Canvas Operations

The Campaign Builder canvas provides powerful operations for navigating, selecting, and managing your campaign structures. Master these operations to work efficiently with campaigns of any size, from simple single-campaign structures to complex multi-campaign workflows.

What you’ll learn:

Canvas navigation with zoom and pan
Selection techniques for single and multiple nodes
Grouping and organizing campaign structures
Bulk operations for efficient editing
Keyboard shortcuts and efficiency tips

As your campaign structures grow, effective navigation becomes essential. The canvas provides multiple ways to move around and view your work.

Zoom Controls

Control your view level to see details or get an overview of your entire structure: Zoom In

Click the + button in the toolbar
Scroll up with your mouse wheel
Press Ctrl + (Cmd + on Mac)
Pinch out on trackpad

Use zoom in when you need to see node details, read text, or work on specific configurations. Zoom Out

Click the - button in the toolbar
Scroll down with your mouse wheel
Press Ctrl - (Cmd - on Mac)
Pinch in on trackpad

Use zoom out to see more of your campaign structure and understand relationships between distant nodes. Fit to Screen

Click the Fit button in the toolbar (recommended — works in all browsers)
Press Ctrl 0 (Cmd 0 on Mac), if not captured by the browser
Double-click on empty canvas space

Fit to screen automatically adjusts zoom and position to show your entire campaign structure. This is useful for getting an overview before publishing or when you’ve lost track of where you are on the canvas.

Use the Fit button in the toolbar for reliable fit-to-screen in Chrome and Edge; keyboard shortcuts may be overridden by the browser.

Panning

Move around the canvas to view different areas of your campaign structure: Mouse Panning

Click and drag on empty canvas space
Hold Space and drag anywhere on the canvas
Use middle mouse button and drag

Keyboard Panning

Press Arrow Keys to pan in small increments (may be overridden by browser/OS in Chrome and Edge — use toolbar or Space + drag if so)
Hold Shift + Arrow Keys to pan in larger increments

Trackpad Panning

Two-finger drag to pan
Swipe gestures on supported trackpads

Hold Space and drag to pan even when hovering over nodes. This prevents accidentally selecting or moving nodes while navigating.

Minimap

The minimap in the bottom-right corner shows your entire canvas with a viewport indicator: Using the Minimap

Blue rectangle: Shows your current viewport
Click anywhere: Jump to that area of the canvas
Drag the rectangle: Pan smoothly to different areas
Toggle visibility: Click the minimap icon to show/hide

The minimap is especially useful for large campaign structures where you need to quickly jump between distant areas.

Canvas Reset

If you get lost or your canvas view becomes disoriented:

Press Ctrl 0 (Cmd 0 on Mac) to fit all content
Use the minimap to see where your nodes are located

Selection Operations

Selecting nodes is the foundation for all editing and bulk operations. The canvas provides multiple selection techniques for different scenarios.

Single Selection

Select one node to view or edit its properties: Click Selection

Click any node to select it
Selected node shows a colored border
Previous selection is cleared

Single selection opens the node’s properties panel where you can view and edit its configuration.

Multi-Select

Select multiple nodes to perform bulk operations: Shift + Click

Hold Shift and click nodes one by one
Each clicked node adds to the selection
Click a selected node again to deselect it

Drag Selection Box

Click and drag on empty canvas space
A selection box appears
All nodes within the box are selected when you release

Select All

Press Ctrl A (Cmd A on Mac)
Selects all nodes on the canvas
Useful for bulk operations on entire structures

Use drag selection box for quickly selecting nodes in a specific area. Use Shift + Click when you need to select specific nodes that aren’t close together.

Modify your selection after making an initial selection: Add to Selection

Hold Shift and click additional nodes
Hold Shift and drag a selection box
New nodes are added to existing selection

Remove from Selection

Hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and click selected nodes
Removes individual nodes from selection

Clear Selection

Click on empty canvas space
Press Escape key

Selection Indicators

The canvas uses visual cues to show selection status:

Colored border: Node is selected
Selection count: Toolbar shows “X nodes selected”
Bulk edit panel: Opens when multiple nodes are selected
Connection highlighting: Connections between selected nodes are emphasized

Grouping and Organization

Organize your canvas to keep complex campaign structures manageable and understandable.

Visual Grouping

While the canvas doesn’t have formal grouping features, you can organize nodes visually: Spatial Organization

Position related campaigns near each other
Create visual columns for different campaign types
Use whitespace to separate unrelated structures
Arrange nodes in a grid for consistency

Hierarchical Layout

Position campaigns at the top
Position ad sets in the middle tier
Position ads at the bottom
Maintain consistent vertical spacing

Color Coding

Nodes show different colors based on type
Campaigns: Blue
Ad Sets: Orange
Ads: Purple
Use these colors to quickly identify node types

Organize your canvas with campaigns in rows and their children flowing downward. This creates a clear visual hierarchy that’s easy to scan and understand.

Moving Nodes

Reposition nodes to improve your canvas layout: Single Node Move

Click and drag a node to a new position
Node moves smoothly to the new location
Connections automatically adjust

Multi-Node Move

Select multiple nodes
Click and drag any selected node
All selected nodes move together
Relative positions are maintained

Moving nodes only changes visual layout on the canvas. It doesn’t affect campaign structure, connections, or publishing behavior. Your campaigns publish the same way regardless of where nodes are positioned.

Auto-Layout

The canvas can automatically organize your nodes for better readability: Apply Auto-Layout

Manually arrange nodes in a hierarchical structure
Position campaigns at top, ad sets in middle, ads at bottom
Use consistent spacing and alignment for clarity

Organize your canvas with campaigns in rows and their children flowing downward. This creates a clear visual hierarchy that’s easy to scan and understand.

Bulk Operations

Perform operations on multiple nodes simultaneously to work efficiently at scale.

Bulk Selection for Editing

Select multiple nodes of the same type to edit shared properties:

Select nodes of the same type

Use Shift + Click or drag selection to select multiple campaigns, ad sets, or ads

Bulk edit panel opens

The bulk edit panel shows properties that can be edited for all selected nodes

Edit shared properties

Change values for properties like status, budget, schedule, or targeting

Apply changes

Click Apply to update all selected nodes with the new values

What You Can Bulk Edit: Campaigns

Campaign status (Active, Paused)
Budget amount
Budget type (Daily, Lifetime)
Start and end dates

Ad Sets

Ad set status (Active, Paused)
Schedule (start date, end date)
Bid strategy
Budget (if ad set-level budgets are used)

Ads

Ad status (Active, Paused)
Call-to-action button
Destination URL

You can only bulk edit nodes of the same type. You cannot bulk edit campaigns and ad sets together. Select only campaigns, only ad sets, or only ads for bulk editing.

Bulk Actions from Canvas

Perform common actions on multiple selected nodes: Bulk Copy

Select multiple nodes
Press Ctrl C (Cmd C on Mac)
All selected nodes and their children are copied

Bulk Paste

After copying, press Ctrl V (Cmd V on Mac)
All copied nodes appear as new entities
Existing platform IDs are cleared
Pasted nodes create new entities when published

Bulk Delete

Select multiple nodes
Press Delete key or right-click and choose Delete
All selected nodes and their children are deleted
Confirmation dialog appears for safety

Bulk Duplicate

Select multiple nodes
Copy with Ctrl C (Cmd C on Mac), then paste with Ctrl V (Cmd V on Mac)
Duplicates appear on the canvas
Duplicates have no platform IDs and create new entities when published

Use bulk duplicate when you want to create variations of existing campaigns. Duplicate the structure, then edit specific properties to create the variations you need.

Bulk Status Changes

Quickly change the status of multiple campaigns, ad sets, or ads: Bulk Pause

Select nodes you want to pause
Right-click and choose Pause Selected
All selected nodes change to Paused status
Publish to apply changes to platform

Bulk Activate

Select paused nodes
Right-click and choose Activate Selected
All selected nodes change to Active status
Publish to apply changes to platform

Bulk Archive

Select nodes you want to archive
Right-click and choose Archive Selected
Nodes are marked for archival
Publish to archive on platform (platform support varies)

Status changes are saved locally until you publish. This lets you prepare multiple status changes and apply them all at once.

Bulk Publishing

Publish multiple campaigns simultaneously: Select Campaigns to Publish

Select one or more campaign nodes
Only selected campaigns and their children will publish
Unselected campaigns remain unpublished

Publish All

Click Publish All button
All campaigns on the canvas are published
Useful for publishing your entire workspace at once

Publish Selected

Select specific campaigns
Click Publish Selected button
Only selected campaigns and their children are published

Learn more about publishing behavior in Publishing Workflow and Bulk Publish.

Multi-Select Validation

When you select multiple nodes, the canvas shows validation status for the entire selection:

All valid: Green indicator, ready to publish
Some invalid: Yellow indicator, some nodes have errors
All invalid: Red indicator, all nodes have errors

Click Show Errors to see a list of validation issues across all selected nodes. This helps you identify and fix problems before publishing.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts to work faster on the canvas:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl 0 (Cmd 0)	Fit to screen
Ctrl + (Cmd +)	Zoom in
Ctrl - (Cmd -)	Zoom out
Space + Drag	Pan canvas
Arrow Keys	Pan in small increments
Shift + Arrows	Pan in large increments

Chrome and Edge: These navigation shortcuts (Ctrl+0, Ctrl+Plus/Minus, Arrow keys) are often used by the browser or OS, so they may not work on the canvas or may trigger browser zoom/focus instead. To avoid conflicts, use the canvas toolbar (Fit, +, − buttons) and mouse: scroll to zoom, Space + drag to pan. The app reserves these keys when the canvas is focused where possible; if they still conflict, rely on the toolbar and mouse for zoom and pan.

Selection Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Click	Select single node
Shift + Click	Add to selection
Ctrl + Click (Cmd + Click)	Toggle selection (multi-select)
Ctrl A (Cmd A)	Select all
Escape	Clear selection

Editing Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl C (Cmd C)	Copy selected nodes
Ctrl V (Cmd V)	Paste copied nodes
Ctrl X (Cmd X)	Cut selected nodes
Ctrl Z (Cmd Z)	Undo last action
Ctrl Y (Cmd Y) or Ctrl Shift Z (Cmd Shift Z)	Redo last undone action
Ctrl L (Cmd L)	Auto-link selected nodes
Delete	Delete selected nodes
Escape	Clear selection or close dialogs

Workflow Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl S (Cmd S)	Save canvas (auto-saves continuously)

Print this shortcut reference or keep it handy while you learn. After a few sessions, the most common shortcuts will become second nature.

Efficiency Tips

Work faster and more effectively with these canvas operation tips: Use Fit to Screen Frequently

Press Ctrl 0 (Cmd 0) often to see your entire structure
Helps you maintain context and spot issues
Prevents getting lost in large campaign structures

Master Space + Drag

Hold Space and drag to pan without accidentally selecting nodes
Works even when hovering over nodes
Faster than using scroll bars or arrow keys

Selection Efficiency

Combine Selection Techniques

Start with drag selection for a region
Add specific nodes with Shift + Click
Remove unwanted nodes with Ctrl + Click
Build complex selections quickly

Use Selection Memory

The canvas remembers your last selection
After performing an action, press Ctrl Z to undo
Your selection is restored, making it easy to try different operations

Bulk Operation Efficiency

Group Similar Changes

Make all status changes at once
Make all budget changes at once
Make all schedule changes at once
Reduces the number of publish operations needed

Use Bulk Edit for Consistency

Select all ad sets in a campaign
Set the same schedule for all
Ensures consistency across your structure
Faster than editing each node individually

Duplicate Instead of Recreate

When creating similar campaigns, duplicate an existing one
Edit only the properties that differ
Much faster than creating from scratch

Organization Efficiency

Organize Manually

Arrange nodes in a clear hierarchical structure
Keep related campaigns near each other
Maintain consistent spacing for readability

Organize Before Publishing

Clean up your canvas layout before publishing
Makes it easier to verify your structure
Helps you spot errors or missing nodes

Use Spatial Grouping

Keep related campaigns near each other
Create visual sections for different campaign types
Makes it easier to find and work on specific campaigns

Spend a few minutes organizing your canvas after major changes. A clean, well-organized canvas saves time in the long run by making it easier to find nodes, understand relationships, and spot issues.

Advanced Canvas Techniques

Working with Large Structures

When managing dozens of campaigns with hundreds of nodes: Use Layers of Zoom

Zoom out to see the big picture and plan changes
Zoom in to specific areas to make detailed edits
Use Fit to Screen to verify everything before publishing

Organize by Status

Manually group active campaigns in one area
Position paused or archived campaigns separately
Focus on what’s currently running

Working with Multiple Campaigns

When building several campaigns simultaneously: Organize by Campaign Type

Group awareness campaigns in one area
Group conversion campaigns in another area
Use spatial organization to separate different strategies

Use Consistent Naming

Include campaign type in names (e.g., “Awareness-Summer-Sale”)
Makes it easier to identify campaigns at a glance
Helps with bulk selection using search

Publish Incrementally

Don’t publish all campaigns at once
Select and publish one campaign at a time
Easier to troubleshoot if issues arise

Collaborative Canvas Work

When multiple team members work on the same canvas: Use Clear Naming Conventions

Include owner or team name in campaign names
Makes it clear who’s responsible for each campaign
Prevents accidental edits to others’ work

Organize by Owner

Position each team member’s campaigns in different canvas areas
Reduces conflicts and confusion
Makes it easy to see who’s working on what

Communicate Before Major Changes

Coordinate bulk operations that affect multiple campaigns
Avoid simultaneous edits to the same nodes
Use comments or notes to communicate intent

Troubleshooting Canvas Operations

Common Issues and Solutions

I can't find my nodes on the canvas

Solution:

Press Ctrl 0 (Cmd 0) to fit all content to screen
Check the minimap to see where nodes are located
Scroll or pan to locate your nodes

Selection box isn't working

Solution:

Make sure you’re clicking and dragging on empty canvas space
If nodes are in the way, hold Space and drag to pan first
Try clicking on a truly empty area away from all nodes
Check that you’re not accidentally holding Ctrl or Shift

Bulk edit panel isn't showing

Solution:

Make sure all selected nodes are the same type (all campaigns, all ad sets, or all ads)
You cannot bulk edit mixed node types
Try selecting nodes of just one type
Check that you have at least 2 nodes selected

Auto-layout made my canvas worse

Solution:

Press Ctrl Z (Cmd Z) to undo any changes
Manually organize nodes for better control
Position campaigns at top, ad sets in middle, ads at bottom
Use consistent spacing for a clean layout

Nodes are moving when I try to pan

Solution:

Hold Space before dragging to pan
Space + Drag pans even when hovering over nodes
Alternatively, use middle mouse button to pan
Use arrow keys for precise panning without mouse

I accidentally deleted nodes

Solution:

Press Ctrl Z (Cmd Z) immediately to undo the deletion
Deleted nodes are restored with all their properties
If you’ve made other changes since deleting, undo multiple times
Canvas auto-saves, but undo works for recent actions

Zoom is too sensitive or not sensitive enough

Solution:

Use the + and - buttons in the toolbar for controlled zoom
Use Ctrl + and Ctrl - for keyboard zoom
Adjust mouse wheel sensitivity in your system settings
Use Ctrl 0 to reset to fit-to-screen view

Multi-select isn't adding nodes to selection

Solution:

Make sure you’re holding Shift while clicking
Check that you’re clicking on the node itself, not empty space
Try using drag selection box instead
Clear selection with Escape and try again

Next Steps

Campaign Builder Overview

Learn the basics of the Campaign Builder canvas and node hierarchy.

Node Types

Understand campaign, ad set, and ad node properties and configuration.

Bulk Operations

Deep dive into bulk editing capabilities for managing campaigns at scale.

Publishing Workflow

Learn how to publish your campaigns after organizing them on the canvas.

Common Questions

Does moving nodes on the canvas affect how they publish?

No, moving nodes only changes visual layout. It doesn’t affect campaign structure, connections, or publishing behavior. Your campaigns publish the same way regardless of where nodes are positioned on the canvas.

Can I save different canvas layouts?

The canvas automatically saves your node positions as you work. Your layout is preserved when you return to the canvas.

What's the maximum number of nodes I can have on one canvas?

There’s no hard limit, but performance may degrade with thousands of nodes. For very large campaign structures, consider using multiple canvases or filtering to show only active campaigns. Most users work comfortably with 50-200 nodes per canvas.

Can I bulk edit nodes from different campaigns?

Yes, you can select and bulk edit nodes across multiple campaigns as long as they’re the same type. For example, you can select ad sets from 5 different campaigns and bulk edit their schedules. The nodes don’t need to be in the same campaign structure.

How do I select all nodes in one campaign without selecting other campaigns?

Click the campaign node, then use drag selection to draw around just that campaign’s structure. Alternatively, manually select the campaign and its children using Shift + Click.

Can I undo bulk operations?

Yes, press Ctrl Z (Cmd Z) to undo bulk edits, bulk deletes, or bulk status changes. Undo works for recent actions. If you’ve published, you cannot undo the publish operation, but you can edit and republish to revert changes.

What happens if I bulk edit and some nodes have validation errors?

Bulk edit applies changes to all selected nodes, even if some have validation errors. The validation errors remain and must be fixed before publishing. You’ll see which nodes have errors in the validation panel.

Can I use keyboard shortcuts to create new nodes?

The Campaign Builder supports standard editing shortcuts like Ctrl+C (copy), Ctrl+V (paste), Ctrl+X (cut), Ctrl+Z (undo), Ctrl+Y/Ctrl+Shift+Z (redo), and Ctrl+L (auto-link). To create new nodes, use the + buttons on existing nodes or the toolbar.

Campaign Builder Overview

Learn the fundamentals of the Campaign Builder canvas.

Node Types

Understand the different types of nodes you can work with.

Bulk Operations

Learn how to edit multiple campaigns simultaneously.

Publishing Scenarios: Copy/Paste

Understand what happens when you copy and paste nodes.

Creating Your First Campaign

Follow a step-by-step workflow using canvas operations.

Bulk Campaign Management

Learn workflows for managing campaigns at scale.

Campaign Builder

Portal System

Targeting

Existing Campaigns

Publishing

Bulk Operations

Asset Management

Cross-Platform Transfer

Export & AI

Reference (legacy)

​Canvas Operations

​Canvas Navigation

​Zoom Controls

​Panning

​Minimap

​Canvas Reset

​Selection Operations

​Single Selection

​Multi-Select

​Selection Refinement

​Selection Indicators

​Grouping and Organization

​Visual Grouping

​Moving Nodes

​Auto-Layout

​Bulk Operations

​Bulk Selection for Editing

​Bulk Actions from Canvas

​Bulk Status Changes

​Bulk Publishing

​Multi-Select Validation

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Navigation Shortcuts

​Selection Shortcuts

​Editing Shortcuts

​Workflow Shortcuts

​Efficiency Tips

​Navigation Efficiency

​Selection Efficiency

​Bulk Operation Efficiency

​Organization Efficiency

​Advanced Canvas Techniques

​Working with Large Structures

​Working with Multiple Campaigns

​Collaborative Canvas Work

​Troubleshooting Canvas Operations

​Common Issues and Solutions

​Next Steps

Campaign Builder Overview

Node Types

Bulk Operations

Publishing Workflow

​Common Questions

​Related Pages

Campaign Builder Overview

Node Types

Bulk Operations

Publishing Scenarios: Copy/Paste

Creating Your First Campaign

Bulk Campaign Management

Canvas Operations

Canvas Navigation

Zoom Controls

Panning

Minimap

Canvas Reset

Selection Operations

Single Selection

Multi-Select

Selection Refinement

Selection Indicators

Grouping and Organization

Visual Grouping

Moving Nodes

Auto-Layout

Bulk Operations

Bulk Selection for Editing

Bulk Actions from Canvas

Bulk Status Changes

Bulk Publishing

Multi-Select Validation

Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation Shortcuts

Selection Shortcuts

Editing Shortcuts

Workflow Shortcuts

Efficiency Tips

Navigation Efficiency

Selection Efficiency

Bulk Operation Efficiency

Organization Efficiency

Advanced Canvas Techniques

Working with Large Structures

Working with Multiple Campaigns

Collaborative Canvas Work

Troubleshooting Canvas Operations

Common Issues and Solutions

Next Steps

Common Questions

Related Pages