How to import a Canva design

Orshot Studio allows you to import designs directly from Canva using a public share link. This makes it easy to convert your existing Canva designs into dynamic, API-driven templates.

Ownership Notice: Before you import, tick the box confirming you own the design and its assets, or hold the rights to use them. The import button stays disabled until you do.

How to Import#

1. Open your design in Canva#

Navigate to the Canva design you want to import.

2. Get the public share link#

1. Click the Share button in the top-right corner
2. Click More at the bottom of the share options
3. Select Public view link (or ensure "Anyone with the link can view" is enabled)
4. Copy the link

The link should look something like:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxxxxxxxx/view

Short https://canva.link/... links and /edit links work too.

3. Open Orshot Studio#

Go to Orshot Studio and click + New Template.

4. Choose the Canva tab#

In the new template dialog, click the Canva tab. It opens Import from Canva with Single design selected.

5. Paste the Canva link#

Paste your copied Canva share link into the Canva Design Public URL field and click Import Design.

6. Preview and import#

Once the design is fetched, you'll see a preview of all pages. Review the design, tick the ownership box, and click Import in Studio → to create your template.

The preview also tells you two things before you commit:

• Placeholders. Text like [City Name], [#] or {{city}} is listed with a suggested key. Tick Convert placeholders to Orshot's inline parameter format and [City Name] is imported as {{city_name}}, so a render can pass "heading_1_1:city_name": "Austin" and leave the rest of the sentence alone. The keys are editable. Leave the box unticked and the text comes in exactly as written; sending the whole text as a modification works either way.
• Fonts. Any font the design uses that Orshot cannot serve is listed with the stand-in font it will use (for example Helvetica World → Arimo). Upload the original files under Brand Library → Fonts, named exactly as in the list, and import again to keep them.

What Gets Imported#

When importing from Canva, Orshot extracts:

• Text elements: font family, size, weight, color, alignment, line spacing and letter spacing, mixed styles inside one box, Canva's own line breaks, bullet lists, text effects (shadow, background, outline, hollow)
• Images: photos with their crop, frames with corner radius and border, collages, transparency, mirrored photos
• Shapes: rectangles, circles, and other basic shapes
• Page backgrounds: color, photo with its crop and transparency
• Video clips: imported as video layers with their timing (clip files up to 95MB)
• Multi-page designs: all pages in your Canva design are imported

Import Several Designs at Once#

On a paid plan, you can import up to 10 Canva designs in one go. Each one is saved straight to Your Templates, with no Studio step in between.

1. In the Canva tab, switch to Bulk Import
2. Paste up to 10 Canva links, one per line
3. Tick the ownership box and click Import N Designs

Automatic Parameterization#

All text and image layers are automatically set up for parameterization. This means you can immediately use the API to dynamically change content without manual configuration.

Each element receives:

• A unique parameterId built from the element's role in Canva and its page and position: title_1_2, heading_2_1, subtitle_1_7, text_1_6 for plain paragraphs, img_1_3 for images. Multi-page designs prefix the page, e.g. page2@heading_2_1.
• Automatic inclusion in the template's modifications list. Text a designer marked "do not change" in Canva is imported but left out of the list.

Limitations#

Some Canva features may not translate perfectly to Orshot:

• Canva Pro elements: Some premium elements may not be accessible
• Complex effects: Advanced filters, shadows, and effects may be simplified
• Animations: Canva animations are not imported
• Brand Kit fonts: Fonts Orshot cannot serve get a stand-in font (the preview lists them). Upload the originals, one file per weight and style, to keep the exact look
• Groups: Grouped elements are flattened into individual layers
• Frames/Masks: Complex masking may not be preserved

Tips for Best Results#

1. Use standard fonts: Google Fonts work best for cross-platform compatibility
2. Keep designs simple: Complex layering may need manual adjustment after import
3. Check text alignment: Some text boxes may need minor positioning tweaks
4. Upload missing fonts: If your design uses custom fonts, upload them to your Brand Library in Orshot