> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cortex-foundation-add13747-droid-2a5c5e50-docs-ferndesk-pro.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Design troubleshooting

> Where a canvas lives, why the browser will not edit it, a Library item that is not there, and the app that is not opening.

Design spans two places on purpose: the browser creates and lists a canvas, the [Design desktop app](/design/desktop) edits it. Most confusion comes from looking for the editor in the wrong one. For the rest of the app see [Troubleshooting](/getting-started/troubleshooting).

## Access

| What you see                          | Cause                                              | Fix                                                                              |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| No canvas tools at all                | You are a guest                                    | Canvases are member objects. Sign in — see [Accounts](/getting-started/accounts) |
| A canvas that is not yours is missing | Canvases are private to the account that owns them | Expected. Another account's boards are never listed                              |
| **No `/design` route** in the browser | The web app has no Design mode                     | Create and list canvases from Chat or Code, then edit in the desktop app         |

## The canvas

| What you see                            | Cause                                                                 | Fix                                                                              |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The board is called **Untitled canvas** | That is the default until you rename it                               | Rename it from the desktop app; the host binding stays                           |
| Frames are missing after a rename       | The rename did not change which conversation hosts the board          | Reopen the board — the host binding is unchanged by a rename                     |
| The canvas disappeared from the list    | Deleting a canvas hides it from the list                              | There is no restore. Host a new one from [Chat](/chat/canvases) or [Code](/code) |
| Chat made a document, not a board       | A [Chat canvas](/chat/canvases) is a document beside one conversation | Ask for a **Design** canvas, or open the board from the Design desktop app       |

## The Library

| What you see                             | Cause                                           | Fix                                                         |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| No Library drawer in the browser         | The drawer lives on a canvas in the desktop app | Open the board in the [Design desktop app](/design/desktop) |
| A component has no thumbnail             | Thumbnails are **uploaded**, not rendered       | Upload one, or leave it — the item still works              |
| A Chat file is not in the Design Library | They are different objects that share a word    | See [two libraries](/design/library#two-libraries)          |

## The desktop app

| What you see                            | Cause                                       | Fix                                                                                                                  |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The app asks you to sign in             | Canvases are member objects                 | Sign in with the same account as the web app                                                                         |
| Your boards are not listed              | The app is signed in as a different account | Sign in as the account that hosted them                                                                              |
| A download is missing for your platform | Desktop builds are published per platform   | Check [releases.cortex.foundation](https://releases.cortex.foundation) — see [Downloads](/getting-started/downloads) |

## Errors

Design uses the same problem documents as the rest of Cortex:

| Code                                           | Meaning                                            |
| ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| [`unauthenticated`](/problems/unauthenticated) | You are not signed in                              |
| [`forbidden`](/problems/forbidden)             | The action is not permitted for this account       |
| [`not_found`](/problems/not_found)             | The canvas or Library item no longer exists        |
| [`invalid_state`](/problems/invalid_state)     | The board is not in a state that allows the action |

Full list: [Problem catalog](/problems).

## Related

* [Canvases](/design/canvases) — what lives on a board and how it is hosted.
* [Design desktop](/design/desktop) — the app that edits it.
* [Design library](/design/library) — components, pages, and tokens.
* [Troubleshooting](/getting-started/troubleshooting) — the same guidance across all products.