Canvas
Add images, notes and cards to Obsidian canvas files with auto-layout
Test report
- Verdict
- Tested · Works
- Score
- Tested
- Jul 17, 2026
- Environment
- Claude Code 2.x (agent harness)
- Upstream re-checked
- Aug 10, 2026 · e3d61d4
Executed the skill's own auto-positioning algorithm to drop three text cards into a zone: it produced 0 overlapping pairs with correct row-wrapping inside the zone bounds, versus a naive from-scratch layout that stacked all three at (0,0) with 3 overlapping pairs. Output is valid JSON Canvas 1.0 with stable timestamped IDs and proper group/zone structure. Trigger phrases are specific and correctly exclude HTML5-canvas requests. Honest docs that point to kepano's json-canvas skill as the authoritative spec.
Scored on four weighted criteria — install, triggering, output vs. baseline, docs. How scoring works
- Installs cleanly 5/5
- Triggers reliably 5/5
- Output vs. baseline 7/10
- Docs & honesty 5/5
What Canvas does
Reads and writes Obsidian .canvas files (JSON Canvas 1.0) to build visual reference boards, adding images, text cards, PDFs and wiki pages with auto-positioning inside labelled zones. Triggers on /canvas, canvas add image, add to canvas, put this on the canvas, or create canvas. Wiki-scoped; defers to kepano's json-canvas skill for spec questions.
How to install Canvas
git clone https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cd claude-obsidian && cp -r skills/canvas ~/.claude/skills/canvas
Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/
(per-project). Restart Claude Code after installing.
Commands — how to trigger Canvas
-
/canvasAdd images, notes and cards to Obsidian canvas files with auto-layout
It also activates on plain-language prompts like these:
-
add this reference image to my Obsidian canvas board -
put these research notes onto the canvas as separate cards -
create a new canvas with auto-arranged reference cards
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Canvas skill free?
- Yes. The skill itself is free from AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.
- Does Canvas work with Claude Code?
- We tested it with Claude Code 2.x (agent harness) on Jul 17, 2026. Verdict: Tested · Works. Executed the skill's own auto-positioning algorithm to drop three text cards into a zone: it produced 0 overlapping pairs with correct row-wrapping inside the zone bounds, versus a naive from-scratch layout that stacked all three at (0,0) with 3 overlapping pairs. Output is valid JSON Canvas 1.0 with stable timestamped IDs and proper group/zone structure. Trigger phrases are specific and correctly exclude HTML5-canvas requests. Honest docs that point to kepano's json-canvas skill as the authoritative spec.
- What is the Canvas SkillProof Score?
- 8.8/10 — installs cleanly 5/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 7/10, docs & honesty 5/5.
- How do I install Canvas?
- Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- Can I use Canvas with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?
- The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.