To use Canva AI, select Canva AI in the side navigation on the Canva homepage, describe what you want (or tap the microphone and say it), add files or a Brand Kit with the plus icon, and press Enter. Canva builds the design, then you keep chatting in the editor to refine it.
Canva AI is the assistant built into Canva. It can make whole designs like presentations and social posts, generate images, text and code, and edit what you've already made. The version you see depends on your plan, and that's the first thing to understand, because it explains why your screen may not match a tutorial.
Canva AI 1.0 or 2.0: which one do you have?
Canva launched Canva AI 2.0 at Canva Create 2026. Canva describes the difference simply: 1.0 generates results from a single prompt, while 2.0 lets you create and edit by chatting with AI inside the editor, keeping your design on brand as you go.
| Plan | What you get |
|---|---|
| Canva Free and Canva Education | Canva AI 1.0 plus some tools such as Magic Write and Background Remover, with limited monthly usage |
| Canva Pro, Teams, Business, Non-profit | Full Canva AI 2.0, including Memory Library and Connectors |
If a feature in this guide is missing for you, Canva lists three reasons: your plan doesn't include it, your admin has restricted it, or your language or region isn't supported yet.
How to create a design with Canva AI
- From the Canva homepage, select Canva AI on the side navigation.
- Describe what you want to create. You can select the microphone icon and speak instead of typing.
- Optional: select the plus icon to Upload a file, Add from Canva (an existing design), Apply brand (a Brand Kit) or Connect a third-party app.
- Press Enter or select Submit.
- Depending on the design type, you'll go straight to the editor, or you'll pick the result you like and select Edit.
- Keep talking to Canva AI in the side navigation to change colours, wording, layout or images.
The plus icon is the step most people skip, and it makes the biggest difference. Attaching your own files, an earlier design or web sources gives Canva AI context, so the result looks like your business rather than a generic template.
Copy this prompt
Create a five-slide Instagram carousel for a small bakery announcing a new weekend sourdough class. Use our Brand Kit colours, a friendly tone, one short headline per slide and a final slide asking people to book through the link in our bio.
How to edit an existing design with Canva AI
Open the design in the editor and you'll find Canva AI in the side navigation. On Canva AI 2.0 you can ask for changes in plain English, such as make the headline bigger, swap the photo for something brighter, or rewrite this slide in a warmer tone. Canva says it can make updates without you starting over, because 2.0 keeps a Memory Library.
How to schedule Canva AI tasks
This is a Canva AI 2.0 feature that's easy to miss. You can schedule tasks that create or update content automatically, which is handy for a weekly social post or a monthly report graphic.
- Go to Canva AI from the homepage and describe what you'd like to create.
- Next to the Submit button, select the dropdown.
- Choose a daily, weekly or monthly schedule.
Each run creates a new chat, you get a notification when it's done, and Canva says you can schedule up to 10 tasks at a time. You'll find them all under Tasks in the panel on the Canva AI homepage.
How Canva AI uses your monthly allowance
Canva AI tools draw from a monthly AI allowance, and they don't all use the same amount. Canva splits them into tiers:
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| Tier | Examples | How it counts |
|---|---|---|
| AI design tools | Canva AI text answers, Magic Write, Translate, AI Voice | Don't count towards the allowance on paid plans (except Pro Lite) |
| Standard AI | Image Upscaler, Magic Formulas | Free on paid plans; the smallest draw on Free and Pro Lite |
| Premium AI | Generate a design, create an image, Canva Code, Magic Layers | Uses more allowance; paid plans only |
| Ultra AI | Conversational design with Canva AI 2.0, create a video clip | Uses the most allowance; paid plans only |
On Canva Free, the allowance resets at midnight UTC on the first of each month. On paid plans it resets on your billing date every month, even if you pay yearly.
Tips for better results
- Be specific: name the format, size, audience and tone.
- Break a big request into smaller steps, for example layout first, then wording, then images.
- Stay in the same conversation to refine, instead of starting a new one.
- Attach files so Canva AI works from your real material.
Canva AI works in many languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Arabic, Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Hindi, though Canva says some features support fewer. Once you've got a design you like, Canva Bulk Create can turn it into dozens of versions from a spreadsheet, and Magic Eraser removes unwanted objects from photos.
My advice
If you're on Canva Free, use Canva AI for text, ideas and simple edits, and save design generation for the jobs that matter, because those draw more of your allowance. If you're on Pro, set up your Brand Kit before anything else. Every design Canva AI makes after that starts on brand, and that's what saves you the most time.
If you're weighing the upgrade, the tiers are compared in Canva Pro plans and prices.
Frequently asked questions
Is Canva AI free?
Partly. Canva Free and Education users get Canva AI 1.0 and some tools like Magic Write and Background Remover with limited monthly usage. Full Canva AI 2.0 needs a paid plan such as Pro, Teams or Business.
Where is Canva AI in Canva?
Select Canva AI on the side navigation from the homepage on desktop. Inside a design, you'll also find it in the editor's side navigation.
Why can't I see Canva AI 2.0?
Canva AI 2.0 is for Pro, Teams, Business and Non-profit plans. It can also be missing if your admin has restricted it or your language or region isn't supported yet.
Does Canva AI count against a limit?
Most of it does. Premium and Ultra tools, like generating a design or conversational design, use your monthly AI allowance. Magic Write and Translate don't count on paid plans, except Pro Lite.
Can Canva AI create designs on a schedule?
Yes, on Canva AI 2.0. Use the dropdown next to Submit to run a task daily, weekly or monthly. You can schedule up to 10 tasks at a time.
