> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chief.bot/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Documents and canvases in a Live Session

> Create collaborative documents and canvases during a Live Session, control access, add them to the transcript, and share or export them.

Create documents and canvases beside a [Live Session](/help/meetings-live-sessions/what-are-live-sessions) when the conversation needs a shared draft, plan, diagram, or set of notes. Changes appear in real time, and non-private work becomes searchable Project knowledge automatically.

## Create a document or canvas

1. [Start or open a Live Session](/help/meetings-live-sessions/starting-a-live-session) in the Chief Live Sessions App.
2. Find the **Session documents** panel.
3. Click **New document** for collaborative text or **New canvas** for a visual workspace. If the panel is empty, you can also click **Create document**.
4. Rename the untitled item and begin editing.

People with access see the latest saved version. The **Session documents** list also shows when someone is viewing or editing an item.

## Collaborate and comment

A document supports shared writing and comment threads. A canvas supports drawing, text, colors, stroke widths, and comments.

* Click **Comments on this document** or **Comments on this canvas** to open its comment threads.
* On a canvas, select an object and click **Comment on selected object** to attach a comment to that specific item.
* People can edit or comment only when the artifact's access level and their Project role allow it.

This workspace is available to signed-in Project participants in the desktop app. Browser watchers and session guests do not get the document and canvas workspace.

## Choose who can access it

The creator can open **Manage access** and choose one of four levels:

| Access level                          | What it allows                                                            |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Private**                           | Only you can open the artifact.                                           |
| **Anyone in the project can view**    | People in the Project can read it, but cannot comment or make changes.    |
| **Anyone in the project can comment** | People in the Project can read and join comment threads, but cannot edit. |
| **Anyone in the project can edit**    | People in the Project can read, comment, and make changes.                |

Only the person who created the document or canvas can change its access level. Other people see a read-only access badge instead of the menu when they cannot edit.

Your first artifact in a Project starts at **Anyone in the project can edit**. Chief remembers the last access level you selected in that Project, so your next document or canvas starts at the same level.

<Warning>
  ⚠️ **Important:** Every non-private document or canvas is published to the Project's [Library](/help/your-knowledge-library/what-is-the-library), where Chief can search it and use it in tasks. A canvas is published with a flattened PNG and a text description. Changing an artifact to **Private** removes its published outputs from Project knowledge.
</Warning>

## Add, export, or share your work

* Click **Add to session** in a document to add its text to the transcript at the current time. On a canvas, the same control adds a timestamped snapshot. This is separate from [adding a screenshot](/help/meetings-live-sessions/adding-screenshots-images-to-a-transcript).
* Click **Export** to copy or download a document as Markdown. For a canvas, you can download a PNG or copy its text description.
* In **Session documents**, click **Download session bundle** to download the transcript, documents, and canvases as a ZIP file. For transcript-only options, see [copying and downloading transcripts](/help/meetings-live-sessions/copying-downloading-sharing-transcripts).
* The creator can click **Share** on a non-private document to copy a public, read-only link. Anyone with the link can read the document in a browser without an account or Project access, but cannot edit it. Click **Turn off link** to withdraw access.

Canvases do not have public read-only links. To share a canvas outside the session, export it as a PNG.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why can't I share a public link to my document?">
    Private documents cannot have public links. Change the access level to a Project option first, then click **Share**. Only the document's creator can change access or manage its public link.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can I read an artifact but not edit it?">
    Its creator may have selected **Anyone in the project can view** or **Anyone in the project can comment**, or your Project role may not allow editing. The access badge shows that the artifact is read-only for you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does making an artifact Private remove it from the Library?">
    Yes. Chief excludes Private session artifacts from Project knowledge and retracts outputs created while the artifact was shared. Making it available to the Project again lets Chief publish the current version.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>