Configuring Components

Edit a component’s configuration on the canvas, using the form Kanvas builds for it and its inline help.
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A component is the fundamental building block of a design - it represents one piece of the infrastructure under management, and its configuration is what will actually be applied when the design is deployed. The component configurator is where that configuration is edited.

Kanvas does not ask you to write YAML for this. The form is built from the component’s own definition, as published by the model it belongs to, so the fields you see are exactly the fields that component supports, in the version of the model you have selected.

With a component on the canvas:

  • Double-click the component, or
  • Right-click it and choose Configure.

The configurator opens in a panel beside the canvas. The component stays selected while it is open, so you can see what you are editing.

ControlWhat it does
Component iconHovering shows the model version the component is using.
Version menuAppears when the model has more than one version available. Switching versions rebuilds the form against that version’s definition.
SearchFilters the form down to matching fields. On a component with many fields this is far quicker than scrolling; if nothing matches, the form says so rather than appearing empty.
HelpShows the component’s own description, as published by its model.
Expand / collapseMaximizes the configurator to fill the workspace, and restores it.
DeleteRemoves the component from the design.

The configurator is organized into tabs. Which are present depends on the component and on your permissions:

  • Config - the component’s specification. This is where the substantive configuration is done.
  • Labels - Kubernetes labels and annotations for the component, edited separately from the rest of the spec so that metadata does not crowd out configuration.
  • Json Schema - the raw schema the form was generated from, in a JSON viewer. Useful when you want to see exactly what a field expects, and it links out to the component’s entry in the Meshery registry.
  • Relationships - the relationships this component participates in, and the components at the other end of them.

Each field carries its documentation with it. A ? icon at the right of a field opens a tooltip containing that field’s description, taken straight from the component’s definition - so the guidance you get is the upstream project’s own, not a Kanvas paraphrase. Nested objects and arrays carry the same help on their group headings.

When a value is not valid for that field, a red error icon appears alongside, and its tooltip gives the validation message. The component itself also picks up a validation warning badge on the canvas, so a problem you scroll past in the form is still visible when you close the panel. See Interpreting Component Badges.

There is no Apply button. Edits are written into the design shortly after you stop typing, the canvas updates to match, and the design is saved to your account - see Saving Designs. Undo reverses a configuration change like any other edit.

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Last modified August 28, 2026: docs: make Kanvas and Cloud page language end-user facing (0cb0ea9997e)