Canva MCP Server
Connect your AI agent to Canva to generate, edit, autofill, and export designs in natural language.
Updated
What is Canva MCP?
The Canva MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server, officially hosted by Canva, that connects AI assistants and agents directly to your Canva account so they can generate, edit, search, autofill, and export designs through natural language.
It is a remote server reached at https://mcp.canva.com/mcp, so there is nothing to install or self-host — your AI client connects over HTTP and authenticates with OAuth (Canva recommends Dynamic Client Registration). Each user logs in and grants access to their own Canva account, and the agent then operates within that account's permissions.
Through the protocol the server exposes Canva's design capabilities as structured tools: creating and editing designs, searching your design library and folders, uploading assets, autofilling brand templates, adding comments, and exporting to formats like PDF, PNG, JPG, PPTX, and MP4. It is aimed at teams building AI assistants or connectors that offer Canva as a capability, as well as individuals using clients like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT.
Tools the Canva MCP server exposes
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| generate-design | Create a new Canva design from a text prompt or specification. |
| search-designs | Search your Canva library for existing designs. |
| get-design-content | Retrieve the content and details of a specific design. |
| export-design | Export a design to formats such as PDF, PNG, JPG, PPTX, or MP4. |
| resize-design | Resize a design to new dimensions (Canva Pro and above). |
| autofill-design | Autofill a brand template with provided data (Enterprise). |
| search-brand-templates | Find brand templates matching given criteria (Enterprise). |
| upload-asset-from-url | Upload an asset to Canva from an external URL. |
| comment-on-design | Add a comment to a design for collaborative feedback. |
| perform-editing-operations | Apply targeted edits to a design within an editing transaction. |
Connect the Canva MCP server
Claude Code
- 1
Add the Canva remote server
Run: claude mcp add --transport http canva https://mcp.canva.com/mcp
- 2
Authenticate with Canva
On first use of a Canva tool, Claude Code opens an OAuth login flow in your browser — sign in and approve access to your Canva account.
- 3
Verify the connection
Run /mcp in Claude Code to confirm the Canva server is connected, then ask the agent to create or export a design.
Cursor
- 1
Open MCP settings
Go to Cursor Settings > MCP (or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json).
- 2
Add the Canva server
Add an entry with the remote URL: {"mcpServers":{"canva":{"url":"https://mcp.canva.com/mcp"}}}
- 3
Sign in via OAuth
Reload MCP servers; when Cursor first calls a Canva tool, complete the browser OAuth login to authorize your Canva account.
Security & permissions
The Canva MCP server uses OAuth for authentication (Canva recommends Dynamic Client Registration), so no static API key is stored in your client. Each user signs in to Canva individually and explicitly grants the AI assistant access; the agent then acts within that user's own account and plan permissions — it can read and modify designs, assets, folders, comments, and brand templates the user can access. Because the server is hosted by Canva, design data is handled on Canva's infrastructure. Review the requested scopes at the consent screen and connect only clients you trust, since the agent can create, edit, and export content on your behalf.
Using Canva MCP with Gamut
In a Gamut workflow, Canva is wired in as a connected tool so an agent can produce or update branded visuals as part of an automated, event- or schedule-triggered run — for example, on a new content item or a weekly schedule, the agent generates a design, autofills a brand template, and exports a PDF or PNG to hand off downstream. Gamut manages the OAuth connection and credentials, so the agent calls the Canva tools without bespoke setup; capabilities like resizing and template autofill depend on the connected account's Canva plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Canva MCP server?
It is an officially hosted Model Context Protocol server from Canva that connects AI assistants and agents to your Canva account, letting them generate, edit, search, autofill, and export designs through natural language. It runs remotely at https://mcp.canva.com/mcp.
Is the Canva MCP server free?
There is no separate charge for the MCP server. Core features — design generation, editing, export, and comments — work with any Canva account. Design resizing requires Canva Pro or above, and template autofill, brand kits, and brand templates require an Enterprise plan.
How do I connect the Canva MCP server to Claude or Cursor?
Add the remote server URL https://mcp.canva.com/mcp to your client (e.g. `claude mcp add --transport http canva https://mcp.canva.com/mcp`, or an mcpServers entry in Cursor's mcp.json). On first use you complete an OAuth login in the browser to authorize your Canva account.
Is the Canva MCP server hosted or self-hosted?
It is hosted by Canva as a remote MCP server at https://mcp.canva.com/mcp. There is nothing to install or self-host — clients connect over HTTP and authenticate with OAuth.