Canva MCP Skill

Overview

This skill enables comprehensive Canva automation through 19+ MCP tools organized into 5 categories: Search/Browse, Read, Generate, Modify, and Collaborate.

Quick Reference: When to Use Which Tool

User Intent	Tool(s)	Key Parameters
"Find my presentation about X"	search-designs	query, sort_by
"Create a presentation about X"	generate-design + create-design-from-candidate	design_type="presentation", query, brand_kit_id
"Make an Instagram post"	generate-design	design_type="instagram_post", query
"Export as PDF"	get-export-formats → export-design	format.type="pdf"
"What brand kits do I have?"	list-brand-kits	-
"Show what's in my folder"	list-folder-items	folder_id
"Read the text from this design"	get-design-content	content_types=["richtexts"]
"Add a comment"	comment-on-design	message_plaintext
"Convert to presentation format"	resize-design	design_type.type="preset", name="presentation"

Critical Rules

Rule 1: Brand Kit Workflow

ALWAYS ask user about brand kit before calling generate-design:

"Would you like to create an on-brand design? I can use your brand kit for consistent colors, fonts, and logos."

If yes → call list-brand-kits → let user select → include brand_kit_id in generate-design.

Rule 2: Design Generation is Two-Step

1. generate-design returns candidates (4 options with thumbnails)
2. Present options to user, get selection
3. create-design-from-candidate(job_id, candidate_id) creates actual editable design
4. Use returned design_id for all subsequent operations

Rule 3: ID Patterns

• Design ID: D[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{10} (11 chars, starts with D) — e.g., DAG9TPtALt0
• Folder ID: FA[...] pattern — e.g., FAF9kJO-MS8
• Brand Kit ID: k[A-Za-z0-9]+ — e.g., kAFrPxMDrlE
• Image/Asset ID: M[A-Za-z0-9]+ — e.g., MAG9TxdnD2o
• ⚠️ IDs in Canva URLs are NOT the design_id parameter (URL IDs are different encoding)

Rule 4: Pagination

• Never fabricate continuation tokens
• Only use tokens returned from previous responses
• Omit parameter entirely if no token was returned

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Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Create New Design

1. ASK: "Would you like on-brand design?"
   YES → list-brand-kits → user selects → save brand_kit_id
   NO → proceed without brand_kit_id

2. GENERATE: generate-design
   - query: Detailed description (see Prompting Best Practices)
   - design_type: See Design Types Reference
   - brand_kit_id: (if selected)
   - asset_ids: (optional) Array of image IDs in order

3. PRESENT: Show 4 candidates with thumbnails
   "Here are 4 design options. Which do you prefer? (1-4)"

4. CREATE: create-design-from-candidate
   - job_id: From step 2 response
   - candidate_id: From user selection

5. DELIVER: Return edit_url for user to refine in Canva

Workflow 2: Search & Retrieve Designs

1. SEARCH: search-designs
   - query: Keywords from user request
   - ownership: "any" (default), "owned", or "shared"
   - sort_by: "relevance" (if query used), "modified_descending", etc.

2. DISPLAY: Show results with titles and thumbnails

3. DETAILS: If user selects one → get-design for full metadata

4. CONTENT: If user wants text → get-design-content
   - content_types: ["richtexts"]
   - pages: [1, 2, 3] (optional, specific pages)

Workflow 3: Export Design

1. CHECK: get-export-formats
   Returns: {formats: {pdf:{}, jpg:{}, png:{}, pptx:{}, gif:{}, mp4:{}}}

2. EXPORT: export-design
   - design_id: Target design
   - format: {type: "pdf", export_quality: "pro", pages: [1,2,3]}

3. DELIVER: Return download URL(s) to user
   ⚠️ URLs are temporary (expire within hours)

Workflow 4: Resize/Convert Design

resize-design creates a NEW design (does not modify original)

PRESET options:
- {type: "preset", name: "presentation"}
- {type: "preset", name: "doc"}
- {type: "preset", name: "whiteboard"}

CUSTOM options:
- {type: "custom", width: 1920, height: 1080}

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Design Types Reference

Type	Use Case
presentation	Slide decks, pitch decks, webinars
instagram_post	Square social media content
facebook_post	Facebook feed content
twitter_post	Twitter/X posts
youtube_thumbnail	Video thumbnails
youtube_banner	Channel headers
your_story	Instagram/Facebook stories (vertical)
flyer	Single-page promotional
poster	Large format print
infographic	Data visualization
logo	Brand identity
business_card	Contact cards
document	Professional documents
report	Data reports
proposal	Business proposals
resume	CVs and resumes
invitation	Event invitations
card	Greeting cards
postcard	Mailable postcards
photo_collage	Multi-photo layouts
facebook_cover	Profile/page banners
pinterest_pin	Pinterest content
desktop_wallpaper	Computer backgrounds
phone_wallpaper	Mobile backgrounds

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Reference Files

This skill includes deep-dive references for complex topics:

Reference	When to Use
references/presentations.md	Creating presentation slide plans, narrative arcs
references/visual-design.md	General styling: colors, typography, logos, layouts
references/unshakable-style-guide.md	Unshakable Investor / Toby Potter brand presentations
references/social-media.md	Platform-specific social content
references/quick-reference.md	One-liner commands, format options

For visual styling questions, always read references/visual-design.md first - it contains:

• Visual style vocabulary (minimalist, bold, corporate, etc.)
• Color scheme language and specifications
• Typography guidance
• Layout pattern options
• Logo/asset integration instructions
• Slide-by-slide visual specifications
• Complete visual style examples

For Unshakable Investor / Toby Potter presentations, read references/unshakable-style-guide.md:

• Exact brand colors (deep black, amber gold #D4A853)
• Curved gold accent lines pattern
• Fire/smoke texture overlays
• 7 specific slide layout types
• Problem cards with red X icons
• Statement slide patterns

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Prompting Best Practices

For Presentations (Most Complex)

Structure the query with these sections:

1. Presentation Brief

Title: [Working title]
Topic/Scope: [1-2 lines, define uncommon terms]
Key Messages: [3-5 crisp takeaways]
Constraints: [Brand, data limits, language]
Style Guide: [Tone, colors, imagery style]

2. Narrative Arc

One paragraph: Hook → Problem → Insight → Solution → Proof → Plan → CTA

3. Slide Plan For each slide include:

Slide N — "Exact Title"
Goal: One sentence purpose
Bullets (3-6): Short, parallel phrasing with specifics
Visuals: Explicit recommendation (e.g., "Clustered bar chart of X by Y")
Data/Inputs: Concrete values or "example values" if unknown
Speaker Notes: 2-4 sentences narrative
Transition: Lead to next slide

Visual Styling (Critical for Quality)

Every presentation query needs a Style Guide section. See references/visual-design.md for complete vocabulary.

Minimum Style Guide:

**Style Guide:**
- Overall: [Minimalist/Bold/Corporate/Creative/Editorial]
- Colors: [Primary, Accent, Background - with hex codes or descriptions]
- Typography: [Font style, size hierarchy]
- Imagery: [Photo style, treatment]
- Layout: [Grid/Split/Centered preferences]
- Logo: [Placement, size on slides]

Example for professional deck:

**Style Guide:**
Corporate minimalist. Navy (#1A2B4A) primary, gold (#C9A227) accents, 
off-white backgrounds. Montserrat Bold headlines (48pt), Open Sans body (22pt).
Professional photography with subtle desaturation. Clean grid layouts with 
80px margins. Logo top-right on all slides, 100px width.

For Social Media

Include in query:

• Target audience
• Primary message/CTA
• Tone (professional, casual, urgent)
• Color preferences (or reference brand kit)
• Text to include (headline, subtext, CTA button)

For Documents/Reports

Include in query:

• Document purpose
• Target reader
• Key sections needed
• Data visualization requirements
• Branding requirements

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Tool Reference

Search & Browse

search-designs

• query: Search term (if used, sort_by must be "relevance")
• ownership: "any" | "owned" | "shared"
• sort_by: "relevance" | "modified_descending" | "modified_ascending" | "title_ascending" | "title_descending"
• continuation: Pagination token from previous response

search-folders

• query: Folder name/tag search
• ownership: "any" | "owned" | "shared"
• limit: 1-100 (default 5)
• continuation: Pagination token

list-brand-kits

• continuation: Pagination token
• Returns: id, name, thumbnail for each brand kit

list-folder-items

• folder_id: Target folder ID or "root"
• item_types: ["design", "folder", "image"] filter
• sort_by: Sort order
• continuation: Pagination token

Read

get-design

• design_id: Required (11 chars, starts with D)
• Returns: id, title, owner, thumbnail, urls (edit_url, view_url), timestamps, page_count

get-design-pages

• design_id: Required
• offset, limit: Pagination (0-indexed)
• Returns: Array of {index, thumbnail}

get-design-content

• design_id: Required
• content_types: ["richtexts"] (only option currently)
• pages: Optional array of page numbers (1-indexed)
• Returns: Extracted text content

get-presenter-notes

• design_id: Required
• pages: Optional array (1-indexed)
• Returns: Array of {page_number, notes}

get-export-formats

• design_id: Required
• Returns: Available formats object

Generate

generate-design

• query: Required - detailed description
• design_type: Optional - from Design Types Reference
• brand_kit_id: Optional - from list-brand-kits
• asset_ids: Optional - array of image IDs in slide order
• Returns: job_id + array of candidates

create-design-from-candidate

• job_id: From generate-design response
• candidate_id: Selected candidate ID
• Returns: design_summary with design_id for further operations

Modify

export-design

• design_id: Required
• format: Object with type and options
  • type: "pdf" | "png" | "jpg" | "pptx" | "gif" | "mp4"
  • export_quality: "regular" | "pro"
  • pages: Array of page numbers
  • (Type-specific options: size, quality, transparency, etc.)
• Returns: Download URL(s)

resize-design

• design_id: Required
• design_type: {type: "preset", name: "..."} or {type: "custom", width, height}
• Returns: NEW design with new design_id

upload-asset-from-url

• url: Source URL
• name: Asset name
• Returns: Asset ID for use in generate-design

import-design-from-url

• url: Source file URL
• name: Design name
• Returns: New design summary

create-folder

• name: Folder name
• parent_folder_id: Parent ID or "root"
• Returns: Folder ID and URL

move-item-to-folder

• item_id: Design, folder, or image ID
• to_folder_id: Destination folder ID or "root"

Collaborate

comment-on-design

• design_id: Required
• message_plaintext: Comment text (max 1000 chars)
• Returns: Thread ID and metadata

list-comments

• design_id: Required
• comment_resolution: "resolved" | "unresolved" (default)
• limit: 1-100 (default 50)
• continuation: Pagination token

reply-to-comment

• design_id: Required
• comment_id: From list-comments
• message_plaintext: Reply text (max 2048 chars)

list-replies

• design_id: Required
• comment_id: Required
• limit: 1-100 (default 50)
• continuation: Pagination token

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Common Patterns

Pattern: Find and Export Recent Work

1. search-designs(sort_by="modified_descending")
2. User selects design
3. get-export-formats(design_id)
4. export-design(design_id, format={type:"pdf"})
5. Return download URL

Pattern: Create On-Brand Social Media Campaign

1. list-brand-kits()
2. User selects brand
3. For each platform:
   generate-design(design_type="instagram_post", brand_kit_id, query)
   create-design-from-candidate()
4. Organize: create-folder("Campaign Name")
5. move-item-to-folder() for each design

Pattern: Review and Comment on Team Work

1. search-designs(ownership="shared")
2. get-design-content() to review text
3. get-design-pages() to see thumbnails
4. comment-on-design() with feedback
5. list-comments() to see discussion

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Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Don't use design_type without generate-design (it's only for generation) ❌ Don't assume URL IDs are design_ids (they're different encodings) ❌ Don't fabricate continuation tokens (always from responses) ❌ Don't skip brand kit question for professional content ❌ Don't expect resize-design to modify in-place (creates new design) ❌ Don't call search-brand-templates via search-designs (they're separate) ❌ Don't assume export URLs are permanent (they expire) ❌ Don't use vague queries for generate-design (be specific)