Link unfurling

Unfurl link

What is link unfurling?

Link unfurling enables you to enrich the Lucid canvas by converting static text links into dynamic shapes. These shapes can include image thumbnails and titles, providing a more visually appealing and informative display for external users. By utilizing link unfurling, you can easily make content more captivating and interactive.

A link unfurling integration has two primary elements: its block and its control options.

Link unfurl block: Generated from an external URL, this block shows a thumbnail image and a page title, both sourced from the URL, alongside the data source's logo and name. Additionally, a text area at the bottom of the block allows users to enter detailed descriptions.

Link unfurl control options: Control options for the internal embed extension vary by Lucid product. In Lucidchart, the options are located in the context menu on the right-hand side of the canvas. In Lucidspark, they can be found at the top of the shape.

Control options vary depending on the type of content being embedded.

These options are available for all internal embeds:

The ability to copy the source link in the embedded thumbnail

The ability to open the embedded link in a new tab

The ability to refresh and resync with the data source

These options are available if there is at least one thumbnail image available:

The ability to toggle and choose an image to display on the thumbnail (when multiple thumbnail images are available)

The ability to extract one or more thumbnail images to use as shapes on the canvas

This option is available if the iframe URL is provided by your extension:

The ability to expand the embedded link within the document or board for viewing and editing, using an iframe URL provided by your extension

What are the limitations of Link Unfurling?

• Once thumbnail images have been extracted, it is not possible to resync them with the data source for the image shapes. However, a potential workaround is to re-extract the image after resyncing with the data source in the internal embed shape.
• Bidirectional data sync is not supported, meaning that while data can be imported into Lucid, updates to titles or images cannot be pushed back to the data source. A possible workaround for this issue is to use an iframe editor.
• Doesn't support in-editor video players. Video links unfurled need to be opened in a new window/tab.