Preview canvas objects

Preview follows the item you opened. Workspace members can open a selected canvas object beside Object Chat in a full-screen split view. Guests and external collaborators see the shared preview available to them. Files, links, media, and chat or comment attachments open in a focused preview, or through the device's normal app when needed.

A file may remain downloadable even when Preview is unavailable. Use the actions shown on the object to preview, download, or open it elsewhere.

Availability and permissions

Open the preview that matches the item

Select a supported canvas object and choose Preview from the Element menu, inline toolbar, or its visible preview action. Workspace members open the selected object beside Object Chat in the full-screen split view. Guests and external collaborators use the shared preview available to them.

Opening a supported file, link, media item, or chat/comment attachment uses a focused preview instead. Desktop can keep that preview in a floating window. On mobile, files and links open through the device's browser or normal file-opening flow.

If Preview is missing, the object can still be valid. It may be a type that does not support in-canvas preview, a pending upload, a generated result that has not finished, a file blocked by retention or storage policy, or an object you can see but cannot inspect in detail.

When a file was just uploaded, wait a moment, then reopen the menu.

Know what ALLO stores, shows, and opens

Not every uploaded file can open inside ALLO. When Preview is unavailable, you may still be able to use Download and open the original file in another app.

See Preview, open, and download files for supported formats and size limits. Unsupported formats and files above a preview limit remain download-only when your permission allows it.

Preview ZIP archives

ZIP Preview shows a bounded inventory of folders and files, including entry names, sizes, and the archive count. It reads central-directory metadata only. It never decompresses or opens entries.

The preview accepts archives up to 20 MB and shows at most 2,000 entries. ZIP64, invalid, or oversized archives can stay download-only or show an unavailable or limit state. Encrypted entries and unsafe paths are flagged in the inventory. Download remains the action for the original archive.

If you ask AI about a ZIP, ALLO can use only the archive manifest: names, sizes, counts, and safety flags. It cannot read or claim the contents of an entry. Download the archive and open the needed file outside ALLO when you need its contents.

Move, resize, maximize, and close file or attachment previews

On desktop, previews for files, links, media, and chat or comment attachments can use a floating window. You can drag it by the header, resize it from edges or corners, bring it to the front, maximize it, restore it, and close it. The window remembers its last desktop position, size, and maximize state.

Use this when a file or attachment needs to stay beside other work. For example, keep an attachment open while reading a chat thread or compare a linked file against nearby notes.

Selected canvas objects open beside Object Chat in the full-screen split view instead of this floating window.

On mobile, files and links open through the device's browser or normal file-opening flow. The desktop drag, resize, and maximize controls do not apply.

Preview images

Image preview is built for pixel inspection. It can show a larger version of the selected image, provide zoom and pan behavior, navigate through nearby images, rotate or flip in the viewer when available, and download when allowed.

Image preview focuses on the image itself so you can inspect details, compare nearby images, and save the image when allowed.

If an image first looks blurry, wait for it to finish loading before checking its quality.

For crop, replace, remove background, restore image, and image review workflows, see Work with image objects.

Preview PDFs and Office or HWP documents

PDF preview shows document pages and provides page navigation, a page sidebar when available, zoom controls, fit-to-screen, reset zoom, text selection, and clickable PDF links when the document supports them.

Supported Office and HWP documents can open in the same document viewer. Some formats can appear on the canvas but cannot open in Preview. Check Preview, open, and download files for current support. To turn a document into an editable review canvas, use Import PDF and Office files.

If the document viewer is still loading, wait for the first page to appear before trying again.

Preview Illustrator and Photoshop files

You can preview supported Illustrator and Photoshop files without changing the original design file.

An Illustrator .ai file opens in the document viewer only when it was saved with Create PDF Compatible File enabled. It uses the same page and zoom controls as a PDF. Text selection and clickable links depend on what the Illustrator file contains. Without PDF compatibility, the file remains download-only.

A Photoshop .psd or .psb file opens as a flattened preview of the design. You can zoom and pan to inspect it, but you cannot view or edit individual layers, masks, text, smart objects, or effects. Download returns the original layered Photoshop file.

If Preview is unavailable for an Illustrator file, wait for the upload to finish and try again. If a Photoshop file still does not open, use Download and open the original in Photoshop or another compatible design app.

Preview video and audio

Video preview opens a player with visible playback controls. Audio preview opens an audio player and can show waveform-style playback when waveform data exists. Generated audio may include transcript text or a saved playback speed when the result carries that data.

Starting one audio preview can pause other non-sound-effect audio in the canvas. This prevents multiple recordings, generated audio, or audio previews from playing over each other.

If the browser blocks autoplay with sound, use the visible Play control. If a media file fails but Download is available, download can help confirm whether the source file itself still works.

Preview text, Markdown, HTML, JSON, and CSV

Recognized text, code, configuration, data, subtitle, and exchange-text files can open in a readable preview. Markdown files show a formatted preview and a source-code view. HTML files offer desktop, mobile, and source-code views. JSON files are formatted for easier reading.

Preview is for the "is this the right file?" check, not for working through a large text dump or spreadsheet. When a text or tabular file exceeds its viewer limit, download it and use the editor or spreadsheet app you normally trust for that kind of file.

CSV preview opens a scrollable table. Wide files scroll horizontally so columns stay readable. If the CSV is too large or needs real spreadsheet analysis, download it or use the source spreadsheet app.

HTML opens in a protected preview. Links in the file may open outside the preview.

Preview links, websites, YouTube, and embeds

Website links can show a preview card with a title, image, and Open link action. Supported media links, such as YouTube, can play inside ALLO when the source allows it.

Not every website allows an in-app preview. Some sites require sign-in or must open in their own page. In those cases, use Open link.

Use Open link when you need the original site. The external site controls its own login, permissions, cookies, paywalls, and playback restrictions. ALLO canvas access does not grant access to that external service.

For adding and reviewing external references, see Use links and YouTube embeds.

Preview generated output

AI Studio and other generation flows can create canvas objects that appear as pending placeholders first. During generation or file processing, preview, download, edit, replace, and object-specific actions can be disabled.

Wait for the placeholder to finish before treating missing preview as an error. If the result is a webpage-style preview, inspect links, layout, claims, and visible text before sharing it with teammates. If the output is wrong, revise or regenerate it before using it as a reviewed artifact.

If a generated output stays pending, refresh the canvas and check whether the placeholder still exists before submitting the same request again. See Review AI output and share web pages for generated result review, and AI result not right when the finished output needs another pass.

Preview versus Download versus Open link

Use Preview to inspect content without losing canvas context. Use Download to save a file to your device. Use Open link to leave ALLO and open the original external page.

These controls can appear independently. A PDF may preview and download. A shared file may preview while download is blocked. A website may have Open link but no download action. A YouTube embed may preview inline when supported and still offer Open link for the original YouTube page.

When a client or guest says they can see a file but cannot download it, check sharing restrictions before assuming a file failure. Preview permission and download permission are intentionally separate in some shared workflows.

Collaborate while previewing

Object Preview helps people inspect material without breaking the canvas conversation. Keep the preview open while reading surrounding notes, then add comments to the object or nearby canvas area. If feedback belongs to the file, image, video, or link itself, use an object comment. If feedback belongs to the whole page, use a page comment. See Comments and mentions for the full review flow.

For reviews, ask people to use direct object links when they need someone to inspect a specific item. Use Copy link from the object menu when available. For sharing broader access, use Share a canvas.

If the preview contains sensitive material, check canvas access before inviting external people. Anyone with access to the object may be able to inspect it according to their role and workspace policy.

What can go wrong

Preview is missing. Check whether the upload or generated result has finished, whether you have access, and whether the format supports Preview. Unsupported formats are download-only.

Preview opens but content fails. Refresh the canvas, wait for processing, then try again. If Download is available, download can confirm whether the source file still exists.

If a PDF or supported Office/HWP document exceeds its preview limit, use Download when allowed. Preview, open, and download files lists the current limits.

If text or CSV preview is too large, download the file or use a dedicated app. Preview is for inspection, not heavy data work.

If an embedded website fails, use Open link. Many sites block embedding on purpose.

The wrong object opens. Close preview, select the object again, and open the element menu from the object boundary. Dense canvases make nearby-object selection mistakes common.