Learn How I’ve Used Canva Code
When I was in Los Angeles for Canva Create back in April, I got my first glimpse of something new and a bit unexpected: Canva Code.
During the keynote, they played a video featuring a focus group, a mix of creators, educators, small business owners. They were asked “If you could code, what would you build?”
The results were as varied as the people using it. One built a website, another a song recommender, a puzzle, flash cards, online fitness tracker and games. It was fun, quirky and full of potential.
So, what is Canva Code exactly? And more importantly, how can you use it to build something useful for your business?
What is Canva Code
Canva Code isn’t coding in the traditional sense. You’re not learning JavaScript or wrestling with syntax. It’s prompt-based. You type in a plain English request and Canva builds a design or interactive tool based on that prompt. Think of it like chatting with a helpful designer who just happens to live inside Canva and is lightning fast.
So why should you care?
Because it’s fast, flexible and a bit genius for business. Whether you’re planning content, building resources for clients or dreaming up a quirky lead magnet, Canva Code can help you get from idea to actual thing in minutes. No faff. No fluff. Just results.
Of course, it’s still early days, and it won’t replace your spreadsheets or CRMs anytime soon. But for simple, branded tools that look good and save you time, it’s already pretty handy.
Ready to see where it lives and how to use it? Let’s go.
What You Can Do With It
I’ve been using Canva Code for the last few months. I’ve been playing with it both for business and pleasure. It isn’t just a novelty, it’s surprisingly useful. Especially if you’re a business owner juggling marketing, admin and 47 other things before lunch.
Here are a few real-world things I’ve created using Canva Code:
- 30-Day Content Calendar
This was for my Totally Content Business project and it’s one of the best tools I’ve generated. I asked Canva Code for a content calendar, and it delivered a clean, branded layout with prompts for each day. Even better, I asked it to add hooks and calls to action underneath. It gave me options by month or week. Magic.
I went back and asked it to use my font and colour palette (“Always on Brand” as I always say!)
You can see the final result here. If you scroll to the bottom you’ll even see some “hooks” and CTAs (Calls to Action that it generated too!) Result! - CD Tracker
A personal one for my music collection. Yes, I still have all my CDs and proof I play them! Shows how you can use Canva Code for niche data or just to indulge your inner collector. - SYBD Breakup Bingo
This one I made for my website, soyouvebeendumped.com which turns 25 this week! It’s just for fun. A cheeky little bingo card based on clichés people say post-breakup. Totally silly but it shows the flexibility of the tool. And yes I could go back and have it change squares, but this was just a working prototype. You know?
- Choose Your Support Package Tool
This one’s business-focused and subtle in its selling. I created a quiz-style flow to help people figure out which of my Canva services suited them best. No hard sell, just a helpful guide.
Other quick-use ideas:
- Onboarding documents for new clients
- Mini brand checklists to help people keep things consistent
- Training quizzes for teams or workshops
- Goal planners or habit trackers
- Lead magnet generators to capture emails in a creative way
These aren’t groundbreaking tools, but they’re quick to make, easy to brand, and helpful. That’s the Canva Code sweet spot. You can find heaps of great videos on Youtube of my fellow Canva Verified Experts creating cool shit in Canva Code. Just do a search.
A Few Things to Note…
- If you want a specific font, please note that Canva Code uses Google Fonts not the Canva Font Library. You can ask for a specific font but it must be available in Google’s font library.
- You can actually talk to the Canva AI if you’d rather speak than type. I’ve not done it but I have seen others mention it.
- At a later date if you want to access any of your previous creations you can by clicking the Canva AI on the left side of your dash and then the hamburger menu at the top.
Got my Code, Now What?
Once you have your code generated you will select ‘Use in a Design” at the top right to preview it. Depending on your coding, you’ll have various options to choose from. These might be Website, Presentation, Whiteboard or Doc.
Now that you have previewed your code, you can then publish it so others can use it too. Feel free to edit the URL to make a bit more user friendly by clicking the pencil next to the website address.
If you want to use it for real, you can even purchase a domain to point to it.
Finally you can embed the design in your own website too (which I will do at the very bottom of this post!) 🙂
Canva Code Final Thoughts
Canva Code might not be revolutionary, but it’s clever, quick and surprisingly versatile. Whether you’re building client tools, content plans or just having a play, it’s worth a look and a play! No design skills required, no tech headaches, just a few prompts and a bit of imagination. maybe a few tweaks to make it truly yours.
Want to Work Together?
I’m Thea Newcomb – Scotland’s first Canva Trainer and Verified Expert. I help businesses design confidently, save time, and stay on-brand with Canva workshops, webinars, and 1:1s worldwide. Whether you’re flying solo or leading a team, I’ve got you.
- Book a free Clarity Call – let’s have a quick 20 min chat
- See my Canva training & services – training, feedback or done-with-you support
- Check out my links page – creative tools, productivity tips, and AI goodies
- Get a free 30-day Canva Pro trial and try it for yourself
Fun Positive Quote Generator Design by theanewcomb
