ChatGPT’s Canvas Mode Is Great: These Are 4 Ways to Use It

ChatGPT’s new Canvas mode has added an extra dimension to writing and editing in the world’s leading generative AI tool. I’ve been using ChatGPT Canvas since it launched, and have found a few different way to put this new AI tool to use.

1 Text Editing

ChatGPT Canvas is excellent if you want to edit text. You can use a slider to adjust the reading level based on your audience. For example, you might want to make blog posts more understandable to the general public and for research papers to have industry jargon.

You can also use Canvas mode in ChatGPT to add a “final polish” by selecting some text and asking the software to make adjustments. Another advantage is that you can adjust the text length; this is particularly useful if you’re trying to meet a particular word count. You should compare ChatGPT Canvas and Claude Artifact before choosing one, as they’re quite different; Claude can also edit text.

2 Document Summarization and Writing

Besides editing text, you can also use ChatGPT Canvas to summarize your documents and make rewrites if needed. For example, I wanted to see how ChatGPT could summarize my resume. After uploading the PDF, I received a comprehensive breakdown of my top skills and unique insights.

You can use ChatGPT Canvas for several other document types, such as essays and cover letters. Here, I suggest asking ChatGPT to make adjustments by highlighting your text and entering the prompt. Alternatively, you can use the Add final polish tool here as well.

3 Planning Long-Form Content

I would not rely on ChatGPT to write long-form articles I’d publish online, but it can be useful if you need inspiration and ideas. For example, in the rye bread recipe example I shared earlier, I also wanted the app to increase the length.

You can choose between the Shortest and L ongest lengths, depending on your preferences. There’s plenty of room for experimentation in the middle, so it’s definitely worth trying different lengths to see what works best for you. I’d also recommend trying it out if you need ideas for stories or other creative projects before coming up with your own content.

If you’re using ChatGPT as a writer, you should strongly consider checking out these dos and don’ts of using ChatGPT as a freelance writer.

4 Generating Basic Code

You’ll need to edit the code you get after generating it, but ChatGPT Canvas is a great tool for making basic code that is then adjustable. The tool lets you fix bugs, which isn’t the most impressive feature. In my opinion, the ability to choose different programming languages is what makes ChatGPT Canvas stand out.

When using ChatGPT Canvas, you can also review specific areas of your code and add logs/comments. I recommend trying ChatGPT and Gemini for coding to see which makes the most sense to you.

While it’s still in its early phases, ChatGPT Canvas is an excellent tool for editing text, generating code, and similar tasks. It offers plenty of handy customization features, and if the preset versions don’t produce the desired results, you can always highlight your text and ask ChatGPT to make specific adjustments.