Google Launches Canvas in AI Mode for Users Across the US

Google is steadily reshaping what it means to “search.” Instead of delivering a quick list of links and calling it a day, the company is experimenting with turning Search into a place where ideas can take shape and projects can unfold.

Its newest step in that direction is Canvas, a workspace built directly into AI Mode that gives users a persistent area to brainstorm, organize, and build while they search.

Now rolling out to users across the US, Canvas introduces a project-style workflow inside Google Search. Users can develop outlines, drafts, and even lightweight tools through conversational prompts, gradually refining ideas as AI Mode updates the workspace in real time.

A side panel built for evolving ideas

Canvas appears as a dedicated side panel within AI Mode, giving users a space to gather information, outline plans, and shape ideas while searching. Instead of producing a single response and disappearing, the workspace remains active alongside results, so projects can develop in stages.

As users add follow-up prompts, AI Mode updates the Canvas in real time, refining drafts, expanding outlines, or reorganizing information. The panel persists across sessions, allowing users to return later and keep building on the same project.

From rough drafts to working tools

Canvas can also generate simple tools and dashboards directly inside the workspace, turning prompts into working prototypes within the side panel.

These creations can pull in fresh information from the web and Google’s Knowledge Graph to populate data and structure. For more technical tasks, users can toggle a view of the underlying code and fine-tune the result through follow-up prompts until the tool or interface behaves as intended.

That approach opens the door to lightweight tools built directly inside Search. A student could assemble a scholarship tracker, for example, while a developer might prototype a small interactive utility or dashboard without leaving the browser.

How to use Canvas in AI Mode

To start a project, users open AI Mode in Google Search and select the Canvas option from the tool menu (+). They can then describe what they want to build, such as a study plan or another custom tool.

AI Mode generates a working prototype inside the Canvas panel, pulling in relevant information as it structures the project. From there, users can test the result, adjust the layout or features, and continue enhancing it through follow-up prompts or by viewing and editing the underlying code. 

The experiment that led to Canvas

Canvas builds on earlier testing inside AI Mode Labs, where Google first introduced the feature to a smaller group of users experimenting with AI-powered search tools. In its early form, the workspace focused largely on helping people organize information and create structured plans for tasks such as studying or preparing for projects.

Google has since expanded Canvas to support tasks like creative writing and coding with planning workflows. During earlier AI Mode Labs testing, the company also indicated that future updates could allow users to upload their own files, like notes or course materials, to add context to projects.

Google has unveiled Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite, designed for speed and efficiency.

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