Canvas Developer Guide

Getting Started
Introducing Canvas
Canvas Scenarios
Where Canvas Apps Appear
Supported Browsers
Supported Salesforce Editions
User Permissions Required
User Interface Considerations
Canvas App Process
Canvas Personal Apps
Canvas Personal App Process
Enabling Canvas Personal Apps within an Organization
Making an App a Canvas Personal App
Uninstalling a Canvas Personal App
Quick Start
Quick Start—Advanced
Using Canvas
Reference
PDF

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Canvas Personal Apps

Canvas personal apps let you create connected apps that are designed specifically for end users across orgs. With a canvas personal app, you make your own app available for installation without relying on org admins for distribution.

In Spring ’26, the ability to create new connected apps is disabled by default. We recommend using external client apps for all new Canvas integrations. To enable creation of new connected apps, contact Salesforce Customer Support.

Note

Admins can install canvas apps, and developers can create canvas personal apps that end users can install themselves.

End users install and use canvas personal apps right from the Chatter tab (provided that they have appropriate permissions in Salesforce). When end users install the app, they’re prompted to allow the app to use their Salesforce data.

Creating a canvas personal app is similar to creating any canvas app, except that:

  • Users are prompted to approve or deny a canvas personal app the first time they access the app, regardless of whether you used OAuth or signed request as the access method. This is because initial access triggers the OAuth approval flow. After initial access, users are identified transparently and aren’t prompted for approval or credentials (as long as they are logged in to Salesforce).
  • With a canvas personal app, only the app’s metadata is installed, without the other package components (such as Apex classes and Visualforce components). This facilitates widespread installation of the app, and lets you limit the app’s functionality to only what the end user needs.

For information about managed packages, see Use Managed Packages to Develop Your AppExchange Solution.