Practical guides for thinking on a canvas.
Learn the app, build a mind map that leads somewhere, design a reviewable app mockup, and keep every project safe when the internet disappears.
From a blank canvas to a saved, useful project.
The complete Canvasola walkthrough covers the interface, mind maps, sketching, workspace tabs, local autosave, backups, App Builder and every export format.
Read the complete guideStart here
The four tutorials that cover the product end to end.
How to use Canvasola: a complete beginner guide
Set up the canvas, build a mind map, sketch, use tabs, save a project file, open App Builder and choose the right export. This is the longest and most useful starting point.
Read the complete guide → Reference · 8 minEvery keyboard shortcut in one place
Canvas tools, mind-map navigation, 3D layers, App Builder and four practical key sequences.
Open the cheat sheet → App Builder · 13 minDesign a testable app mockup
Go from a blank mobile frame to a three-screen flow with auto-layout, prototype links and a handoff checklist.
Read the tutorial → Offline · 11 minWork offline without losing your maps
Install the progressive web app, verify offline access, understand autosave and build a backup routine that works.
Read the offline guide →Use Canvasola well
Product workflows, files and the details that are easy to miss.
How to use the canvas, step by step
Tools, shortcuts, mind maps, notes, workspace tabs and the complete save-and-export model.
Read the walkthrough → App BuilderTurn an app idea into reviewable screens
Frames, components, auto-layout, constraints, prototype links and presentation mode.
Build a mockup → Offline & backupsProtect work that only exists in a browser
What works offline, what needs a connection, and how to make a recoverable project file.
Read the guide →Mind mapping, made practical
Understand the method, then use a structure that fits the work.
What is a mind map?
A clear definition, the main parts of a map, examples and when a map beats a list.
Read the definition → How-toMake a mind map in seven steps
Start with one prompt, add the main branches, expand selectively and finish with a next action.
Learn the method → ProductOffline mind mapping
Why local-first access matters and how Canvasola supports work without a reliable connection.
Explore offline mapping →Projects, planning and study
Apply visual thinking to work that has real consequences.
Plan a project without losing the plot
Map outcomes, workstreams, risks, owners and next actions before turning them into a plan.
Read the planning guide → StudyUse mind maps to study and revise
Turn notes and readings into a visual study guide that exposes gaps instead of hiding them.
Read the study guide → WorkflowTurn messy notes into a plan
A five-step workflow that ends with an editable project file and a shareable export.
See the workflow →Templates to start from
Skip the blank page, then adapt the structure to the real question.
Browse mind map templates
Project planning, study, brainstorming and other structures you can use immediately.
Browse all templates → TemplateProject plan mind map
Goals, scope, timeline, team, risks and the questions that turn a plan into action.
Open the template → TemplateStudy mind map
Organize a topic into themes, evidence, questions and revision gaps.
Open the template →Every guide in the library
Grouped into 13 collections. Each guide answers one question, ends with a checklist and is written against the current version of the app.
Every collection holds the guides that share one job. Open the collection that matches what you are doing, or jump straight to the full index.
App Builder guides
Step-by-step guides for designing mobile and web screens in Canvasola App Builder: layout concepts, wireframes, flows, components, auto-layout, constraints and handoff.
Open the collection → 14 guidesMind mapping guides
How to build useful mind maps in Canvasola: branching rules, color, layouts, notes, links, layers, and the habits that separate a useful map from decoration.
Open the collection → 16 guidesMind map use cases
Guides for specific jobs a mind map can do: essay planning, revision, meetings, project plans, retrospectives, research, job interviews, and more.
Open the collection → 10 guidesTemplate guides
Guides that start from a proven Canvasola template and adapt it: project plans, study notes, brainstorming, SWOT, business models, meeting notes and more.
Open the collection → 10 guidesCanvas and sketching
Guides for the freeform canvas: drawing with brushes, building diagrams from shapes, layering elements, splitting the view and turning a sketch into a shared explanation.
Open the collection → 6 guides3D layer stack
Guides for the layered 3D view: splitting a map into layers, moving between planes, tracing cross-layer links and using the stack for architecture and strategy.
Open the collection → 10 guidesWorkflow and productivity
Guides for working faster in Canvasola: workspace tabs, split view, version history, the command palette, zen mode, keyboard shortcuts and autosave.
Open the collection → 8 guidesExport and import
Guides for getting work out of Canvasola and back in: PNG, JPG, SVG, Markdown, OPML, JSON, HTML/CSS, .canv projects, backups and file naming.
Open the collection → 6 guidesOffline and install
Guides for using Canvasola without a connection: installing the app, checking the service worker, planning for airplane mode, and keeping local data safe.
Open the collection → 10 guidesDesign foundations
Guides on the thinking behind a good layout: information hierarchy, spacing, grid, typography, alignment, responsive constraints, design systems and review checklists.
Open the collection → 7 guidesComparisons
Honest, specific comparisons with other whiteboards, mind map tools and mockup software: where each one fits, and who should choose what.
Open the collection → 10 guidesFloor plan guides
Guides for the Canvasola floor plan builder: drawing rooms with names and types, placing doors and windows on room edges, sizing spaces in metric or imperial, using the 70 templates and exporting a plan as an image, vector file, room schedule or printout.
Open the collection → 9 guidesMind map fundamentals
The fundamentals: what mind maps are for, how to start one, how to read one, how to review one, and how they compare with outlines, concept maps and note apps.
Open the collection →A 30-minute path through the library
Read one guide, open the app and finish one small artifact. That is enough to make the tools stick.