Do sub account themes override account themes?

[CaitlynMohr]

We are updating our themes to represent a university logo change. We have a couple of different accounts within Canvas that we use to organize courses and training. We are wondering if we change an account theme, if it will override some of our sub-account themes, as some departments and institutes have their own branding they like to use. Has anyone else done this before, and can tell me which theme will take precedence? And if the account theme will override the sub-account, how can I change the sub-account theme to be different?

Thanks!

[james_whalley]

@CaitlynMohr If custom themes are set at the subaccount level, they will stay enabled even when changes are made at the account level. This can be confirmed in your beta instance. https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Releases/What-is-the-Canvas-beta-environment/ta-p/255260 

[James · Accepted solution]

@CaitlynMohr 

This lesson in the Canvas Administrator's Guide explains how inheritance works with themes: How do I create a theme for an account using the Theme Editor?

In short, items not specifically set in the subaccount theme inherit the values from the account theme. Values changed in a subaccount override those in the account.

The account theme will override a subaccount if you have not specified that setting in the subaccount theme. That's the notion of inheritance -- values not specifically set are inherited from the parent theme.

To edit a sub-account theme, you go to Admin > Subaccounts and choose the subaccount. Then click Themes. If you just go to Admin > Themes, you're changing it for the entire account. You can look at the breadcrumb to verify which [sub]account you're working with.

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi @CaitlynMohr ...

In addition to the information you received from @james_whalley and @James, I wanted to suggest this option for you.  You can test out exactly what happens in your school's "test" environment.  Using the "test" environment won't have any impact on things you'd normally do in your school's "production" environment ... which is the environment that you typically log into on a daily basis.  Here are some Guides for you to look at:

• What is the Canvas test environment?
• What is the Canvas release schedule for beta, production, and test environments?
• How do I access the Canvas test environment as an admin?

I hope this will also be helpful to you.