Import Content into Your Canvas Course

Importing your previous semester’s section in Canvas to your new section makes it easy to start your semester.

The tutorial below will help walk you through a simple set of steps to transfer content from one Canvas course to another.

Steps to Import:

1. Select the empty course.
2. Click Import Course Content on the right sidebar menu.
3. In the Content Type menu, select Copy a Canvas Course.
4. Locate and select the course you want to copy content from in the pull-down menu.
5. Choose what you want to copy.
6. Choose to manually shift events and due dates or have the system shift the dates.
7. Click Import.

Video Transcript (PDF)

Step 1 – Select Empty Course

Select the empty course that you would like to import content into. For example, you may want to select your upcoming course section before the start of the semester.

Step 2 – Import Course Content

Once you are inside the empty course, click Import Course Content in the sidebar menu on the right of the screen. You may also have to scroll down depending on your display settings.

You can also find the Import Course link within the settings page (linked on the course navigation menu) on the right-hand side.

Step 3 – Copy Canvas Course

In the Content Type menu, select Copy a Canvas Course.

You also have the option to import a package from Blackboard if you still have an export package. (Choose Blackboard 6/7/8/9 export .zip file in that case.) If you have a Zip file of test banks from a publisher you want to import, select QTI .zip file.

Step 4 – Locate Course to Copy

Once you select Copy a Canvas course, you will have the option to locate and select the course you want to copy content from in the pull-down menu, or you can try typing the course name in the textbox.

Step 5 – Choose What to Copy

Choose what you want to copy. You can copy All content and clean up material you don’t want, or you can Select specific content to import.

For example, select only quizzes if you only need the quizzes and quiz banks from your past course. Select All content if you want to import everything from the previous course.

Step 6 – Shifting Dates

Under the Options section, you can choose to manually shift events and due dates or let the system shift the dates. Double-check your due dates and availability dates even if you have the system shift dates for you.

Step 7 – Click Import

You are now ready to click Import. Once the import is complete, you should get an email notification and see the material in your course.

Check your Home page, modules, and assignment areas for your content and look for any material duplication. You are likely to see modules from the template more than once if you did not delete them in your new or previous courses.