Docs, folders and canvases

Each space has a Docs tree in the sidebar: docs, folders, canvases and uploaded files. At its top is a folder named Docs that holds the rest. You can rename it, but not move or delete it.

Create

Click the + beside a space’s name, choose Doc, then Doc, Folder, Canvas or Upload file.
Hover a folder in the sidebar and click its +: New doc, New canvas, New folder or Upload file.
On a folder’s page, click the + beside its name.
In a doc, type / and choose New doc to make a doc beside it, with a link to it.

Names are unique within a folder. A name that is taken gets “ (2)” added.

Organize

Drag items in the sidebar to reorder them, or drop one on a folder to put it inside.
On an item’s page, the three-dot menu has Move to, for the space’s folders.
Convert to folder turns a doc into a folder, with the doc inside it.
A folder’s sidebar menu has Sort: Name, Date created or Kind.
A folder’s page lists what it holds and has room for notes. Drop files on the list to upload them into it.

Move to trash on the page, or Delete in the sidebar, puts an item in the space’s trash. View trash lists it there with Restore and Delete forever.

Write in a doc

Add icon gives a doc an emoji.
Type / for blocks: Heading 1 to Heading 3, Bullet list, Numbered list, To-do list, Quote, Code block, Table, Divider, Image and File, plus New doc, Link to doc and Link to task.
Type @ to mention a doc, task, table, row or person.
Paste or drop images to place them in the doc. Other files show as a file chip and also join the tree beside the doc. Files can be up to 20 MB.
Download as PDF in the three-dot menu saves the doc to your Downloads folder.

Tables in a doc

/ then Table inserts a table with three columns and a header row. Click a cell to type. Tab and Shift-Tab move between cells; Enter moves down a row, and adds one at the bottom. The toolbar above the table inserts and deletes rows and columns, aligns columns, turns the Header row on or off, and has Delete table. Tables an agent writes into a doc are editable the same way.

A doc table is part of the doc’s text. For records with typed fields, sorting and links, use a table.

Edit together

Docs, folder pages, canvases, task details and row notes are edited live. You see other people’s carets, with their names, as they type. If your copy of Matter needs an update, docs open read-only until you update.

Click Share at the top of a doc and turn on Share to Web. Anyone with the link can read the doc in a browser, without an account, including later edits. Turning it on copies the link; Copy link and Open in browser sit beside it. While the link exists, the button reads Shared. Turn the switch off to stop the link working.

Only docs can be shared this way, not folders, canvases or files.

Canvases

A canvas is an Excalidraw drawing. Everyone with it open draws together, live. Its three-dot menu has:

Export image: save a PNG or SVG, or Copy PNG. Options are Only selected, Background, Dark mode, Scale, and Embed scene, which keeps the image editable in Excalidraw.
Copy as PNG, Find on canvas and Keyboard shortcuts.

Uploaded files

A file’s page previews images, PDFs, and text files up to 1 MB. Other types offer Download. The buttons at the top download the file or open it in your browser.

Diagrams in replies

When an agent’s reply or your brief contains a Mermaid code block, Matter draws it as a diagram. Click it to see it larger. In a doc, a Mermaid block stays a code block.

What agents can do with docs

Agents work in the Docs tree with your access:

In the tree, they list it, read docs and folders, write them as Markdown, rename, move and delete items, upload a file from your Mac, and download a file or doc to your Downloads folder.
On a canvas, they read it, add and change shapes, text and arrows, and render it to an image to check the layout. You see their changes live and can undo them.

When an agent creates docs in a turn, cards at the end of its reply preview them; click one to open the doc. If the turn failed or was stopped, the card says “May be unfinished”. See The assistant.