Above

What is Canopi?

Canopi is an overlay that lets people see and interact with others directly on top of webpages. Instead of conversations being trapped inside platform comment sections, Canopi creates a shared layer above the web where context, collaboration, and community can emerge around the content people are already viewing.

What problem is Canopi solving?

Today’s internet is largely a "flat web": pages exist in isolation, conversations are fragmented across platforms, and trust signals are difficult to interpret. Canopi introduces a shared contextual layer that helps people see who else is present, contribute insights, and build shared understanding around web content.

What does "the flat web" mean?

The flat web refers to how most of today’s internet works: webpages are static destinations, and meaningful context lives elsewhere (in separate apps, chats, or social feeds). This makes it difficult to understand who is engaging with content, what experts think about it, or how communities interpret it. Canopi adds a dynamic layer of presence and context above these pages.

How does Canopi work?

Canopi runs as an overlay that appears alongside the webpages you are already visiting. When enabled, it can show:

• People currently viewing the same page

• Contextual conversations tied to that page

• Community insights and annotations

• Tools for collaborative sensemaking

Is Canopi a social network?

Not exactly. Instead of creating another platform people must visit, Canopi lets social interaction happen directly on top of the web itself.

Who controls the conversations in Canopi?

Canopi is designed to support community governance. Different communities can organize discussions, moderation, and norms within their own spaces while still interacting across the broader web.

How does Canopi help with trust online?

As AI-generated content, bots, and misinformation increase, it is becoming harder to know what to trust online. By allowing communities to add context, expertise, and discussion directly to webpages, Canopi helps restore shared understanding and collective sensemaking.

Is Canopi related to the Meta-Layer or Metaweb?

Yes. Canopi is an early prototype of what the Meta-Layer vision describes: a civic layer above the webpage where trust signals, presence, and collaborative tools can operate across the entire web. Canopi is the first Overweb application.

Do websites need to integrate Canopi?

No. Canopi works above existing webpages, meaning it can add context and interaction without requiring websites to change their code.

How can I join?

Join the waitlist on the Canopi homepage to get early access and updates as the project evolves.

What is a web overlay?

A web overlay is a layer of functionality that appears on top of existing webpages without modifying the underlying site. Similar to a heads‑up display, overlays can show conversations, context, or tools related to the page you are viewing. Canopi uses this approach to add collaboration and community directly to the web.

How is Canopi different from comments or forums?

Traditional comments are locked to a specific website and controlled by the platform hosting them. Canopi conversations live above the webpage itself, meaning communities can discuss and annotate content across the entire web rather than inside isolated comment sections.

Will Canopi work with AI and intelligent agents?

Yes. As AI agents increasingly participate in online spaces, Canopi is designed to make their presence visible and accountable. Agents can contribute insights, summaries, or analysis, but they will be clearly identified and operate within community‑defined rules.

How can AI help inside Canopi?

AI systems can assist communities by helping summarize discussions, surface relevant research, connect related conversations across pages, and highlight important context. The goal is not to replace human discussion but to support collective understanding.

How does Canopi prevent AI from overwhelming conversations?

A key design goal is keeping human agency visible and protected. Communities will be able to set policies about how AI agents participate, ensuring that human voices remain primary while AI provides supportive capabilities like synthesis and discovery.

Could AI agents collaborate through Canopi?

Yes. In the future, Canopi can allow human participants and trusted AI agents to collaborate on tasks such as research, analysis, and fact‑checking directly on top of the web. These agents operate transparently so people can see who or what is contributing.

Who is Canopi for?

Canopi is designed for communities, researchers, journalists, educators, and everyday internet users who want richer context and collaboration around the information they encounter online.