# Widget sizes, limits and what some widgets need

> Which widgets need a key, a sign-in or a connected account, which plans they are on, the size each one opens at, and the limits worth knowing.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-requirements
Section: Widgets > Widget basics
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-10

Most widgets work the moment you add them to a desk. A few need something first, such as an API key, a signed-in account or a connected mailbox. This page lists what those widgets need and where to set it up, which plans each widget is on, the size each widget opens at, and the other limits worth knowing. Each row links to the widget's own article.

## Plans

Every widget is on every plan except **Custom**, which is on the Pro and Team plans. To compare plans, see [What each plan includes](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

The **Calendar** widget is in beta.

## What some widgets need

If a widget is not doing what you expect, check this table first.

| Widget or feature | What it needs | Where to set it up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI inside widgets: a Page's **AI draft**, a table's AI, the **Desk agent**, **Transform** wires, SpeedDeck's AI macro builder and a **Field** button that runs an AI prompt | AI set up: sign in to use PlexiDesk credits, or add your own Anthropic API key | Settings > AI. See [AI credits and where your AI runs](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [Custom](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-custom) | The Pro or Team plan, and your own Anthropic API key | Settings > AI > API keys. See [Add your own API keys](https://plexiidesk.com/help/api-keys). |
| [Mind map](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-mind-map): **AI Expand (+ branches)** | Your own Anthropic API key | Settings > AI > API keys |
| [Image](https://plexiidesk.com/help) | Your own OpenAI API key | Settings > AI > API keys |
| [Voice note](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-voice-note): transcription | With **Cloud** transcription, your own OpenAI API key. Choose **Local** to transcribe on your computer instead. | Settings > AI > **Voice · transcription provider** |
| [Voice note](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-voice-note): the **Summary**, **Cleaned** and **Speakers** views, and **AI proposed actions** | Your own Anthropic API key. The **Full** view shows the plain transcript and needs no key. | Settings > AI > API keys |
| [Inbox](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-inbox), and an email you put on a desk with Mail's **Send to desk** | A mailbox connected in Mail, in the desktop app | Mail. See [Connect your email account](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [Chat](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-chat) | Signed in, and a Chat conversation to pin | See [Create an account and sign in](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [Receive from a URL](https://plexiidesk.com/help) | Signed in, so PlexiDesk can create the widget's address | See [Create an account and sign in](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [Contacts](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-contacts): **Invite to Plexii** | Signed in, and working in an organisation workspace | See [Organisation settings and switching workspaces](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [App launcher](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-app-launcher) | An app on your computer added as a **Local app** in connected apps. With a desk open, drag it from **Connected Apps** in the side menu onto the desk. | See [Add and use connected apps](https://plexiidesk.com/help). |
| [SpeedDeck](https://plexiidesk.com/help/speeddeck-intro): **Keyboard shortcut**, **Type text** and **Media control** buttons | A Mac, with Accessibility permission turned on for PlexiDesk | System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. See [Allow keyboard control on a Mac](https://plexiidesk.com/help/accessibility-permission). |
| [SpeedDeck](https://plexiidesk.com/help/speeddeck-intro): **Set volume** buttons | A Mac | Nothing to set up |
| [Map](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-map) | An internet connection, to find the address and load the map | Nothing to set up |
| [Gallery](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-gallery) | Picture files. Other kinds of file are skipped when you drop them in. | Nothing to set up |

- The **AI** button in every widget's title bar runs on the AI you set up: sign in to use PlexiDesk credits, or add your own Anthropic API key. See [Use a widget's AI button](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-ai).
- **Browser extensions** run in the Browser widget and PlexiDesk's other built-in browsers. They need the desktop app and an unpacked extension folder, added in Settings > Advanced > **Browser extensions**. See [Add Chrome extensions to Plexii's browser](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

### Credits or your own key

Most AI in widgets runs on PlexiDesk credits when you are signed in, or on your own Anthropic API key. These use your own Anthropic key even when you are signed in: building a **Custom** widget, a Mind map's **AI Expand (+ branches)**, and a Voice note's work on its transcript (the **Summary**, **Cleaned** and **Speakers** views and **AI proposed actions**). The **Image** widget and **Cloud** transcription use your own OpenAI key. To choose how your AI runs, see [AI settings](https://plexiidesk.com/help/settings-ai).

## How big each widget opens

Each widget opens at a set size, shown here as width × height in pixels at 100% zoom. **Sticky**, **Card** and **Field** then change height to fit what is in them.

| Group | Widget | Opens at |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Write & capture | Sticky | 240 × 200 |
| Write & capture | Note | 400 × 320 |
| Write & capture | Markdown | 460 × 360 |
| Write & capture | Page | 480 × 400 |
| Write & capture | Voice note | 320 × 240 |
| Write & capture | Card | 280 × 200 |
| Write & capture | Living Doc | 500 × 400 |
| Plan & track | Tasks | 360 × 320 |
| Plan & track | Calendar | 360 × 400 |
| Plan & track | Attention | 380 × 340 |
| Plan & track | Timer | 224 × 224 |
| Numbers & data | Metrics | 420 × 280 |
| Numbers & data | Stat card | 340 × 240 |
| Numbers & data | Table | 680 × 440 |
| Numbers & data | Chart | 520 × 380 |
| Numbers & data | Spreadsheet | 880 × 580 |
| Numbers & data | Calc | 208 × 300 |
| Files & documents | Gallery | 460 × 340 |
| Files & documents | File or link | 320 × 240 |
| Files & documents | Drive (folder) | 300 × 260 |
| Files & documents | Document | 860 × 760 |
| Files & documents | Slides | 900 × 600 |
| Draw & diagram | Image | 420 × 460 |
| Draw & diagram | Flowchart | 720 × 520 |
| Draw & diagram | Design | 720 × 540 |
| Draw & diagram | Artwork | 780 × 560 |
| Draw & diagram | Color | 220 × 200 |
| Draw & diagram | Mind map | 720 × 480 |
| Draw & diagram | Diagram | 760 × 520 |
| Draw & diagram | Scratchpad | 560 × 420 |
| Draw & diagram | Shape | 200 × 160 |
| People & messages | Contacts | 340 × 300 |
| People & messages | Inbox | 380 × 360 |
| People & messages | Chat | 340 × 460 |
| Web & apps | Map | 420 × 340 |
| Web & apps | App launcher | 200 × 120 |
| Web & apps | SpeedDeck | 760 × 260 |
| Web & apps | Browser | 1920 × 1080 |
| Build & automate | Custom | 460 × 400 |
| Build & automate | Field | 240 × 100 |
| Build & automate | Custom block | 440 × 380 |
| Build & automate | Desk agent | 320 × 300 |
| Build & automate | Send to a URL | 320 × 180 |
| Build & automate | Receive from a URL | 340 × 200 |
| Desk layout | Section | 480 × 360 |
| Desk layout | Portal | 300 × 240 |

The Browser opens at the size of a desktop screen so that web pages lay out the way they were designed. Zoom the desk out to see all of it, or pick a smaller size as described below.

## Make a widget bigger or smaller

You have three ways to change a widget's size.

1. **Grow and Shrink.** Click **+** in the widget's title bar (**Grow widget**) to make it 50% bigger, up to 1400 × 900. Click **−** (**Shrink widget**) to make it about a third smaller, down to 180 × 120. Pressing **+** and then **−** brings it back to the size it was, unless **+** took it to the limit.
2. **Larger on desk.** Click the expand button in the title bar (**Expand options**), then **Larger on desk**. The widget grows by 30%, within the same limits. **Focus mode** in the same menu opens the widget full pane instead. See [Open widgets full screen and side by side](https://plexiidesk.com/help/canvas-focus-mode).
3. **Drag an edge or a corner.** Every edge and corner of a widget can be dragged. The smallest a widget can be is 180 × 120, and dragging has no upper limit, so drag when you want a widget bigger than 1400 × 900. With snap to grid turned on, the edges snap to the grid as you drag.

For a **Browser** widget, click **Resize to a stored resolution** in its toolbar to open the **Window size** menu, then pick **Mobile** (390 × 844), **Tablet** (768 × 1024), **Tablet (landscape)** (1024 × 768), **Laptop** (1366 × 768) or **Desktop** (1920 × 1080). The page inside then lays out as it would on that kind of screen.

Widgets inside a **Section** are arranged by the section, so they do not show **+** and **−**. See [Section widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

## Widgets that fit their content

- **Sticky**, **Card** and **Field** change height to fit what is in them, from 120 up to 900 tall, so you rarely need to resize them.
- **Markdown** and **Custom block** grow as you add to them, up to 900 tall.
- When a widget's content is taller than the widget, you can scroll inside it, so nothing is cut off.

## Other limits

| What | The limit |
| --- | --- |
| Rows from a table's AI | A fixed number from 1 to 20 (5 to start with), or tick **As many as needed** and the AI decides. See [Build a table with AI](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-table-ai). |
| Files across your devices | A file over 50 MB stays on the computer it was added on. Its name and type still appear on your other devices, but its contents do not travel. The File or link widget shows **Over 50 MB — stays on this device**, and Files tags it **on this device only**. See [Sync your work across devices](https://plexiidesk.com/help/accounts-and-sync). |
| A live view of a desk | A table shows up to 500 rows, and a text widget such as a note shows up to 20,000 characters. See [Publish a live view of a desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/share-live-web-view). |
| A Custom widget's inputs | Up to 12 items, wired in or @ mentioned in its description. See [Custom widget: build your own tool](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-custom). |
| The @ list | Up to eight suggestions at a time. See [Link desks, widgets and people with @](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-mentions). |

## If something is not there

**A widget asks you to add a key.** Sign in to use PlexiDesk credits, or add your own Anthropic API key in Settings > AI > API keys. For a Custom widget, a Mind map's AI Expand, or a Voice note's Summary, Cleaned and Speakers views, add your own Anthropic key, because these use it even when you are signed in.

**Image or voice transcription asks for an OpenAI key.** Add your OpenAI API key in Settings > AI > API keys. For voice notes, you can choose **Local** under **Voice · transcription provider** instead.

**The Inbox widget says No mailbox connected.** Connect an account in Mail first. The widget's **Open Mail** button takes you there, and the widget fills in once the account is connected.

**The Chat widget says Sign in to use chat on this desk.** Sign in, start or open a conversation in Chat, then pin it to the widget.

**Invite to Plexii is greyed out in Contacts.** Sign in, and switch to your organisation's workspace rather than a personal one. See [Organisation settings and switching workspaces](https://plexiidesk.com/help).

**A SpeedDeck button asks for Accessibility permission.** Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility on your Mac and turn PlexiDesk on, then press the button again.

**The App launcher tile says Linked app was removed.** Add the app again as a **Local app** in connected apps, then drag it from **Connected Apps** in the side menu onto the desk.

**I cannot see + and − on a widget.** The widget is inside a Section, which arranges it for you. To size it on its own, click **Remove from section** in its title bar to move it back onto the desk.

## Common questions

**Do I need an API key to use widgets?** No. Most widgets need no key at all, and most AI in widgets runs on PlexiDesk credits once you are signed in. You only need your own key for the features named under Credits or your own key, above.

**Which widgets need me to be signed in?** Chat, Receive from a URL, and Invite to Plexii in Contacts. AI on PlexiDesk credits also needs you to be signed in.

**Can I make every widget open smaller?** Widgets open at the sizes in the table above. Once a widget is on the desk, use **−**, drag an edge, or zoom the desk out.

**Why is my Browser widget so large?** It opens at desktop size, 1920 × 1080, so pages look the way they do on a big screen. Use its **Window size** menu to pick a smaller size, or zoom the desk out.

## Related tasks

- [Add a widget to a desk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/add-a-widget)
- [The controls on every widget](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-title-bar)
- [Add your own API keys](https://plexiidesk.com/help/api-keys)
- [AI credits and where your AI runs](https://plexiidesk.com/help)
- [What each plan includes](https://plexiidesk.com/help)
- [Link desks, widgets and people with @](https://plexiidesk.com/help/widget-mentions)