Sydney-based design giant launches deep research connector and MCP Server to embed creative tools into AI workflows
Canva has announced a partnership with OpenAI, becoming the first design platform to deeply integrate its creative suite directly into ChatGPT and other AI assistants. The Australian company unveiled two major launches on Thursday: a deep research connector with ChatGPT and the Canva Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server.
The integration represents a significant shift toward AI-native design workflows, allowing users to create, analyze, and publish content without leaving their AI assistant. The move comes as Canva’s existing ChatGPT integration has seen explosive growth, with usage surging 375% year-over-year to become one of ChatGPT’s top productivity applications.
Seamless design integration
The deep research connector enables ChatGPT to access users’ existing Canva designs, documents, and presentations directly within conversations. Users can now prompt ChatGPT to analyze marketing campaigns, refine presentations, or reference past work without switching between platforms.
“AI agents and assistants have become indispensable creative partners, yet current workflows require users to manually add context or references, creating complexity,” said Anwar Haneef, GM and Head of Ecosystem at Canva. “We’re embedding Canva directly into the AI tools people use every day so they can brainstorm, create, and publish content faster. This is a major step in our vision to make the complex simple and build an all-in-one AI workflow that’s secure and accessible to all.”
The integration is protected by Canva Shield, the company’s comprehensive AI trust and safety framework, ensuring privacy and security for all interactions.
Expanding AI capabilities
The new Canva MCP Server allows any AI assistant to tap into users’ full Canva workspace, including design history, creative tools, and templates. The system can generate designs while maintaining brand consistency and incorporating real-time context from ongoing conversations.
Through the MCP Server, AI assistants can generate various design types from social posts to presentations, autofill charts with formatted data, resize and export branded templates, and import files directly from links without manual uploads.
“Launching the Canva deep research connector means businesses and their employees get faster, better insights because ChatGPT has more context. We’re thrilled to work together to bring powerful AI to many of today’s most important workflows,” said Nate Gonzalez, Head of Business Products at OpenAI.
Targeting professional users
The integration specifically targets key professional use cases. Marketers can summarize campaign reports and reference brand guides, while business owners can analyze reports and explore growth plans. Sales teams can analyze customer feedback and prepare proposals, and educators can develop lesson plans using past curriculum materials.
Canva serves 240 million users globally, including 95% of Fortune 500 companies. The platform has recorded 18 billion AI tool uses as organizations increasingly adopt AI-powered creative workflows.
Future expansion
While the deep research connector launches exclusively with ChatGPT, the MCP Server offers one-click integrations for multiple platforms. Canva confirmed that Salesforce’s Agentforce integration is coming soon, with additional AI platforms expected to follow.
The launches build on Canva’s recent AI innovations, including Canva AI, Canva Code, and AI-powered content creation in Canva Sheets. The company’s multi-model AI strategy spans proprietary models, partner integrations, and a robust apps ecosystem, positioning it to rapidly adopt emerging frameworks like MCP.
The integration represents a significant development in the convergence of design tools and AI assistants, potentially setting a new standard for how creative platforms integrate with conversational AI technologies.
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