Systems and methods for integrating cloud-based and cloud-backed content items with a content management system are provided. In some examples, a method can include receiving a request to access a canonical content item stored at a content management system, the canonical content item representing a cloud-based content item or a cloud-backed content item having features designed for access through a native online application associated with a cloud content provider; in response to the canonical content item being invoked, sending, from a local application to the cloud content provider, a request for the features of the content item; receiving, at the local application and from the cloud content provider, metadata for enabling the features of the content item; and based on the metadata, providing, on the local application, the features and a content of the content item as part of a rendered instance of the canonical content item.