Kolab has two kinds of things you'll work with: canvas elements and tools. They're easy to mix up, but the difference is simple once you see it—and knowing it makes everything else click into place.
The one-line version: Canvas elements are the objects that live on the board. Tools are how you (the facilitator) shape the session around them.
The Core Difference
| Canvas Elements | Tools | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An object placed on the canvas | A facilitator control that shapes the session |
| Who creates it | Anyone (participants + facilitators) | Facilitators and hosts |
| Where it lives | On the board, saved with it | Mostly as overlays or session settings |
| Persists? | Yes—saved with the board and included in templates | Some persist (placed tools), some are momentary |
| Example | A sticky note, a shape, an image | A timer, an audio mode, breakout rooms |
Think of it like running a room: the canvas elements are the things on the walls and tables. The tools are the lights, the clock on the wall, and the way you've arranged the furniture.
Canvas Elements
Canvas elements are the objects participants create and arrange on the board. They're persistent, moveable, and saved as part of the board—so they show up in templates and stay put between sessions.
| Element | What it's for | Who usually adds it |
|---|---|---|
| Sticky Note | Ideas, feedback, votes—the workhorse | Everyone |
| Text | Labels, headings, instructions | Everyone |
| Rectangle | Zones, frames, section backgrounds | Everyone |
| Circle | Diagrams, emphasis, callouts | Everyone |
| Image | Photos, screenshots, reference material | Everyone |
| Embed (iFrame) | YouTube, Google Slides, Figma, any web content | Everyone |
| Card Deck | Interactive card stacks for activities | Everyone |
| Sticky Bank | Bulk-generates blank sticky notes (the stickies are the elements) | Facilitators |
| Ambient Media | Looping visuals or background sound placed on the canvas | Facilitators |
| Screen Share | A live screen shared into the canvas (Interactive/Sidebar mode) | Everyone |
What most of them have in common:
- They sit at a position on the board and can be moved, resized, and styled
- They're saved with the board—and captured when you save a template
- Any element can be locked so it can't be accidentally moved
The exception: Screen Share is live-only—it appears while someone is sharing and isn't saved with the board or included in templates.
Learn more: Canvas Elements Guide
Tools
Tools are the controls you use to run the session. They don't sit on the board the way an element does—they're overlays everyone sees, or settings that change how the whole space behaves.
Session-aid tools
These help you guide an activity. Facilitators typically set them up—though some (like card decks and embeds) can be added by anyone as canvas elements, while the floating overlay versions are facilitator-controlled.
| Tool | What it does | Lives as... | Who can add it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timer | A visible countdown for everyone | Overlay | Facilitators |
| Prompt | A text instruction or question on screen for all | Overlay | Facilitators |
| Card Decks | Interactive card collections to flip and navigate | Canvas element or overlay | Anyone (element) / facilitators (overlay) |
| Embeds | External content shown on the board or as a spotlight | Canvas element or overlay | Anyone (element) / facilitators (spotlight) |
| Ambient Media | Background visuals and sound to set the mood | Canvas element | Facilitators |
Session-control tools
These shape the experience for the whole room. They're not objects at all—they're settings you change on the fly.
| Tool | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Space Mode | How video and canvas are arranged (Conference, Sidebar, Interactive) |
| Audio Mode | Who hears whom (Global, Spatial, Zoned) |
| Breakout Rooms | Fully separated group spaces |
| Kola AI | An AI assistant that helps you plan and build the board |
| Session Capture | Recording and live transcription of the session |
Learn more: Timer · Prompt · Card Decks · Embeds · Ambient Media
The Overlap: Tools That Become Elements
Here's the part that trips people up. A few tools can be deployed as canvas elements—so the line blurs on purpose.
| Tool | As an overlay | As a canvas element |
|---|---|---|
| Card Deck | Floats for everyone to see | Sits on the board at a position you choose |
| Embed | Spotlighted full-screen | Placed and resized like an image |
| Ambient Media | — | Lives on the canvas as a looping visual or sound source |
| Timer | Always an overlay | — |
| Prompt | Always an overlay | — |
Rule of thumb: if you want something pinned to a spot on the board (so it travels with that part of the canvas), place it as an element. If you want it front and center for everyone right now, use the overlay.
Why This Matters
Knowing which is which saves you confusion in three common moments:
- Saving templates — Templates capture the board's canvas elements and its default space/audio mode—but not transient session state. Your shapes and the stickies from a sticky bank come along; a running timer or a live breakout doesn't. (Board Templates)
- Setting permissions — In a live session, participants can create canvas elements, but only facilitators and hosts control session tools.
- Planning a session — A good plan layers elements (what's on the board) with tools (how the room flows). Kola AI can help you build both.
Quick Reference
CANVAS ELEMENTS TOOLS
(things on the board) (how you run the session)
───────────────── ──────────────────────────
Sticky notes Timer ............ overlay
Text Prompt ........... overlay
Shapes Space modes ...... session
Images Audio modes ...... session
Embeds ←──┐ Breakout rooms ... session
Card decks ←──┼──── Kola AI .......... session
Ambient media ←──┘ Session capture .. session
Sticky banks (↑ these can also
Screen share place elements)
Related Guides
- Kolab Overview: The Building Blocks - How every concept fits together
- Canvas Elements Guide - Every element in detail
- Board Templates - What gets saved (and what doesn't)
- AI Agenda Builder - Plan elements and tools with Kola AI