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Align, Layout & Connect Canvas Elements

Align, Layout & Connect Canvas Elements

Last updated: May 2026


When you select two or more canvas elements, the edit overlay shows three new dropdowns — Align, Layout, and Connect — that let you arrange and link items precisely without manually dragging each one.

Selecting Multiple Items

Hold Shift and click each element you want to include. You can also Cmd/Ctrl+A to select everything on the board, or drag-select with the cursor.

Align

The Align dropdown gives you precise alignment for the selection:

  • Align left: Alt + L
  • Align center (horizontal): Alt + C
  • Align right: Alt + R
  • Align top: Alt + T
  • Align middle (vertical): Alt + V
  • Align bottom: Alt + B
  • Distribute horizontally: Alt + Shift + H
  • Distribute vertically: Alt + Shift + V

Layout

The Layout dropdown reflows the selected items into a structured arrangement:

  • Grid: Cmd/Ctrl + G
  • Horizontal row: Cmd/Ctrl + Y
  • Vertical stack: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + V
  • Masonry: Cmd/Ctrl + M
  • Orbit (ring around a center point): Cmd/Ctrl + O
  • Orbit with hub: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + O — same ring, but around a new note called "Group" that is connected to every item
  • Normalize size: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + U — match the dimensions of compatible items

Orbit works best with 4+ elements — try it for visual brainstorm maps or to highlight a central concept surrounded by supporting ideas. Orbit with hub does the same thing and labels it: double-click the centre note to rename it from "Group" to whatever the cluster is.

Connect

The Connect dropdown draws lines between the selected items:

  • In sequence: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L — connect items in their visual order
  • To hub: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + H — connect items to a central hub item
  • As loop: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E — connect items in a closed loop

Use Cases

  • Tidy up a row of images or notes precisely without dragging each one
  • Arrange ideas in a ring layout for a brainstorm centered on one concept
  • Group a loose pile of items under one named heading in a single click with Orbit with hub
  • Create a flowchart by connecting related elements in sequence
  • Clean up a dense board by aligning columns and rows of content quickly

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