Use the minimap

The minimap gives you a small overview of a freeform whiteboard. Use it when the canvas has grown beyond the area you can understand from the current zoom level: research clusters, system maps, workshop zones, large sticky-note groups, or long-running canvases with material spread across the space.

The minimap is for freeform whiteboards only. Page canvases use page navigation, slide rail thumbnails, and overview instead because their structure is a sequence of pages rather than one open space.

Availability and permissions

What the minimap shows

The minimap represents the current canvas envelope: the area of the freeform whiteboard you can pan through. It draws simplified marks for canvas objects and a viewport marker for the area you are currently seeing.

The object marks are intentionally simple. They are not thumbnails, labels, comments, or a complete object list. They are there to show shape and distribution: where clusters are, where the current viewport sits, and whether the canvas has content far away from your current view.

The viewport marker changes as you pan and zoom. Zoom in and the marker becomes smaller because you are seeing a smaller part of the canvas. Zoom out and it grows because more of the canvas is visible at once.

Use the minimap to navigate

Look at the minimap first when you feel lost. Find the densest object cluster, the empty space between clusters, or the part of the canvas that matches where you want to go.

When direct minimap interaction is available, click or drag inside the minimap to recenter the viewport around that area. ALLO routes the movement through the same zoom and pan system as normal canvas navigation, so pan constraints and saved viewport behavior stay consistent.

After jumping with the minimap, use the hand tool, trackpad, wheel, or touch gestures for smaller adjustments. The minimap is best for big moves. The hand tool is better for reading and inspecting nearby content.

Why page canvases do not use the minimap

A page canvas is not one open whiteboard. It is a stack of pages with page order, titles, page comments, fold state, presentation order, print, and PDF export. A minimap would flatten that structure and make the canvas harder to understand.

Use Slide rail and overview on page canvases. The slide rail shows page thumbnails, unread comment indicators, folded pages, and drag reorder. Overview gives you a contact-sheet view of the whole page flow.

If you want one spatial map instead of page navigation, start with a freeform whiteboard. If you want exportable sections, presentation, and page-level comments, start with a page canvas. See Page canvases and freeform whiteboards.

Use labels with the minimap

The minimap helps you move, but it does not name places. Large freeform whiteboards still need human-readable structure.

Use visible text labels for major zones: Interview notes, Journey map, Risks, Ideas to test, Final decisions, or Parking lot. Use color groups to separate phases or teams. Use comments for unresolved questions. Use sub-canvases when one area deserves deeper work.

If a canvas has no labels, the minimap can show where content exists, but it cannot tell people what that content means.

Minimap and zoom controls

The minimap sits with zoom controls because zoom and spatial navigation are part of the same job. Use zoom out to understand the surrounding area, use the minimap to jump, then zoom in to work.

On mobile, the minimap is compact. The viewport marker must still update with pan and zoom so it remains useful on a small screen. If you pinch to zoom and the marker does not visibly change, refresh the canvas and try again.

Use reset zoom when you need a predictable view. Freeform whiteboards reset around the current canvas center behavior instead of pretending there is a normal page frame. Page canvases use page-fit behavior because pages have fixed visual bounds.

Collaboration impact

The minimap moves your view. It does not move objects or force collaborators to follow you. Other people may see your cursor or presence elsewhere on the canvas, but they keep their own viewport.

Use the minimap to find where a collaborator is working only when you also have a visual cue, comment link, page link, mention, or shared instruction.

If you need everyone to inspect the same area, send a link, mention them in a comment, or use a live call and explain where to look. For structured review, a page canvas with slide navigation may be better than asking people to roam a large freeform whiteboard.

Export and presentation impact

The minimap does not change export. Freeform whiteboards do not use page-based export, print, or presentation because the canvas does not have fixed pages. The minimap is a live navigation aid, not a way to define an export region.

If you need a PDF or slide presentation, use a page canvas or recreate the relevant freeform whiteboard content on pages. Use the freeform whiteboard for exploration, then move decisions into a page canvas when the work needs a fixed sequence or static handoff.

Examples

For research synthesis, place interview notes in clusters across a freeform whiteboard. Use the minimap to jump between clusters, then zoom in to read notes and resolve comments.

For a system map, keep the whole architecture on one freeform whiteboard. Use the minimap to move between service areas, dependency clusters, and open questions.

For a workshop brainstorm, use the minimap after participants spread out. It helps facilitators find active areas without panning blindly across empty space.

The minimap is missing or misleading

If the minimap is missing, first check whether the canvas is a freeform whiteboard. Page canvases do not show it. Use the slide rail and overview instead.

If the canvas is a freeform whiteboard and the minimap is still missing, wait for the canvas to finish opening, confirm you are not presenting, and check whether your current device or embedded view uses a smaller navigation surface.

If the minimap object marks look stale, wait for recent edits to settle or refresh the canvas. Large canvases and heavy uploads can take a moment to update every navigation surface.

If the minimap makes the canvas look too empty, zoom out on the main canvas and check whether content is spread far apart. The minimap may be telling the truth: the canvas needs labels, tighter clusters, or a cleaner layout.

If clicking the minimap does not move the view, use normal pan and zoom controls. Some contexts may expose the minimap as a passive overview rather than a direct navigation surface.