one of them to another node to join the two. Drop onto a particular side of that node to choose exactly where the line arrives, or drop anywhere on it and PrimeFlow picks the nearest side for you.

Let go over empty canvas instead and PrimeFlow offers to add a node there, already connected. Press Enter to add another node of the same kind you started from, or choose a different kind from the list.

After a connection exists, right-click it to change the connection type, add or edit a comment, adjust thickness, toggle movement, choose relationship labels where supported, or delete the connection.

See PrimeFlow Connections and Edges.

Paste content onto the canvas

PrimeFlow can create nodes from pasted content when you are not typing into another field.

Paste behavior includes:

• Nodes copied from a canvas come back as nodes, with their connections
• Images from the clipboard create file-style image nodes
• YouTube links create YouTube nodes
• X post links create X Post nodes
• Other supported links create link nodes
• Plain text creates a text label

Pasted content is placed near the current working area so you can move it into the right part of the canvas.

Undo and redo

PrimeFlow supports undo and redo for canvas structure changes such as creating nodes, deleting nodes, moving nodes, and creating or deleting connections.

Use:

• Undo: ⌘+Z on macOS, or Ctrl+Z on Windows
• Redo: ⌘+⇧+Z on macOS, or Ctrl+⇧+Z on Windows
• Redo on Windows: Ctrl+Y

Undo and redo are focused on canvas structure. Some edits inside a task, project, contact, file, or other detailed record are handled by that feature's own editing flow.

Use right-click actions

Right-click on empty canvas space to add common nodes, create groups, or use available canvas actions.

Right-click on a node to access actions for that node, such as duplicating, converting where supported, changing available style options, or deleting.

Right-click on a connection to edit connection behavior and relationship context.

See PrimeFlow Right-Click Menus.

Save your work

PrimeFlow can save the current canvas, save it with a new name, open another canvas, or create a new one. Saved canvases belong to the active Space.

Use Save when you want to update the current canvas. Use Save As when you want to keep the current version and create another named canvas.

See PrimeFlow Canvas Library and Saving.

Things worth knowing

Canvas actions pause while other windows are open

When a task selector, file picker, settings window, or similar window is open, PrimeFlow avoids accidental canvas actions behind it. Finish or close that window before continuing on the canvas.

Snap behavior is optional

PrimeFlow settings let you decide whether moved nodes should snap into cleaner spacing. Turn it on when you want faster tidy-up, and turn it off when you want freer placement.

The Mini Map is optional

If you prefer a cleaner workspace, turn off the Mini Map from PrimeFlow settings. If you work with large canvases, leave it on for easier navigation.

Canvas basics are separate from node details

This article explains shared canvas behavior. Node-specific behavior is covered in the node family guides.

Common questions

Where to go next