Vani Glossary

Vani Glossary

A


  1. AI (Vani AI): Built‑in AI capabilities in Vani that help teams generate flowcharts, mind maps, and text content from simple prompts. Teams can also use it to summarize content inside a Zone. 


  1. Admin (Team): A user with Admin permissions at the team level. Admins handle team‑wide settings, user access and policies. Above the Admin is the Super Admin.

  2. Audit Logs: A record of major team‑level actions in Vani, showing who did what and when.


B


  1. Brainstorming: A common Vani use case where you visually capture ideas using sticky notes, drawings, mind maps or AI‑generated structures. Works both in real time and asynchronously.


C


  1. Catchups: Vani’s built‑in video or audio meeting feature inside a Space. A Catchup lets teammates join a live call while collaborating visually on the canvas. This removes the need to switch to a separate app for meetings. 


  1. Comment: A note or feedback left directly on the canvas. Comments can be attached to objects or placed freely in the Space so teammates can ask questions or leave feedback in context.

  2. Comment threads: Ways to filter comment discussions:
    1. All threads: Every discussion, open or resolved
    2. Active threads: Currently open and unresolved
    3. Unread threads: Threads with new comments you haven’t opened
    4. Mentions: Threads where you’ve been tagged
    5. Resolved threads: Discussions marked complete

  1. Commenter (Space permission): A collaborator role in the Space where the user can view the Space and add comments but cannot edit the canvas itself.

  1. Connector: A line or arrow used to link two objects on the canvas. Connectors help build visual relationships in diagrams, mind maps or workflows.

  2. Cursor (Live): Shows each collaborator’s cursor in real time, so you see whenever others are working.

D


  1. Draft Space: A Space where you’re the only Spacemate. Useful when working privately before you decide to share your work with a team. Every new Space opens as a draft Space.

E


  1. Editor (Space permission): A role that allows a user to add and edit content in the Space and leave comments. Editors cannot change Space‑level settings or delete the Space.

  2. Embed files: The ability to place external content (videos, documents, interactive charts, etc) inside your Vani canvas. You can also embed a Vani Space into other platforms via embed code.

  3. External Share: A feature that lets you share a Space with people outside your Team using a link. You control whether the recipients can view, comment, or edit, and can add password and link expiration restrictions.

  1. Element: A basic block of content on the canvas, such as text, images or shapes. You add elements from the Elements menu.

  2. Export: The action of saving or downloading your Vani content outside the platform. For example, exporting part of a Space or a Frame as an image or PDF.

F


  1. Flow: A guided walkthrough inside a Space. You select Frames in a specific order, and others can play through the sequence like a presentation.


  1. Flowchart: A diagram that contains steps, decisions, and arrows to represent a process. You can create one manually or ask Vani AI to generate it from a prompt.

  2. Format bar: The toolbar you can open from the right side when you select objects on the canvas. Use it to change the characteristics of the selected object such as its color, size, font, border, or alignment, or to arrange objects within the Space.

  3. Frame: A visual container used to group content on the canvas. Use Frames to organize related ideas, structure workflows, or present information in sections. You can move, resize, or duplicate Frames to control how content is arranged and viewed.

G


  1. Grid: A table element you can insert on the canvas to arrange information in rows and columns. 

H


  1. Hand tool: A navigation mode that lets you drag the canvas without selecting or editing objects helpful when exploring large Spaces.

  2. Highlighter tool: A free‑hand drawing tool used to visually emphasise or mark content on the canvas, similar to a traditional highlighter.

I

  1. Infinite canvas: Every Zone in Vani gives you an infinite canvas to work in. You can expand in any direction, and you’re not restricted to fixed page sizes.

K


  1. Kanban board (Structure): A visual board made up of lanes and cards to represent tasks or workflow stages (such as To‑Do, In Progress, Done). Available under the Structure menu.


  1. Kit: A reusable set of curated shapes, icons, or layouts designed for specific use cases. For example, the AWS Architecture Kit gives you cloud infrastructure icons, while the Posters Kit offers ready-made poster layouts. Kits help you drop in structured content quickly, so you don’t have to build everything from scratch.


L


  1. Layers panel: A tool that shows all the objects in the current Zone in a stacked view. Use it to select, find, or reorder items. This is useful in complex Spaces where you need precise control over individual elements.

  2. Live cursors: Shows each collaborator’s cursor in real time. It’s like having a group of laser pointers on the board so everyone knows where others are working at any moment. 


M


  1. Member (Team): A regular user in a Vani Team who can create or collaborate on Spaces but does not have admin privileges.

  2. Mention (Tagging): Using “@” followed by a person’s name inside a comment or text field to notify them and link to that exact spot on the canvas.

  3. Mind map (Structure): A diagram that branches out from a central topic and shows relationships between ideas. You can build one scratch or generate one with Vani AI.


  1. Minimap: A small, zoomed-out view of your entire canvas. Use the minimap to quickly jump between different areas of a large Space without having to scroll manually. 

N


  1. Navigate mode: A mode that lets you follow another Spacemate’s cursor as they move across the canvas. It’s helpful during a Catchup when someone is presenting or walking through a section.

O


  1. Organizer (Space permission): A collaborator role with nearly full control over a Space. Organizers can add, edit, or delete content and manage Spacemates and permissions. They can do everything an Owner can, except delete the Space itself.


  1. Owner (Space permission): The person who created the Space or has been assigned ownership. Owners can rename or delete the Space, manage all content and settings, and control permissions for every Spacemate.

P


  1. Pen tool: A freehand drawing tool used to sketch or annotate anywhere on the canvas.

  2. Personality Cursor: A custom style for your live cursor (for example, a rocket or bee cursor), making your presence more distinct during collaboration.


  1. Pin: A labelled anchor point on the canvas that you drop on any object or location to mark it as important. Clicking a pin from the pane moves your view to that spot.

  2. Policy (Team settings): Team‑level controls, such as enabling AI, external sharing, or other features. Only Admins can change policies.

  3. Placeholder: A temporary block used to reserve room or indicate where something like media, grids, or other content might go later. Helpful during early planning or rough structuring of a Space.

Q


  1. Quick Access Toolbar: A small context menu that appears near your selection so you can quickly perform common actions like adding pins, reactions, and hyperlinks without opening side panels.\

R


  1. Reaction (Emoji Reaction): Simple emoji responses that can be given to content in the Spaces, for example, a thumbs‑up or heart. Reactions allow teammates to give feedback or express support in a fun way.

S


  1. Shapes: Graphic elements such as rectangles, circles, and more that you insert into a canvas. Shapes help you build diagrams, highlight sections, or design visual maps.

  2. Space: A Space is where all the action happens in Vani. The shared visual workspace in Vani, where you and your team collaborate. A Space might be used for a project, topic, or team activity and contains Zones, collaborators, and content.

  1. Spacemate: Anyone added to a Space, either from your Team or externally. Spacemates can have different roles, such as Owner, Organizer, Editor, or Commenter.

  2. Stack (Structure): A simple vertical or horizontal layout made of draggable blocks stacked in a single lane. Stacks are useful for listing ideas, steps, or notes in a clean, linear format.

  3. Sticky Note: A coloured note you place on the canvas for quick ideas, reminders, or votes, similar to a physical post‑it.

  4. Summary (AI): A condensed version of selected content or a Zone generated by Vani AI.


  1. Super Admin (Team): The highest role in a Vani Team. The Super Admin manages billing, team settings, and can transfer ownership of the Team.

T


  1. Team: A Team is the highest-level group in Vani that brings together users and Spaces. It typically represents your company, department, or any collective of people working together. All Spaces belong to a Team, and only members of that Team can access them—unless a Space is shared externally. Teams help you manage members, control access, choose a subscription plan, and set preferences.

  2. Template: A ready‑to‑use layout that gives you a structure to start with, for example, a service blueprint, brainstorming board, or a social media calendar.

  1. Text: A content block used to add formatted or plain text on your canvas. Text blocks can be styled using the Format bar.

U


  1. Upload files: The action of bringing your own images, documents, or files into a canvas from your device.

V


  1. Viewer (Space permission): A user role that only allows viewing a Space, no edits, comments, or sharing permissions.

  2. Version history: A timeline of earlier states of a Space. Lets you review, copy, or restore from these states.

  3. Voice note: A recorded audio message on the canvas. You can record your voice to explain ideas, provide feedback, or walk through content, which others can play back.

W


  1. Widgets: Mini‑apps you can add to your canvas for private use or team interaction, for example, a stopwatch, timer, or dice.

Z


  1. Zen mode: A distraction‑free mode where all toolbars and side panels are hidden so you can focus fully on the canvas or present without distractions.

  2. Zone: A Zone is a dedicated canvas within a Space, like a sub-space. Zones help you organize your Space into logical sections based on topic, team, or workflow. Each Zone can have its own content and collaborators, making it easier to control access and maintain focus. 


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