I have been using ChatGPT 5.4 for about 8 months, and there is a really useful feature that lets me use a split-screen view with an open chat on one side and my prompt document on the other. Please see the attached image.
My workflow is as follows:
I add my prompt to the document, then ask ChatGPT to generate a blog post based on it - for example, a post about depression → I review the generated content and ask ChatGPT to update any sections that need improvement → It then gives me suggestions for updating my prompt, which I manually add while the Canvas document remains open.
Currently, I keep the Canvas document on the right side of the screen and the chat containing the suggestions on the left. This makes it very easy to copy the suggestions, paste them into my document, and review the result again. I use this workflow for several hours every day because the generated content is closely tied to the prompt document in that specific chat.
Unfortunately, according to the latest update, this feature will be removed on July 23. Instead, the Canvas document will only appear at the top of the chat and will no longer remain visible on the side. In a very long conversation, it would be extremely inconvenient to scroll back to the top every time I need to access the document.
The only alternative I have found is to use a split-screen view with two separate chats. However, I need the prompt document to remain attached to the same chat in which I request content generation and updates, so that the changes are based on that document. Keeping it open in a separate window or chat would not work for my workflow.
Is there another way to keep the Canvas document permanently visible beside the chat?
I constantly work on both sides: in the chat and in the Canvas document on the right. I need the document to remain open at all times because I frequently update it, and those changes affect future responses generated in the chat. That is why the document needs to stay connected to the same chat.
Same for me. I make extensive use of Canvas and writing blocks just don’t serve me in the same way – they just get lost in the dialogue.
I’m currently researching other AI platforms with Canvas-like features, and as soon as I find one I like I’ll be reluctantly jumping ship.
I mean reluctant too, as I have a lot of chats and saved work in my account, with multiple projects and files. I even feel a little bit attached to the communication style of ChatGPT over (for example) Claude.
I’d rather not leave, but if I don’t find a replacement my workflow will grind to a halt.
I just tried claude - it has that canvas system (Artifacts) - its kinda working that way, but it generates me super slow, I cant manually update my document, i still need to ask Claude to update selected section.
Also I butned my daily limit in claude in like 10 min)))
meanwhile with chat GPT I can work unlimited for hours for the whole month with 20$.
So Chat GPT is a win for me, but I feel you brother. They need to bring back that document.
Mistral Vibe has a canvas tool, but it isn’t as good as you still need to scroll back in the chat to reactivate it.
Gemini has one, but I haven’t tested it properly as you cannot resize the chat window in the same way.
I’ve discovered in Codex that you can open a new .md markdown document in a panel, but that doesn’t give you the same scope for text formatting – I am yet to test it on any longform writing content.
I might still use Chat gpt. But I will open document in the new tab and then split screen it with my chat tab - so I will have 2 different tabs of chat GPT - but split view in my chrome so I can look at both of them at the same time.
I will just make sure that my chat is reffered to that Document that I am aiming to update. Will test it today and will let you know
Well I can report back that Gemini’s version is awful – first it didn’t follow my commands to update the text, and then it did it (after two attempts at prompting), and then, when it failed again, it told me that it didn’t have the capability of doing that.
I said “but you did it just now”, and it apologised for letting me down! 
DUUUUDE, its 24 of July
it says in chat that I selected 5.6 Sol and still have my sidebar Document.
That looks promising, but did you create the canvas with 5.6 or was it already open?
If it’s the latter, then maybe someone listened!
I created it with 5.4 before =))
There are no such feature with 5.5 or above
I just tried it in 5.6 latest - didnt work =(
it seems like I need to make 10 different chats with 5.3 with document in case I will need that canvas document in the future
I started a new chat and asked it to produce a “lorem ipsum” word block for testing. It did.
I then opened two instances of Chrome: on the right side of my monitor I expanded the word block, on the left side I opened the chat. I’m using a 27" screen, which is helpful.
Typing into chat, I asked it to edit the word block (capitalise all the headers) all it did was replicate it and create a new word block.
However, if I edited the word block inline, by highlighting the relevant text" it edited it as request, and gave me a choice to commit the changes. It also allowed some small word processor-like direct edits (like bold etc.)
I’m not sure how useful that will be moving forwards at is still lacks the ability for direct conversational edits in the chat window.
I also saved the writing block to my library, but could not open it in any other chat, or edit it with any form of chat (like you can with images), just the inline highlighting method.
I’m finding it hit and miss – opening a new chat doesn’t guarantee 5.3 to be available. Some efforts have given me 5.5 as the lowest, and others as 5.3. There seems to be no consistency. 
