Canva Integration

Designs created in Canva can be published directly into a Xibo Layout without having to leave the Canva dashboard.

There are two ways to integrate Canva with the Xibo CMS:

The Xibo Canva App allows exporting designs directly into the CMS Library or into a Layout, with additional features available.
The Canva Publish option provides a way to send designs directly into a Layout.

Xibo Canva App

Install the Xibo App from the Canva’s Apps marketplace.
Once installed, click on the app from the left hand navigation menu to open the Xibo App panel.

You will be asked to ‘Connect’ the first time you publish to Xibo or if you haven’t published to Xibo in a while.

Connecting Canva to the Xibo CMS

Click Connect, to open the Xibo popup.

The URL should be “canva.xibosignage.com” with the padlock icon present, to denote a secure connection.

Enter your full CMS URL, including https://
Click Connect and follow the connection steps for your CMS below.

Xibo Cloud hosted CMS

Clicking Connect will take you directly to your CMS and ask you to login.
Click Approve to grant Canva full access.

On-premise CMS

You will be prompted to enter a Client ID and Client Secret into the Connect to Xibo popup. To get these credentials:

Login to your CMS as a Super Administrator User and navigate to the Applications page to access the Canva Connector.
Tick Authorisation Code.
Tick Is Confidential.
Enter https://canva.xibosignage.com/complete in the New Redirect URI field.
From the Sharing tab, tick Access to Library, Layouts, Playlists, Widgets and Resolutions for Scopes.
Make a note of the Client ID and Client Secret.
Click to Save.
Enter the Client ID and Client Secret into the Connect to Xibo popup.
Click Register.

Once you have registered you will be taken back to your CMS to complete the approval to grant Canva access.

Xibo Canva App Features

Once connected, the Xibo Canva App provides a set of features to help you publish and reuse content from your CMS. These features are organised into two main tabs:

Publish Tab

The Publish tab is where you send your Canva designs to the Xibo CMS:

Export your design either as a complete Layout or as a Media file to save in the CMS Library, to give flexibility in how the content is later used.
Open the connected Xibo CMS directly from Canva to quickly view and manage the designs you have published.

Import Tab

The Import tab is where you can bring media from your Xibo CMS into Canva:

Browse through existing CMS media assets, use the search bar to find what you need and upload selected items into your Canva workspace so they can be added directly to your design.

Publishing a Design as a Layout or to the Media Library

From the Xibo App panel, go to the Publish tab.
From the Destination dropdown, select from Publish as Layout or Publish to Library.
Click Continue to export.

The Canva export panel will open for the following configuration steps:

Select a File type: JPG or PNG
Adjust the Size and Quality sliders as needed
Use the Select pages dropdown to choose which pages to include
Once ready, click Export to begin publishing.
After export is complete, a success message will appear with a link to view the design.
Select Click here to View, Canva will show a confirmation that you are leaving the site to open the Xibo CMS.
Click Continue to view the exported design in the CMS.
If the design was exported as a Layout, you will be taken to the Layout Editor.
If the design was exported to the Library, you will be taken to the media file’s preview page.

When exporting multiple pages to the Library, the preview page will only display the first image. Each page is saved as a separate media file and can be found in the Media grid under the Library section of the main CMS menu.

Uploading Images from CMS to Canva

Once the Xibo App has been successfully connected to your CMS, the Import tab will automatically load media from the CMS Media Library and display it in a grid.

Use the search bar at the top to quickly locate specific images.
Add an image to your design by dragging the image directly from the grid onto the Canva page.
Or by clicking the image to upload to your Canva Library and automatically insert into the current active design page.

Canva doesn’t allow the Xibo App to delete or overwrite items in your Canva Media Library. If you want to manage or remove files, you’ll need to do it manually from the Uploads panel. If you click or drag the same image again in the Xibo App, it will be reuploaded as a new file, even if it already exists in your Canva Library.

Canva Publish Option

From your Canva dashboard complete the following steps:

Select Create a Design.
Select Presentation 1920x1080 or create a custom size to match your intended display screen resolution.
Create and save your content using Canva.
Once saved, click the Share button in the top right hand corner of the screen.
Click See all.
Enter Xibo into the How would you like to publish? search field.

Once entered Xibo will appear within the Recommended list for future selection.

Click Connect.
If this is your first time connecting to Xibo from the Share menu, the same connection steps outlined in the Connecting Canva to the Xibo CMS section will apply.

Publishing to Xibo

Once approved, use the dropdown to select which file type to use.
Click to Save

Once successfully saved, you can continue editing your current design in Canva, return to your Canva homepage or go directly to the Layout by clicking on View in Xibo.

FAQs:

Q: What file formats can be published to Xibo?

A: Currently JPG and PNG image formats can be published to Xibo. We are working with the Canva team to offer more formats in the future!

Q: What about white labelling?

A: Unfortunately the Canva app cannot be white labelled.

Q: What CMS version is Canva integration available from?

A: Integration is available from Xibo CMS v3.0.3 and from v2.3.12.

Q: Can you just upload an image from Canva to Xibo rather than creating a new layout with each design?

A: We had to choose from one or the other, so we went for the full layout reason being it’s easier to delete the layout than it is to create it.

Q: I have an error message in Canva “Problem publishing design”?

A: If a User deletes the standard “1080p HD Landscape / 1080p HD Portrait” resoultions within their CMS, the User publishing from Canva will need to have Feature access/Permission to create resolutions in order to successfully publish.

Q: Where can I get support with the Canva app?

A: If you are a Xibo Cloud hosting customer then please open a Ticket via My Account. If you are self-hosting/on-prem then please create a topic in the Get Help section on the Xibo Community.

Q: Can I connect an on-premise CMS?

A: Yes you can, but Canva and the Xibo Canva app need access to your CMS over HTTPS to publish your designs. If your CMS is only available via HTTP, or on a private network, it will not be possible to use the app.

Q: I’m getting the following Canva connection error {"error":"invalid_client","error_description":"Client authentication failed","message":"Client authentication failed"} ?

A: The error message indicates incorrect client information, manually correct your CMS credentials by visiting this link: Register | Xibo Canva Connector