Google’s Mixboard—the visual AI workflow builder that launched to mixed reviews—has one significant advantage over most Google Labs experiments: you can actually access it from anywhere in the world. No geo-restrictions. No VPN required. Just open the URL and start building.
This matters more than it sounds. When Google launched features like Gemini in Chrome or their latest AI experiments, availability was limited to specific regions (typically North America). Mixboard breaks that pattern. Whether you’re in Tokyo, Berlin, or São Paulo, you get the same access as someone in San Francisco.
The tool itself lets you visually design AI workflows by dragging and dropping components—think collaborative whiteboard meets no-code AI builder. You can chain prompts, connect data sources, and experiment with different AI models in real-time. It’s Miro meets Zapier, with Google’s AI models underneath.
The practical use cases are straightforward: brainstorming campaigns, building prototype agents, creating team prompt libraries, or generating content workflows. Nothing revolutionary, but accessible and surprisingly functional for quick experiments.
Here’s the interesting part: while Mixboard is globally available, other Google tools still aren’t. Google’s Pomelli—their AI marketing tool for small businesses—remains geo-restricted to specific regions. If you want to access services like Pomelli or test region-locked Google features, you’ll need a VPN.
I’ve been using NordVPN for accessing geo-restricted Google services, and it works reliably for testing new features as they roll out regionally. Consistent US server connections, fast speeds for AI features, and the flexibility to switch between regions when new Google experiments launch.
Mixboard’s global availability is the exception, not the rule, for Google Labs projects. Most still launch with geographic restrictions that can last months or become permanent.
Whether Mixboard survives beyond the experimental phase remains to be seen—Google has a well-documented habit of abandoning promising tools. But at least this time, everyone gets a chance to try it before it potentially disappears into the Google Graveyard.
For context on Mixboard’s initial reception and whether it’s actually useful, see my earlier analysis here.
Try it yourself: Visit labs.google.com/mixboard/welcome to start building visual AI workflows—no VPN required.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to NordVPN. I only recommend services I actually use.