Canvas Feature Option Summary
What feature options are currently available for an entire Canvas account?
Instructure is continually adding new features to Canvas to improve your experience. The majority of improvements are made available as part of the Canvas regular release cycle. However, some features may change the workflow for common activities in Canvas during your current term and are placed in your Account Settings as a Feature Option. After a specified period of time, some Feature Options may become standard features in Canvas.
Learn more about account Feature Options and how to enable them.
What feature options are currently available at the course-level?
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Feature options that are listed as "Account/Course" in the Configuration column of the tables below are available for courses.
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Course-level feature options may be locked at the account level by the institution and may not be adjustable at the course-level.
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Learn more in How do I manage feature options for a course?
Feature Option Availability and Configuration
The Feature Options shown in this document are available for all institutions and noted in their respective environments (beta or production). Some feature options must be enabled by your Customer Success Manager.
- Account Feature Options and Previews:
- State: Enabled and Unlocked | Tooltip: Allowed for subaccounts/courses, default on
- State: Enabled and Locked | Tooltip: Enabled for all subaccounts/courses
- State: Disabled and Unlocked | Tooltip: Allowed for subaccounts/courses, default off
- State: Disabled and Locked | Tooltip: Disabled for all subaccounts/courses
- Course Feature Previews
- State: Enabled and Unlocked | Tooltip: Optional in course, default on
- State: Disabled and Unlocked | Tooltip: Optional in course, default off
Feature Types
Feature options are grouped into one of three types, when available. Unless otherwise noted, all features default to Off and Unlocked.
- Pending Feature Options will eventually be enabled for all Canvas users. Use your beta environment to learn about these new Feature Options for your course. You'll have advanced notice in Upcoming Canvas Changes regarding their enforcement dates.
- Optional Features are feature options that will never be enforced, and they will eventually be moved to an Account or Course Setting.
- Default Optional Features are enabled for each account by default. However, Admins can choose to turn off these features.
- Feature Previews are feature options in active development. Users who opt into the feature and join the Community user group can help improve the feature through direct feedback.
Notes:
- Feature option settings are never copied from production into test or beta environments and always retain their default settings. Feature options must be managed individually in the test and beta environments.
- Some feature options may not be available in sub-accounts and Free-for-Teacher accounts. For more information about available feature options in Free-for-Teacher accounts, please view the Canvas Account Comparisons resource.
- Course feature options can be enforced for an entire account, if necessary.
Pending Feature Options
Pending Feature Options will eventually be enabled for all Canvas users. Use your beta environment to learn about these new Feature Options for your course. You'll have advanced notice in Upcoming Canvas Changes regarding enforcement dates.
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Feature Option |
Summary |
Configuration |
Release Notes |
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Disable Classic Quiz Creation |
Disable Classic Quiz Creation uses New Quizzes as the default quizzing engine when creating a quiz. Removes the ability for instructors to create Classic Quizzes. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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The New Quizzes LTI is an assessment engine that integrates with Canvas and will replace Classic Quizzes functionality. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Calendar Event Title Tooltip |
Calendar Event Title Tooltip displays a tooltip for calendar events if the title doesn't fit on a single line. |
Account (Disabled) |
Optional Features
Some account features are only available in the Feature Options tab in Account Settings after being configured by a Customer Success Manager. Additionally, only admins who have permission to view Feature Options can view the Feature Options tab.
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Feature Option |
Summary |
Configuration |
Release Notes |
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Account and Course Level Outcome Mastery Scales allows setting account and course-level mastery scales and calculation methods; replacing ratings and calculation methods. |
Must be configured by a Customer Success Manager (CSM) |
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Admin Manage Access Tokens |
Limit the ability to manage access tokens to admins only. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Allow Outcome Extra Credit allows instructors to award more than the maximum possible score on an outcome in a rubric. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Apply Score to Ungraded allows instructors to apply scores to ungraded artifacts en masse from assignment group and Total column menus in the Gradebook. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Anonymous Grading allows all course assignments and New Quizzes to be graded anonymously in SpeedGrader. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Anonymous Instructor Annotations allows instructors to create assignments with anonymous instructor annotations in DocViewer-supported submissions. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Canvas Elementary Theming allows Canvas courses that do not already have a customized Course Navigation menu, to view a simplified Course Navigation menu. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Confetti for On-Time Submissions allows students to see confetti when they submit assignments on time. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Confetti for Valid Links allows instructors to see confetti when they run the link validator on a course and no issues are found. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Check Permissions when Masquerading as Course Admins |
Check Permissions when Masquerading as Course Admins ensures users masquerading as Course Admin roles (Teacher/TA/Designer base role) that the masquerading user has all of the same (or more) permissions as the target user. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Content Security Policy allows admins to enable the Security tab in Account Settings to manage the Content Security Policy for an account. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Emojis in Submission Comments adds an emoji picker that allows students and teachers to add emojis to their submission comments. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Enable New SIS integration Settings allows you to manage SIS validations and assignment sync settings for all subaccounts and courses. |
Must be configured by a Customer Success Manager (CSM) |
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Encrypted Sourcedids for Basic Outcomes |
Encrypted Sourcedids for Basic Outcomes allows lis_result_sourcedids to be encrypted. This parameter is part of the LTI IMS specification used in grade passback integrations and historically includes a combination of known information such as course id, tool id, and assignment id. |
Account (Disabled) |
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Enhance password options |
Enhance password options allows you to customize password requirements for your institution. You can also customize login attempts. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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ePub Exporting allows all users to download a course as an ePub file. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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External Collaborations Tool allows users to view an updated interface for Collaborations when an institution has added the Google Apps LTI or the Microsoft LTI. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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The Final Grade Override allows instructors to manually enter a final grade for a student in the Gradebook different from the grade automatically calculated by Canvas. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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K-12 Specific Features allows you to display the Global Navigation icons in K-12 specific branding. This feature can be used for customization in the Theme Editor. |
Must be configured by a Customer Success Manager (CSM) |
No Notes Available. Released 2014-08-16. |
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The Learning Mastery (Outcome) Gradebook helps you and your instructors assess the outcomes that are being used in Canvas courses. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
No Notes Available. Released 2014-03-01 |
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Microsoft Group Enrollment Syncing |
In collaboration with Microsoft’s release of multiple new apps for Canvas, course rosters can be synced with Microsoft Teams. |
Account (Enabled) |
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The Microsoft Immersive Reader enhances accessibility and comprehension for any reader. |
Account (Disabled) |
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Mobile Offline Support (iOS Student | Android Student) |
Allow students to sync their course content in the mobile apps and view them while offline. |
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Moderated Grading allows anyone with assignment creation permissions to specify an assignment submission to be reviewed by one or multiple graders, review the assignment grades, and select which grade should be set as the final grade for each student. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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New User Tutorial allows new instructors to view a course set-up tutorial to help them easily set up a course in Canvas. |
Account (Disabled) |
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For systems that follow the OpenID Connect (OIDC) standard, providing the right information ensures proper redirection after sign-out. If the system is not fully OIDC-compliant, admins may need to add a specific URL (https://sso.canvaslms.com/login) to their system's settings to ensure correct redirection. |
Account (Enabled/Locked) |
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| Perform Full Validation of OpenID Connect Tokens |
Canvas fully complies with the OpenID Core specification by verifying key identity token details, including Audience, Issuer, Issued At, Expiration, and Nonce, ensuring they meet strict criteria. Tokens must also be securely signed using a secret key or accessible public key. |
Account (Enabled/Locked) |
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Product Tours enables a welcome tour for admins, teachers, and students that guides them through Canvas features that are vital to their user role. |
Account (Disabled) |
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Quiz Log Auditing allows instructors to investigate problems that a student may have when taking a quiz. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
No Notes Available. Released 2015-01-31 |
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Rich Content Editor Icon Maker allows users to manage a library of custom icons from the RCE. |
Account (Disabled) |
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The Student Learning Mastery Gradebook shows students how they are being scored against outcomes being used in Canvas courses. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
No Notes Available. Released 2014-07-12 |
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Admin can create temporary enrollment pairings, allowing recipients (temporary enrollees) to have access to a provider’s (ex: an instructor’s) course(s) for a specific time frame. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Top Navigation Placement |
An LTI Tools Menu button displays on all pages with a top navigation bar in Canvas and external tools with this placement display in the LTI Tools Menu dropdown. Up to two tools can be pinned to display on the top-navigation bar. An external tool with the Top Navigation placement must also be enabled for the LTI Tools button to display in the top navigation bar. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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View Ungraded as Zero View in Gradebook adds the View Ungraded as 0 option to the View menu in the Gradebook. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
Default Optional Features
The following optional features currently default to On for each account. Admins who have permission to manage Feature Options can opt out of the following features by accessing the Feature Options tab in Account Settings.
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Feature Option |
Summary |
Release Notes |
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Admin Analytics allows Admins to view, filter, and download data about Canvas usage, course success, and student engagement.
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Allow LTI Placement Toggling |
When enabled, admins can enable or disable existing placements for any LTI tool installed on the External Apps page (previously only allowed for 1.1 tools to assist with migration to 1.3). Changes to placement status for 1.3 tools made on this page will be reset by any changes to the LTI developer key, including changes made by Instructure to global inherited keys. |
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Allow Sub-Account Selection when Users Manually Create Courses |
Allow Sub-Account Selection when Users Manually Create Courses lets admins decide where manually-created courses should be located in the account. |
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Automatic Mobile App Login |
Automatic Mobile App Login allows applications that rely on Canvas webviews to direct to the Canvas app. |
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Comment Library allows users with grading permissions to save and search frequently used feedback in a library of comments to be used in SpeedGrader. |
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Default Due Time |
Default Due Time adds an account/course setting for a default due time for new assignments |
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Embedded Release Notes |
Embedded Release Notes adds release note links to the Help Menu for users with admin, instructor, TA, and/or observer roles. |
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The Improved Outcomes Management feature provides admins and instructors with improved outcomes creation, navigation, search, and import experiences. |
Canvas Release Notes (2021-09-18) |
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New Course and User Analytics allows users to use and preview New Analytics in their courses before they replace the current course and user analytics functionality. |
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Outcome Average Calculation Method |
The Outcome Average Calculation Method allows users to use the average as a calculation method for a given outcome. |
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Schedule Page Publication allows instructors to delay pages for publication for a specific date and time. |
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Self Service User Merge |
Self Service User Merge allows users with the necessary permissions to merge accounts. |
Feature Previews
The following account and course feature options are feature previews, which means they are in active development. Enabling one of these features provides early access to ongoing improvements.
User Groups
Customers who choose to enable a feature preview in the Production environment should join the user group and subscribe to the change log to stay current with upcoming features and their release dates.
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Feature Preview |
Summary |
Configuration |
Release Notes |
User Group |
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Assignment Enhancements allows supported student assignments to display an improved interface and submission workflow. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) | |||
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Peer Review Support in Assignment Enhancements allows students to provide feedback on another student's assignment submission using Assignment Enhancements. |
Must be configured by a Customer Success Manager (CSM) The Assignment Enhancements feature option must also be enabled. |
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Course Pacing distributes due dates on a defined pace for rolling enrollments. |
Account (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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Discussion Summaries |
Discussion Summarization uses a Generative AI model to give instructors summaries of the main points, questions, and ideas in a discussion thread. |
Account (Disabled/Locked) |
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Enhanced Rubrics |
Enhanced Rubrics provides visual and functional enhancements to rubrics across Canvas. Assignment Enhancements must be enabled for students to view the enhanced rubric. |
Beta: Account/Course (Enabled/Unlocked) Production: Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
Enhanced Rubrics User Group | |
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The New Quizzes LTI is an assessment engine that integrates with Canvas and will replace Classic Quizzes functionality. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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New Quizzes Migration during Course Import/Copy |
Allows the New Quizzes checkbox option to display as part of the Import Content page. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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New Quizzes Migration Enabled by Default |
Allows the New Quizzes checkbox option to be selected in the Import Content page by default. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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New Quizzes Migration Required |
Selects the New Quizzes checkbox by default. Users who are importing content are required to import all existing quizzes as New Quizzes. |
Account/Course (Disabled/Unlocked) |
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| Smart Search | The Smart Search feature uses AI to understand search queries, giving more accurate and relevant results without needing complicated search terms or tools. | Account (Disabled/Locked) | Canvas Deploy Notes (2024-07-17) | Smart Search User Group |
