Importing Course Content
- Jessica Villarreal (Unlicensed)
- Elizabeth Ellison
The Course Import Tool allows you to import content from another course into your current course. You can choose to import all content or select specific items. Please note that you can only import content from courses where you are enrolled as a teacher or have teacher-copy access. This guide will walk you through the steps to Copy a Canvas Course.
Importing the same course content multiple times may cause issues, as it will overwrite any existing content in the course you're importing into. Please ensure that you only import the content you need to avoid potential conflicts.
How to Start the Import
Open the course where you want to import content.
Go to Settings in the Course Navigation Menu.
Click Import Course Content.
From the Content Type drop-down, select Copy a Canvas Course.
In the Search for a course field, begin typing the name or course number of the course you want to import from. If you want to include past enrollments, make sure the Include completed courses box is checked.
Selecting What to Import
Next, decide what content to import:
All Content: Choose this option if you want to import everything from the selected course.
Specific Content: Select this option if you only want to import certain items. You’ll then need to click Select Content to choose the specific items you want to import. (Click Here for a Help Document on Importing Specific Content)
Additionally, select Remove Dates to remove all "due dates" and "available from and until" dates. This ensures that there are no conflicts with scheduling in your course.
If you do not select Remove Dates, the due dates and availability dates from the imported content will overwrite your course’s existing dates. This can cause scheduling conflicts and timing issues with assignments, quizzes, and other activities.
When you’re ready, click Import. Canvas will show a warning that the import will overwrite existing content in the target course.
Tracking the Status of Your Import
Once the import starts, the Current Jobs section will display the status of your import. Be aware that the time it takes to complete may vary based on factors like the number of users, the size of the import, and system load. Please be patient as the process may take some time.
Things to Keep in Mind
File Storage: Importing content counts toward your course’s file storage limit.
One Import at a Time: Canvas can only process one import at a time.
Unpublished Assignments: If an assignment was unpublished in the original course, it will also be unpublished in the import.
Missing Features: Some features, such as Mastery Paths and Group Sets, are not included in imports and will need to be recreated.
Assignment-Related Content: Any assignment-related content (like quizzes or discussions) will be imported along with the assignment.
No Enrollment Data: Enrollment data (users, groups, etc.) and certain settings (like feature previews) are not included in the import.
Imported Announcements & Discussions: These will not display the original creator’s name, and students will not receive notifications for these imported announcements.