How do I customize the Canvas Help Menu for an account?

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The Help Menu assists users in your institution by displaying a list of Canvas help resources. Depending on their role, users can view up to eight default help options. As an admin, you can reorder or hide default links in the Help menu. You can also add custom help links for your institution and choose if they should be available to all users or specific user roles. You can highlight links by adding a New label to a link or by featuring the link in the Help menu.

You can also change the Help icon and text that displays throughout Canvas.

This article shows how to access the Help Menu Options directly from the Global Navigation Menu. However, you can also access the Help menu options in Account Settings.

Notes:

• Canvas Help menu customizations are only available at the account level and automatically apply to all subaccounts. When opening the Help menu, only admins can view the customization link.
• Help menu customizations are not available in Free-for-Teacher accounts.
• The Help menu links also display when a user accesses the Help link in the Login page. However, the Ask Your Instructor a Question and Ask the Community links are never part of the Help menu in the Login page since the Login page does not associate a user by role.
• The Help menu includes a Show Welcome Tour link which displays a short welcome tour for Admins, Instructors, and Students. This link cannot be disabled.
• Release note links can be added to the Help Menu by enabling the Embedded Release Notes feature option. When the feature option is enabled, this feature cannot be customized in Account Settings.

00:07: How do I customize the canvas help menu for an account? 00:12: In global navigation, click the help menu link, then click the customize, 00:16: this menu link. 00:19: In the settings tab, locate The Help menu option section. 00:23: By default the canvas. Help menu, text displays as help to 00:27: change the text. Enter the new name in the text field. 00:31: The name of the help menu displays in global navigation, the footer of 00:35: the login page and the top menu bar in speed grader. 00:39: The name should be no more than 30 characters. 00:42: By default the help Navigation, icon displays as a question mark. 00:46: To change the navigation, icon select another icon from the included icon 00:51: set. The selected icon displays a square border. 00:56: The navigation icon, currently only displays in global navigation to 01:00: best assist your account users. The navigation icon should complement the 01:04: name of the help menu. 01:07: You can allow your users to view up to eight, default help menu links, according to their 01:11: role 01:13: Search. The canvas guides users can search the canvas guides for information 01:17: about features inside of canvas. 01:21: Conference guides for remote. Classrooms users can view and search guides 01:25: and resources for using conferences in remote classrooms and online learning. 01:31: Ask your instructor a question, students. 01:33: Only students can quickly send their instructors questions about their courses. 01:37: Messages are copied to the conversation sent folder and move to 01:41: the inbox when a reply is received. 01:45: Report. A problem users can submit problems with canvas. 01:48: Tickets are either sent to Canvas OR your own support team, depending 01:52: on your institutions preference to manage support tickets. 01:58: Training services portal users can access training resources provided 02:02: by instructure. 02:09: Ask the community non-students, only users can exchange ideas 02:13: and solutions regarding canvas functionality with canvas experts and their 02:17: canvas peers. 02:19: Submit a feature idea. Users can submit ideas about how to make canvas 02:23: better. 02:28: To move a default link up or down in the menu, click the up or down arrow. 02:32: To delete a default link. Click the delete icon to edit a 02:37: default link. Click the edit icon. 02:40: To edit the name of a default link type in the link, name field. 02:44: To edit the description of a default link type in the link description field. 02:49: To select which users can view a default link. 02:51: Click the user role available to checkboxes. 02:55: Options include everyone. Students teachers admins, 02:59: observers and unenrolled. 03:02: Unless otherwise changed all user roles are selected for custom links. 03:08: Use the features checkboxes if you wish to have the link display with a new label 03:12: or as a featured link. To add a custom featured headline, edit, 03:16: the featured headline field. You may only have one featured link and 03:20: one New Link in The Help menu. 03:24: To save your changes, click the update link button. 03:39: If you want to restore a default Link in The Help menu, click the add link 03:43: button and select the name of the link. Faded links cannot be added 03:47: as they are already in The Help menu. 03:50: If you'd like to add a custom link to the help menu, click the add link button, 03:54: then click the add, custom link option. 04:00: In the link name field, enter the link name. 04:03: In the link description field. Enter a description for the link. 04:08: In the link URL field, enter the URL for the link. 04:12: This field is required. 04:15: The link URL field also supports the telephone URL and milto 04:19: schemes. To create a click to call Link in The Help menu, 04:23: enter telephone plus followed by the internal format of the phone 04:27: number country, code area code. 04:29: And number, in this field, Additionally, users can use 04:34: the telephone link to call the number through their computers. 04:37: When a user clicks, the link the user receives a confirmation alert before 04:41: the call is placed. Users may be able to access telephone links 04:45: when viewing canvas in a mobile browser. Although mobile browsers are not officially 04:50: supported by canvas to create a meal to scheme in The Help menu. 04:54: Enter mailto followed by the email address. 04:58: When a user clicks, the link the user's browser opens the email service 05:02: configured in the user's browser and creates an email to the designated email 05:06: address. If no browser configuration is set, the 05:10: browser will try to pass the email link to a desktop email program. 05:15: For the available to checkboxes select the users who can view the link. 05:19: Options include everyone. Students teachers admins, 05:23: observers and unenrolled. 05:26: Unless otherwise changed custom links, select checkboxes for all 05:30: roles. 06:14: Use the features checkboxes if you wish to have the link display with a new label 06:18: or as a featured link. To add a custom featured headline, edit, 06:22: the featured headline field. You may only have one featured link and 06:26: one New Link in The Help menu. 06:30: Click the add link button. 06:45: To move a custom link up or down in the menu, click the up or down arrow. 06:49: To edit a custom link. Click the edit icon to delete a 06:54: custom link. Click the delete icon. 06:57: Click the update settings button. 07:08: This guide covered how to customize the canvas help menu for an account.

Customize Help Menu

In Global Navigation, click the Help Menu link [1], then click the Customize this menu link [2].

View Help Menu Options

In the Settings tab, locate the Help menu options section.

Customize Name

By default, the Canvas Help menu text displays as Help. To change the text, enter the new name in the text field.

The name of the Help menu displays in Global Navigation, the footer of the login page, and the top menu bar in SpeedGrader. The name should be no more than 30 characters.

Customize Icon

By default, the Help navigation icon displays as a question mark. To change the navigation icon, select another icon from the included icon set. The selected icon displays a square border.  

The navigation icon currently only displays in Global Navigation. To best assist your account users, the navigation icon should compliment the name of the Help menu.

Customize Help Menu Links

You can allow your users to view up to eight default Help menu links according to their role:

• Conference Guides for Remote Classrooms [1]: Users can view and search guides and resources for using Conferences in remote classrooms and online learning
• COVID-19 Canvas Resources [2]: Users can view resources for teaching and learning online
• Ask your Instructor a Question (Students Only) [3]: Students can quickly send their instructor(s) questions about their courses; messages are copied to the Conversations Sent folder and moved to the Inbox when a reply is received
• Search the Canvas Guides [4]: Users can search the Canvas Guides for information about features inside of Canvas
• Report a Problem [5]: Users can submit problems with Canvas; tickets are either sent to Canvas or your own support team, depending on your institution's preference to manage support tickets
• Training Services Portal [6]: Users can access training resources provided by Instructure
• Ask the Community (Non-Students Only) [7]: Users can exchange ideas and solutions regarding Canvas functionality with Canvas experts and their Canvas peers
• Submit a Feature Idea [8]: Users can submit ideas about how to make Canvas better

Manage Default Links

To move a default link up or down in the menu, click the up or down arrow [1]. To delete a default link, click the Delete icon [2]. To edit a default link, click the Edit icon [3].

Notes:

• The Help menu links also display when a user accesses the Help menu from the Login page. However, even when enabled, Ask Your Instructor a Question, Ask the Community, and Training Services Portal links are never part of the Help menu in the Login page since the Login page does not associate a user by role.
• The Show Welcome Tour link cannot be modified or removed from the Help menu.

Edit Default Links

To edit the name of a default link, type in the Link name field [1]. To edit the description of a default link, type in the Link description field [2]. To select which users can view a default link, click the user role Available to checkboxes [3]. Options include Everyone, Students, Teachers, Admins, Observers, and Unenrolled. Unless otherwise changed, all user roles are selected for custom links.

Use the Features checkboxes [4] if you wish to have the link display with a New label or as a featured link. To add a custom featured headline, edit the Featured headline field [5]. You may only have one featured link and one new link in the Help menu.

To save your changes, click the Update link button [6].

Note: The Link URL cannot be changed for default links.

Restore Default Links

If you want to restore a default link in the Help menu, click the Add Link button [1] and select the name of the link [2]. Faded links cannot be added as they are already in the Help menu [3].

Restore Default Links

If you'd like to add a custom link to the Help menu, click the Add Link button [1], then click the Add Custom Link option [2].

Add Link

In the Link name field [1], enter the link name.

In the Link description field [2], enter a description for the link.

In the Link URL field [3], enter the URL for the link. This field is required.

The link URL field also supports the telephone URL and mailto schemes.

• To create a click-to-call link in the Help menu, enter tel:+ followed by the internal format of the phone number (country code, area code, and number) in this field. Additionally, users can use the telephone link to call the number through their computers. When a user clicks the link, the user receives a confirmation alert before the call is placed. (Users may be able to access telephone links when viewing Canvas in a mobile browser, although mobile browsers are not officially supported by Canvas.)
• To create a mailto scheme in the Help menu, enter mailto: followed by the email address. When a user clicks the link, the user's browser opens the email service configured in the user's browser and creates an email to the designated email address. If no browser configuration is set, the browser will try to pass the email link to a desktop email program.

For the Available to checkboxes [4], select the user(s) who can view the link. Options include Everyone, Students, Teachers, Admins, Observers, and Unenrolled. Unless otherwise changed, custom links select checkboxes for all roles.

Use the Features checkboxes [5] if you wish to have the link display with a New label or as a featured link. To add a custom featured headline, edit the Featured headline field [6]. You may only have one featured link and one new link in the Help menu.

Click the Add Link button [7].

Manage Custom Links

To move a custom link up or down in the menu, click the up or down arrow [1]. To edit a custom link, click the Edit icon [2]. To delete a custom link, click the Delete icon [3].

To add another custom link, click the Add Link button [4].

Update Settings

Click the Update Settings button.