Where each tool lives

There is no longer a Tools tab. Every group it held is now a palette category of its own, one click away in the category picker rather than two, so this page is a map of where each tool went.

The categories are grouped into four bands: Common (Shapes, Write, Draw), Structure (Build, Components, Devices), Decorate (Icons, Stickers, Tech, Media), and Dynamic (Data, Collaborate), with Popular across the top.

Where each tool lives

Build holds the elements you lay a diagram out with, the ones that hold other work: Mind Node (Tab adds a child, Enter a sibling), Lane (a titled band that carries its steps), Frame (a labelled box that groups a section), Timeline (a track for sequencing events), and Table (an editable grid of cells).

Write holds the wordy elements: Text drops a free-standing label, Page is a paper-sized sheet you write into, Sticky note is a coloured note card, and Annotation is a small note marker for callouts. The coloured Event Storming workshop stickies live in their own category, which appears on an Event Storming board.

Draw holds the gesture tools: Freehand sketches a stroke and keeps it exactly as drawn, the Shape Pen turns a rough sketch into a real shape, the Highlighter lays one wide translucent marker stroke, Polygon places straight-edged outlines point by point, Arrow drops a connector with a pointer at its end that you position by hand, and Line drops the same without the pointer. See Drawing and Sketch and Highlighter. (Frame moved to Build.)

Components holds the ready-made pieces: Code Block, Checklist, Entity, and the themed composites (Banner, Callout, Stat row, Process, Hero, Header). (Timeline moved to Build.)

Data holds the charts and meters. See Data and Chart Elements. (Table moved to Build.)

Collaborate holds the elements that do something when somebody interacts with them, browsed in five groups: Selection Mode buttons, Tools (Reveal zone, Done check, Picker), Navigate (Portal, Chair, Link card), Session buttons for the timer, vote and poll, and React (the five reaction pads). See Collaborate.

Collaborate holds the elements that ask the room something: the Comment panel, estimate cards, a temperature check, an idea box, an agenda, a decision record and a roll call. See Collaborate Elements.

Media covers pictures, figures and other people's pages: Image, Avatar, and the embeds for YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, Figma, Google Docs and any website.

Each behaves like any other element once placed: select, restyle, group, and move it freely.

Guides for these tools

Several tools have their own walkthroughs, listed below and linked here:

• Drawing and Sketch covers Freehand, the Shape Pen, and the Polygon tool.
• Images covers uploading and placing pictures, avatars, and user figures.
• Tables covers the editable grid: adding one, filling cells, and rows/columns.
• Sticky Notes covers the coloured note card for short annotations.
• Code Blocks covers the dark monospace card for syntax-highlighted snippets.
• Checklists covers the card of checkable to-do rows you tick on the canvas.
• Portals covers linking two portals and travelling between them, including across tabs.
• Data and Chart Elements covers the Data category: Pie Chart, Bar Chart, Line Chart, Progress Bar, Progress Ring (a donut meter), and Rating (stars).
• Collaborate covers the Collaborate category: Selection Mode buttons, Reveal zones, Done checks, Pickers, Portals, Chairs, Link cards, Session buttons, and Reaction pads.

Arrows are deep enough to deserve their own guide: see Arrows.