# Work with Canvas

To integrate Open CTI with external applications that require authentication methods, such as signed requests or OAuth 2.0 protocols, Salesforce recommends that you use Canvas.

:::important
Open CTI for Lightning Experience doesn’t support Canvas.
:::

Canvas and Open CTI are similar—they’re a set of tools and JavaScript APIs that developers can use to add third-party systems to Salesforce. However, one of the benefits of Canvas, is the ability to choose authentication methods.

:::note
For a canvas app to appear in a Salesforce console, you must add it to the console as a custom console component. For more information, see the *Canvas Developer Guide*.
:::

When developing a canvas app, and you want to include functionality from Open CTI, do the following:

- Include the Open CTI API in `index.jsp`.
- Call `Sfdc.canvas.client.signedrequest()` to store the signed request needed by the console integration toolkit API. For example, if the Canvas method of authentication is a signed request, do the following:

  ```javascript
  Sfdc.canvas.client.signedrequest('<%=signedRequest%>')
  ```

  If the Canvas method of authentication is OAuth, do the following in the callback function used to get the context, as shown in the *Canvas Developer Guide*:

  ```javascript
  Sfdc.canvas.client.signedrequest(msg)
  ```

Consider the following when working with Open CTI and canvas apps:

- The Open CTI API script depends on the signed request and should be added after the call to `Sfdc.canvas.client.signedrequest()` has executed. We recommend that you load the scripts dynamically.

- To retrieve the entity ID of the record that is associated with the canvas sidebar component, do the following:

  ```javascript
  // Get signedRequest
  var signedRequest = Sfdc.canvas.client.signedrequest();
  var parsedRequest = JSON.parse(signedRequest);
  // get the entity Id that is associated with this canvas sidebar component.
  var entityId = parsedRequest.context.environment.parameters.entityId;
  ```

- To retrieve the `entityId` for OAuth, do the following:

  ```javascript
  var entityId = msg.payload.environment.parameters.entityId;
  ```

  To see an example on how to retrieve `msg.payload`, see the *Canvas Developer Guide*.