How to integrate Canva MCP with Claude Agent SDK

This guide walks you through connecting Canva to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Canva agent that can create a new instagram post design, list your brand templates for social use, start a folder for this project’s assets through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Canva account through Composio's Canva MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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Canva is a drag-and-drop design suite for creating professional graphics, presentations, and marketing materials. It makes it easy for anyone to design with beautiful templates and a vast library of elements.

46 Tools

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Canva to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Canva agent that can create a new instagram post design, list your brand templates for social use, start a folder for this project’s assets through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Canva account through Composio's Canva MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Canva with

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TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Canva
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Canva as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Canva operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

  • Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
  • Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
  • Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

What is the Canva MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Canva MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Canva account. It provides structured and secure access to your Canva designs, templates, folders, assets, and user details, so your agent can create designs, organize projects, manage assets, and collaborate on feedback for you.

  • Automated design creation and asset integration: Direct your agent to generate new Canva designs using templates or custom dimensions, and add assets from your projects automatically.
  • Seamless folder and project organization: Have the agent create user or subfolders to keep your Canva projects structured and easily accessible.
  • Asset management and cleanup: Let your agent fetch upload statuses, manage, or delete assets by ID, helping you keep your design library up to date.
  • Collaborative design feedback: Empower your agent to add comments or reply within designs, making it easy to facilitate feedback and teamwork directly in Canva.
  • User and team information retrieval: Quickly obtain user or team details, allowing your agent to personalize interactions and automate workflows based on your Canva account info.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Step by step09 STEPS
1

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
  • A Canva account
  • Some knowledge of Python
2

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.
3

Install dependencies

npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk @composio/core dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

  • @composio/core provides Composio integration for Anthropic
  • @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
  • dotenv/config loads environment variables
4

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude
5

Import dependencies

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

dotenv.config();
What's happening:
  • We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
  • The dotenv.config() function loads environment variables from your .env file
  • This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Canva functionality
6

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

  // Create Tool Router session for Canva
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['canva'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session?.mcp.url;
What's happening:
  • The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
  • We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
  • The create method creates a Tool Router session for Canva
  • The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use
7

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

const options: Options = {
  permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
  mcpServers: {
    composio: {
      type: 'http',
      url: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
    }
  },
  systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Canva tools via Composio.',
  maxTurns: 10,
};
What's happening:
  • We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
  • permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions' allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
  • The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Canva
  • maxTurns: 10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage
8

Create client and start chat loop

const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}
What's happening:
  • The readline interface is created to handle user input and output
  • The query function is used to send the user's input to the agent
  • The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'
9

Run the application

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}
What's happening:
  • The chat function is the entry point for the application
  • The try-catch block is used to handle any errors that occur

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Canva and Claude Agent SDK:

import 'dotenv/config';
import readline from 'node:readline';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { query, type Options } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";

async function chat() {
  const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;
  if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
    throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
  }

  const composio = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });
  const session = await composio.create(USER_ID, {
    toolkits: ['canva']
  });
  const mcp_url = session?.mcp.url;

  const options: Options = {
    permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions',
    mcpServers: {
      composio: {
        type: 'http',
        url: mcp_url,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': COMPOSIO_API_KEY }
      }
    },
    systemPrompt: 'You are a helpful assistant with access to Canva tools via Composio.',
    maxTurns: 10,
  };

  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: '
  });

  console.log('\nChat started. Type "exit" to quit.\n');

  let isProcessing = false;

  async function ask(prompt: string) {
    isProcessing = true;
    rl.pause();

    process.stdout.write('Claude is thinking...');
    const stream = query({ prompt, options });

    let firstChunk = true;
    for await (const msg of stream) {
      const content = (msg as any).message?.content || (msg as any).content;
      if (Array.isArray(content)) {
        for (const block of content) {
          if (block.type === 'text' && block.text) {
            if (firstChunk) {
              process.stdout.write('\r\x1b[K');
              process.stdout.write('Claude: ');
              firstChunk = false;
            }
            process.stdout.write(block.text);
          }
        }
      }
    }
    process.stdout.write('\n\n');

    isProcessing = false;
    rl.resume();
    rl.prompt();
  }

  rl.on('line', async (line) => {
    if (isProcessing) return;

    const input = line.trim();
    if (input === 'exit') {
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }
    if (input) await ask(input);
    else rl.prompt();
  });

  await ask('What can you help me with?');
}

try {
  await chat();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
  process.exit(1);
}

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Canva through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

  • Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
  • Streaming responses for real-time interaction
  • Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.
TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Canva action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Access user specific brand templates list

Lists brand templates available to the user (Canva Enterprise only).

Create Asset Upload Job

Uploads an asset file to the user's Canva content library.

Create comment reply in design

This preview API allows replying to comments within a design on Canva, with a limit of 100 replies per comment.

Create design comment in preview api

Creates a new comment thread on a Canva design.

Create Design Import Job

Imports an external file as a new Canva design.

Create Design Resize Job

Creates a resized copy of an existing design (Canva Pro/Enterprise only).

Create URL Asset Upload Job

Tool to create an asynchronous Canva asset import job from a public URL.

Delete asset by id

You can delete an asset by specifying its `assetId`.

Exchange oauth 2 0 access or refresh token

The OAuth 2.

Fetch asset upload job status

Polls for asset upload job completion status.

Fetch canva connect signing public keys

The API for verifying Canva webhooks, 'connect/keys,' is in preview, meaning unstable, not for public integrations, and provides a rotating JWK for signature verification to prevent replay attacks.

Fetch current user details

Returns the User ID, Team ID, and display name of the user account associated with the provided access token.

Fetch design metadata and access information

Gets the metadata for a design.

Get design comment thread replies

Retrieves a list of replies for a comment or suggestion thread on a design.

Get specific design comment reply

Retrieves a specific reply to a comment or suggestion thread on a design.

Get design export job result

Polls for design export job completion status.

Get designs designid comments threadid

Retrieves metadata for a comment or suggestion thread on a design.

Get design export formats

Lists available file formats for exporting a design.

Get URL asset upload job status

Tool to retrieve the status and result of a URL-based asset upload job.

Get URL import job status

Polls for URL import job completion status.

Get user capabilities

Lists the API capabilities for the user account associated with the provided access token.

Initiate canva design autofill job

Upcoming brand template ID updates require migration within 6 months.

List design pages with pagination

Preview API for Canva: subject to unannounced changes and not for public integrations.

List folder items by type with sorting

Lists the items in a folder, including each item's `type`.

List User Designs

Provides a summary of Canva user designs, includes search filtering, and allows showing both self-created and shared designs with sorting options.

Move item to specified folder

Transfers an item to a different folder by specifying both the destination folder's ID and the item's ID.

Create new Canva design

Creates a new Canva design with preset type or custom dimensions.

Post designs designid comments

Creates a comment thread on a Canva design.

Create reply to comment thread

Tool to create a reply to a comment or suggestion thread on a Canva design.

Start design export job

Starts a new asynchronous job to export a Canva design file.

Create folder

Tool to create a folder in Canva.

Create URL Import Job

Tool to start an asynchronous job to import an external file from a URL as a new design in Canva.

Remove folder and move contents to trash

Deletes a folder by moving the user's content to Trash and reassigning other users' content to their top-level projects.

Retrieve app public key set

Returns the Json Web Key Set (public keys) of an app.

Retrieve asset metadata by id

You can retrieve the metadata of an asset by specifying its `assetId`.

Retrieve brand template dataset definition

Canva's brand template IDs will change later this year, including a 6-month integration migration.

Retrieve canva enterprise brand template metadata

Upcoming update will change brand template IDs; integrations must migrate within 6 months.

Retrieve design autofill job status

API users with Canva Enterprise membership can retrieve design autofill job results, potentially requiring multiple requests until a `success` or `failed` status is received.

Retrieve design import job status

Polls for design import job completion status.

Retrieve Design Resize Job Status

Retrieves the status and results of a design resize job.

Retrieve folder details by id

Gets the name and other details of a folder using a folder's `folderID`.

Retrieveuserprofiledata

Currently, this returns the display name of the user account associated with the provided access token.

Revoke oauth tokens

Revoke a refresh token to end its lineage and user consent, requiring re-authentication.

Update asset s name and tags by id

You can update the name and tags of an asset by specifying its `assetId`.

Update folder details by id

Updates a folder's details using its `folderID`.

Validate oauth token properties

Check an access token's validity and properties via introspection, requiring authentication.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Canva MCP Agent with another framework

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ChatGPT

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Claude Code logo

Claude Code

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Claude Cowork logo

Claude Cowork

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Codex logo

Codex

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Cursor logo

Cursor

Use Canva MCP with Cursor

OpenClaw logo

OpenClaw

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Hermes logo

Hermes

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CLI logo

CLI

Use Canva MCP with CLI

Google ADK logo

Google ADK

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LangChain logo

LangChain

Use Canva MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK logo

Vercel AI SDK

Use Canva MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI logo

Mastra AI

Use Canva MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Use Canva MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI logo

CrewAI

Use Canva MCP with CrewAI

OpenCode logo

OpenCode

Use Canva MCP with OpenCode

VS Code logo

VS Code

Use Canva MCP with VS Code

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

With a standalone Canva MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Canva tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Canva and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Canva tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Canva scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Canva data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar — it shows the commitment you need when users rely on your software.

Harsha Gaddipati
Harsha Gaddipati
Co-founder, Slashy

A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it's immensely helped keep new users on the platform.

Abhi Arya
Abhi Arya
Co-founder, Opennote

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered — niche tools and tricky edge cases other platforms simply ignored. That gave us confidence to scale without compromising.

Nirman Dave
Nirman Dave
CEO, Zams

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down managing agent auth would have been a death sentence.

Ryan Yu
Ryan Yu
Founder, Extra Thursday

Before Composio, adding tool integrations was slow and resource-intensive. Each one could take weeks of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Tomisin Jenrola
Tomisin Jenrola
Founder & CEO, SwarmZero

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Jerome Leclanche
Jerome Leclanche
Co-Founder, Ingram Technologies