Whiteboard integrates an open-source workspace for agents to collaborate visually alongside code

The shift from simple autocomplete to full-feature agents has created a problem: massive, unstructured pull requests obscure intent and design decisions. The YC W26 project Whiteboard addresses this by offering a shared canvas where humans and AI align plans before coding begins. Unlike generic chat tools, it integrates with CodeOSS, preserving VSCode’s LSP compatibility while adding a dynamic visual layer tied directly to logic execution.

At its core, Whiteboard’s most innovative feature lets agents generate diagrams—sequence flows or ERDs—that remain interactive. Clicking any element in a diagram instantly navigates to the matching code, eliminating the disconnect between visual planning and implementation. The system supports plugins for tools like Claude Code or Codex, allowing agents to draw on the workspace canvas directly through an SDK, rather than generating static HTML artifacts that exist separately from the codebase.

When agents produce sprawling code outputs, traditional diff tools become overwhelming. Whiteboard’s Rust-based AST-aware viewer filters noise with three strategies: summarizing large functions into pseudocode, collapsing defaulted elements like tests or documentation, and enabling WASM plugins for custom rules. These features ensure focus remains on the core logic without manual intervention.

The Decision Log feature is designed to resolve another critical issue: transparency in agent choices. Agents can log and link their reasoning back to the workspace, tracing every step from initial requirements to final implementation. This traceability is already leveraged by companies like Salesforce and Modal, where teams use Whiteboard to review architectures, routing changes through automated checks for minor fixes before escalating complex decisions to human oversight.

The project remains open-source under the MIT license, allowing local desktop deployment. A future web-hosted version will support multiplayer sessions and trajectory storage, but the foundational tools stay self-hostable. The repository remains available for exploration at its original location.