What is Canva Import?

Canva import is a feature that lets you take a design you've already built in Canva and use it as a template for automated image generation, without recreating it in a separate editor.

How it works:

1. Design your template in Canva as you normally would
2. Share the design (get a shareable link)
3. Paste the link into a design automation tool that supports Canva import (like Layerre)
4. The tool reads the design structure, identifies layers, and makes them available as dynamic fields
5. You can now generate variants via API or no-code integrations

Why it matters:

Most design automation platforms require you to build templates in their own editors. This means:

• Learning a new tool
• Rebuilding existing designs from scratch
• Maintaining templates in two places (Canva for ideation, the platform for automation)

Canva import eliminates this friction. Your design team keeps working in Canva (the tool they already know), and developers get API access to those designs.

What gets imported:

• Text layers (become text fields)
• Image layers (become image URL fields)
• Shape and background elements
• Colors and typography (overridable via API with Layerre)
• Multi-page designs

Limitations to be aware of:

• Some complex Canva effects may not import perfectly (though fidelity is improving)
• Layer naming in Canva determines the field names in the API
• The source Canva design should be well-organized with clear layer names