Last updated: · 11 min read
Lossless markdown import and export — portability without trapping prose in a proprietary graph.
Markdown is human-readable, diff-friendly, and tool-agnostic. Canvas round-trips blocks to markdown so you can archive, publish, or migrate without a one-way export — the document stays yours even if you leave Inkwell.
Prefer clean markdown with clear heading hierarchy (H1/H2 for parts and chapters). Import into Canvas, name a save point immediately, then fix any edge blocks the importer flags. Do not treat the first import as disposable — treat it as the start of named history.
Stay in Canvas for collaboration, save points, and block-aware skills. Export markdown when you need git, a static site generator, a LaTeX pipeline, or an offline archive. Exports are snapshots — the canonical collaborative doc remains the Canvas document unless you deliberately switch tools.
Complex embeds may export as marked sections. Check the changelog for what round-trips cleanly today — don’t assume every Notion-style widget survives markdown unchanged.
If a workflow depends on a proprietary embed, keep a save point before export and verify the re-import on a draft line before you delete the source.
Yes for many workflows — export, edit, re-import. Real-time dual editing in two tools is not recommended without named save points on each side.
Round-trip fidelity is a Canvas launch requirement. Early access may ship progressive coverage — use the changelog and Canvas FAQ for the current supported subset.
Docs export is often a one-way handoff into another silo. Canvas aims for structured import and export so headings and lists survive as blocks you can still version and skill over — not a flattened paste.
