OpenAI's side-by-side editing surface inside ChatGPT -- draft, edit, and run code in a shared workspace instead of chat scrollback.
ChatGPT Canvas opens a side-by-side panel next to the conversation so you and the model can edit the same document or codebase together. Instead of copying output out of chat, you highlight inline, ask for a targeted rewrite, or run Python directly in the canvas. It is the single biggest UX change to ChatGPT since launch and the feature that made it viable for long-form writing and real coding sessions.
Who it's for: Anyone drafting long-form content, refactoring code, or iterating on a document where copy-paste between chat and editor was the bottleneck.
Highlight any passage and ask for a rewrite, tone change, or expansion without losing the rest of the doc.
Python executes directly in the canvas with visible output -- iterate on scripts without leaving the tab.
Roll back to any earlier version of the document with one click.
/suggest edits, /adjust length, /change reading level -- structured edits without re-prompting.
One surface handles prose, Markdown, and executable code with the same editing grammar.
Share a canvas link so a teammate can watch or edit alongside the model.
If you already pay for ChatGPT Plus, this is the feature that justifies it. For writing and code iteration inside one surface, nothing else in OpenAI's lineup comes close. Teams that live in Google Docs will still prefer Gemini's Workspace integration; everyone else should try the canvas first.