Canvas How-To Articles (Vendor Guides)
Instructure frequently pushes updates to Canvas and revise their help articles to reflect these changes. As such, we rely on their updated articles to ensure that our users view the most current help information possible. Below is a list of common articles from the Instructure Website. Please use these guides if you have any questions.
For up to date information on bug fixes, changes, and features, please check out the Canvas Release Notes.
Announcements
- What are Announcements?
- How do I use the Announcements Index Page?
- How do I view and sort announcement replies as an instructor?
- How do I make an announcement in a course?
- How do I edit an announcement in a course?
- How do I add content to an announcement in a course?
- How do I delete an announcement in a course?
- How do I add an external RSS feed to an announcement?
- How do I view the Announcements RSS feed?
- How do I subscribe to the Announcements RSS Feed?
- How do I delay posting an announcement until a specific date in a course?
- How do I attach a file to an announcement in a course?
- How do I require students to post to a course announcement before they see replies?
- How do I allow students to like replies in a course announcement?
- How do I like a reply in a course announcement?
- How do I close an announcement for comments in a course?
- How do I reply to an announcement?
Assignments
- What are Assignments for instructors?
- How do I use the Assignments Index Page?
- How do I use Draft State in Assignments?
- What is the difference between a Canvas Assignment and a Canvas Activity?
- What assignment types are available in Canvas courses?
- What is the difference between assignment due dates and availability dates?
- How do I create an assignment?
- How do I create an assignment shell in an assignment group?
- How do I add an assignment group in a course?
- How do I weight the final course grade based on assignment groups?
- How do I create rules for an assignment group?
- How do I create an online assignment?
- How do I add details to an assignment?
- How do I add or edit points for an assignment?
- How do I exclude an assignment from the course's final grade?
- How do I delete an assignment?
- What do assignments with different due dates look like in Canvas?
- How do I assign an assignment to an individual student or course section?
- How do I assign an assignment to a course group?
- How do I add a grading scheme to an assignment?
- How do I set up a moderated assignment to be graded by multiple reviewers?
- How do I add students to an assignment moderation set?
- Can a student resubmit any assignment?
- What is a peer review assignment?
- How do I create a peer review assignment?
- How do I manually assign peer reviews for an assignment?
- How do I automatically assign peer reviews for an assignment?
- How do I import SCORM files as an assignment?
Attendance (Roll Call)
- What is the Roll Call Attendance Tool?
- How do I configure the Roll Call Attendance tool in a course?
- How do I edit the Roll Call Attendance assignment?
- How do I take roll call using the Attendance tool?
- How do I use Roll Call Attendance Badges in a course?
- How is Roll Call Attendance graded in Canvas?
- How do I create a roll call seating chart using the Attendance tool?
- How do I run Roll Call Attendance reports in a course?
Calendar
- What is the Calendar for instructors?
- How do I use the Calendar?
- How do I filter the Calendar view by course?
- How do I add an event to a course calendar?
- How do I add a repeating event to a course calendar?
- How do I add a personal reminder to the Calendar?
- How do I create an assignment shell from the Calendar?
- How do I edit an event or assignment in the Calendar?
- How do I add a conference invitation link to an event in the course calendar?
- How do I set a different event date for each section in a course calendar?
- Where can I find the Calendar iCal feed?
- How do I subscribe to the Calendar feed using Outlook?
- How do I subscribe to the Calendar feed using Google Calendar?
- What is the Scheduler?
- How do I create an appointment group in the Scheduler?
- How do I remove students from an appointment in the Scheduler?
Collaborations
Computer Specifications
Conferences
- What are Conferences for instructors?
- How do I create a conference?
- How do I create a long-running conference?
- How do I delete a conference?
- How do I edit a conference?
- How do I record a conference?
- How do I start a conference?
- How do I join a conference?
- How do I conclude a conference?
- How do I use the Conferences interface?
- How do I share my desktop in the Conferences interface?
- How do I add files to a conference?
- How do I start a poll in a conference?
- How do I automatically create a poll using a presentation in a conference?
- How do I take a poll in a conference?
Conversations (Inbox/Email)
- What is Conversations?
- How do I use Conversations?
- How do I find my unread messages in Conversations?
- How do I filter conversations?
- How do I star a conversation?
- How do I compose and send a message?
- How do I send a message to an entire class as an instructor?
- How do I attach a file to a message?
- How do I attach a media comment to a message?
- How do I reply to a message in Conversations?
- How do I privately respond to one individual in a group message?
- How do I reply to submission comments in Conversations?
- How do I forward a message from a conversation?
- How do I add new people to an existing conversation?
- How do I delete a conversation?
- How do I delete a message from a conversation?
- How do I archive a conversation?
Course Import Tool
- What is the Course Import Tool?
- How do I copy a Canvas course?
- How do I import content from another Canvas course?
- How do I import a Canvas course export package?
- How do I export a Canvas course?
- How do I select specific content as part of a course import?
- How do I adjust events and due dates in a course import?
- How do I view the status of current and prior course imports?
Course Navigation
Course Status
Discussions
- What are Discussions for instructors?
- What is the difference between Announcements and Discussions?
- How do I use the Discussions Index Page?
- How do I use Draft State in Discussions?
- What is the difference between threaded and focused discussions?
- How do I view and sort discussion replies as an instructor?
- How do I create a discussion as an instructor?
- How do I create a group discussion in a course?
- How do I assign a graded discussion to an individual student or course section?
- How do I assign a graded discussion to a course group?
- How do I edit a discussion in a course?
- How do I attach a file to a discussion reply as an instructor?
- How do I enable a podcast feed for a discussion in a course?
- How do I delay posting a discussion until a specified date in a course?
- How can I require students to post to a course discussion before they see replies?
- How do I pin a discussion in a course?
- How do I close a discussion for comments in a course?
- How do I delete a discussion in a course?
- How do I reply to a discussion as an instructor?
- How do I allow students to like replies in a discussion?
- How do I like a reply in a course discussion?
- How do I allow students to attach files to a course discussion?
- How do I allow students to create a course discussion?
- How do I allow students to edit and delete their own discussion posts in a course?
- How do I change discussion settings to manually mark discussion replies as read?
- How do I mark discussion posts as read or unread as an instructor?
- How do I subscribe to a discussion as an instructor?
- How do I edit or delete student discussion posts in a course?
- How do I link to a YouTube video in a discussion reply as an instructor?
- How do I embed an image in a discussion reply as an instructor?
- What is a peer review discussion?
- How do I create a peer review discussion?
- How do I manually assign peer reviews for a discussion?
- How do I automatically assign peer reviews for a discussion?
Files
- What are Files for instructors?
- How do I view my user files as an instructor?
- How do I view course files as an instructor?
- How do I view group files as an instructor?
- How do I use Files as an instructor?
- How do I move and organize my files as an instructor?
- How do I rename a file as an instructor?
- How do I create a folder in Files as an instructor?
- How do I upload a file to a course?
- How do I preview a file as an instructor?
- How do I upload ZIP files as an instructor?
- How do I bulk upload files to a course?
- How do I delete a file as an instructor?
- How do I download a single file as an instructor?
- How do I download a folder in ZIP format as an instructor?
- How do I restrict files and folders to students in Canvas?
- How do I set usage rights and user access for a course file?
- How do I set usage rights and user access for a course file folder?
- What document types does Canvas convert using the document previewer?
- What types of files are supported in Canvas?
- How do I edit an HTML file in a course?
Global Navigation
- How do I log in to Canvas?
- How do I use the Dashboard?
- How do I view grades in the Dashboard?
- How do I use the Global Navigation Menu?
- How do I view my Canvas courses?
- How do I customize my Course list?
- How do I create a nickname for a course?
- How do I get help with Canvas?
- How do I log out of Canvas?
Grades
- What are Grades and the Gradebook?
- How do I use the Gradebook?
- How do I view assignments or students individually in the Gradebook?
- How do I use grading periods in a course?
- How do I view grading period dates in a course?
- What do the icons and colors in the Gradebook represent?
- How do I view assignment details in the Gradebook?
- How do I create extra assignment columns for non-submission assignments in the Gradebook?
- How do I hide student names in the Gradebook?
- How do I enter and edit scores in the Gradebook?
- How do I excuse an assignment for a student in the Gradebook?
- How do I use grading history in the Gradebook?
- How do I leave comments for students in the Gradebook?
- How do I send a message to my students from the Gradebook?
- How do I set a default grade for an assignment?
- How do I curve grades in the Gradebook?
- How do I mute an assignment in the Gradebook?
- How do I grade group assignments in a course?
- How do I view a student's Grades page in a course?
- How do I view my students' total grades as a point value instead of a percentage in the Gradebook?
- How do I sort columns in the Gradebook?
- How do I move the Total column in the Gradebook?
- How do I use the Notes column in the Gradebook?
- How do I change assignment group weights in the Gradebook?
- How do I view grades for concluded student enrollments in the Gradebook?
- How do I view grades for inactive student enrollments in the Gradebook?
- How do I bulk download assignment submissions in Canvas?
- How do I bulk upload assignment submissions in Canvas?
- How do I download scores from the Gradebook?
- How do I upload changes to the Gradebook?
- What is Moderated Grading?
- How do I publish final grades for a moderated assignment?
- What are What-If Grades?
- How do I give extra credit in a course?
- How do I treat ungraded assignments as zero in the Gradebook?
Groups
- What are Student Groups?
- How do I view student groups as an instructor?
- How do I view my Canvas groups as an instructor?
- How do I create a new group set?
- How do I clone a group set?
- How do I edit a group set?
- How do I automatically create groups in a group set?
- How do I manually create groups in a group set?
- How do I expand and collapse groups?
- How do I create self sign-up groups?
- How do I automatically assign students to groups?
- How do I manually assign students to groups?
- How do I assign a student leader to a group?
- How do I message students who have not signed up for a self sign-up group?
- How do I prevent students from switching groups in self sign-up groups?
- How do I move a student into a different group?
- How do I view student activity within a group as an instructor?
- How do I delete a group set?
- How do I start a collaboration with a student group as an instructor?
Modules
- What are Modules for instructors?
- How do I use the Modules Index Page?
- How do I use Draft State in Modules?
- How do I create a module?
- How do I edit a module?
- How do I add items to a module?
- How do I add duplicate module items?
- How do I use duplicate module items as checkpoints in a course?
- How do I reorder modules?
- How do I delete a module?
- How do I add text to a module?
- How do I edit module items?
- How do I remove module items?
- How do I reorder module items?
- How do I require students to move through each module item in order?
- How do I lock a module?
- How do I set up prerequisite modules?
- How do I add requirements to a module?
- How do I expand or collapse module contents as an instructor?
- How do I use modules to view the progress of students in a course?
- How do I link to an external tool in modules?
- How do I link to an external URL in modules?
Outcomes
- What are Outcomes?
- What calculation methods are available for outcomes?
- How do I create an outcome for a course?
- How do I create outcome groups for a course?
- How do I edit or delete an outcome or outcome group in a course?
- How do I create custom course outcome names for students?
- How do I move outcomes and outcome groups in a course?
- How do I find an existing outcome to add to a course?
- How do I align an outcome with a question bank?
- How do I view all aligned items and artifacts within an outcome?
- How do I use the Learning Mastery Gradebook to view outcome results in a course?
- How do I view outcomes or student results individually in the Learning Mastery Gradebook?
- How do I view the outcomes results report for an individual student in a course?
Pages
- What are Pages for instructors?
- How do I use the Pages Index Page?
- How do I use Draft State in Pages?
- How do I create a new page in a course?
- How do I change the name of a page in a course?
- How do I edit a page in a course?
- How do I delete a page in a course?
- How do I upload a PDF to a page in a course?
- How do I link to other Canvas pages in a course?
- How do I set a Front Page in a course?
- How do I embed a video in a page in a course?
- How do I create a file link in a page in a course?
- How do I view the history of a page in a course?
People
- How do I use the People page as an instructor?
- How do I add users to a course?
- How do I limit a user to only view other users in the same course section?
- How do I view user details for an enrollment in a course?
- How do I edit user roles in a course?
- How do I edit sections for an enrollment in a course?
- How do I deactivate an enrollment in a course?
- How do I conclude an enrollment in a course?
- How do I restore a concluded enrollment in a course?
- How do I view concluded enrollments in a course?
- How do I delete an enrollment in a course?
- How do I link a student to an observer in a course?
- How do I view a summary of all my student interactions in a course?
- How do I view my course interactions with an individual student?
- How do I view the course access report for an individual student?
- How can I view registered web services for a student in a course?
Profile and User Settings
- What are Profile and User Settings?
- How do I edit my profile in my user account?
- How do I add a profile picture in my user account?
- How do I change the settings in my user account?
- How do I change the language preference in my user account?
- How do I add contact methods to receive Canvas notifications?
- How do I set my Canvas notification preferences?
- How do I add an additional email address as a contact method in Canvas?
- How do I change my default email address in my user account?
- How do I reset my password?
- How do I add a text (SMS) contact method in Canvas?
- How do I manage new features in my user account?
Quizzes
- What are Quizzes for instructors?
- How do I use the Quizzes Index Page?
- How do I use Draft State in Quizzes?
- What quiz types are available in Canvas courses?
- What options are available in Canvas quizzes?
- How do I import quizzes from QTI packages?
- How do I create a quiz with individual questions?
- How do I create a quiz with a question group to randomize quiz questions?
- How do I create a quiz by finding questions in a question bank?
- How do I create a quiz with a question group linked to a question Bank?
- How do I create a Multiple Choice quiz question?
- How do I create a True/False quiz question?
- How do I create a Fill-in-the-Blank quiz question?
- How do I create a Fill-in-Multiple-Blanks quiz question?
- How do I create a Multiple Answers quiz question?
- How do I create a Multiple Dropdown quiz question?
- How do I create Likert scale quiz questions?
- How do I create a Matching quiz question?
- How do I create a Numerical Answer quiz question?
- How do I create a Formula quiz question with a single variable?
- How do I create a Simple Formula quiz question?
- How do I create an Essay quiz question?
- How do I create a File Upload quiz question?
- How do I link course content to a quiz question?
- How do I create a question bank in my course?
- How do I bookmark a question bank in my course?
- How do I unbookmark a question bank in my course?
- How do I delete a question bank in my course?
- How do I move multiple questions from one question bank to another?
- How do I move/copy a question from one question bank to another?
- How do I reorder questions or question groups in a quiz?
- How do I import a question bank from one Canvas course to another?
- How can I create a quiz where students only see one question at a time?
- How do I make a quiz available before or after the due date?
- How do I assign a quiz to an individual student or course section?
- How do I delete a quiz?
- How do I export quiz content from my course?
- Once I publish my quiz, how do I make additional changes?
- Once I publish my quiz, how do I use the Moderate Quiz page?
- Once I publish my quiz, what kinds of quiz statistics are available?
- Once I publish my quiz, how can I give my students extra attempts?
- Once I publish a timed quiz, how can I give my students extra time?
- How do I manually submit outstanding student quiz submissions?
- How do I view student quiz results?
- How do I view a quiz log for a student?
- What regrade options are available for a quiz?
- How do I regrade a Multiple Choice quiz question?
- How do I regrade a True/False quiz question?
- How do I regrade a Multiple Answers quiz question?
- How do I use quiz fudge points in SpeedGrader?
- How do I grade one quiz question at a time in SpeedGrader?
- How do I create a survey in my course?
- How do I view survey results in my course?
- How do I view practice quiz results?
Rich Content Editor
- What is the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I align text using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I style text content in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I remove formatting copied from another source in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I create a bulleted or numbered list using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I insert a table using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I use the HTML view in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I embed images from Canvas into the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I embed images from the web in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I embed images from Flickr Creative Commons in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I create a hyperlink in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I link to a YouTube video in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I embed iFrame videos using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I upload a video using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I upload an audio file using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I record a video using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I record audio using the Rich Content Editor?
- What should I do if I can't record video comments with my webcam?
- How do I use the Math Editor in the Rich Content Editor?
- What is the Content Selector in the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I insert links to course content into the Rich Content Editor using the Content Selector?
- How do I insert course files into the Rich Content Editor using the Content Selector?
- How do I insert course images into the Rich Content Editor using the Content Selector?
- How do I set the auto-open for inline preview for files using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I disable inline previews for files using the Rich Content Editor?
- How do I create a caption file for an external video?
- How do I create captions for new or uploaded videos in Canvas?
- How do I view captions in a video?
- How do I embed a dynamic Google document into the Rich Content Editor?
Rubrics
- What are Rubrics?
- How do I create a rubric in a course?
- How do I add a rubric to an assignment?
- How do I add a rubric to a graded discussion?
- How do I add a rubric to a quiz?
- How do I edit a rubric in a course?
- How do I manage rubrics in a course?
- How do I align an outcome with a rubric in a course?
Settings
SpeedGrader
- What is SpeedGrader?
- How do I get to SpeedGrader from the Gradebook?
- How do I get to SpeedGrader from an assignment, quiz, or graded discussion?
- How do I use SpeedGrader?
- How do I use a rubric to grade submissions in SpeedGrader?
- How do I use free-form comments instead of ratings in a rubric in SpeedGrader?
- How do I leave feedback comments for student submissions in SpeedGrader?
- How do I view past versions of submissions in SpeedGrader?
- How do I download assignments in SpeedGrader?
- How do I find a student submission in SpeedGrader?
- How do I sort assignments in SpeedGrader?
- How do I track my grading progress and the average grade in SpeedGrader?
- How do I mute or unmute an assignment in SpeedGrader?
- How do I enable anonymous grading for an assignment in SpeedGrader?
- How do I review moderated assignments in SpeedGrader?
- How do I use Crocodoc in Canvas assignments?
- How do I use Chrome's speech recognition feature to leave a comment in SpeedGrader?
Syllabus
For more help, please contact canvas@yale.edu.