How It Works
The Canvas Engine has six components that work together:- Canvas Manager — Creates and maintains Canvas documents for significant threads
- Resolution Tracker — Monitors which items have been resolved and which remain open
- Task Extractor — Identifies action items and commitments from natural language
- Evidence Linker — Connects each agreement or item back to the specific message where it was stated
- Conflict Separator — Identifies contradictions or disagreements within a thread
- Version Controller — Tracks how the Canvas evolves over time as new messages arrive
What the Canvas Shows
A Canvas organizes a conversation thread into clear sections:Agreements
Decisions that have been made. Each agreement links back to the message where it was confirmed, so you can verify the context.Open Items
Questions or topics that have been raised but not resolved. The Canvas tracks how long each item has been open.Action Items
Tasks that emerged from the conversation. Each action item includes who is responsible and any mentioned deadline.Evidence
Key messages that are important for understanding the thread. Evidence is linked to specific agreements or open items.Conflicts
If participants have made contradictory statements or disagreed, the Canvas flags these so you can address them.When Canvases Are Created
Canvases are generated automatically based on thread characteristics:- Threads with 5+ messages from multiple participants
- Threads containing decision-making language
- Threads with explicit commitments or action items
- Threads spanning multiple channels (email + Slack about the same topic)
Canvas Versioning
Every time a Canvas is updated (because new messages arrive in the thread), a new version is created. You can:- View the latest version for the current state
- Compare versions to see what changed between updates
- Roll back to see the state of the conversation at any point in time
Practical Uses
| Scenario | How Canvas helps |
|---|---|
| Contract negotiation | Tracks every clause that has been agreed, what is still being negotiated, and who needs to respond |
| Project coordination | Lists all commitments made across team emails, with owners and deadlines |
| Board communication | Summarizes decisions from multi-email board discussions |
| Meeting follow-up | After a meeting, the Canvas of the follow-up thread shows whether all action items have been addressed |
| Client management | Tracks deliverables, milestones, and open questions across a long client relationship |
Canvas in the Context Pipeline
The Communication Canvas is Stage 3 of Outband’s 5-stage Communication Context Pipeline:- Personal DNA — Your communication style
- Contact Models — Per-contact intelligence
- Communication Canvas — Structured thread state (this page)
- Events/Calendar — Temporal context (meetings, deadlines)
- Relationship Graph — Network topology