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Canvas includes default notification settings you can receive for your courses. However, you can change the default settings by selecting your own notification settings. These settings only apply to you; they are not used to control how course updates are sent to other users. This document discusses each notification, default settings, and notification triggers.
Canvas includes a set of default notification settings you can receive for your account and for individual courses. Notifications are sent to Canvas contact methods as specified in your account. However, you can change the default settings by setting your own notification settings.
For more information about selecting Canvas notification settings, refer to How do I manage my Canvas notification settings?
Notifications are sent as one of four delivery types: Notify immediately, Daily Summary, Weekly Summary, or Notifications Off. If you change a setting, the change is made immediately to your account.
Notifications set to Notify immediately may be delayed by up to one hour. To prevent users from being spammed by multiple notifications in a short amount of time, the following notifications may be temporarily held in case an instructor makes additional changes. The notification and approximate time delay are listed below:
Alerts
Course Activities
Note: Notifications are delayed as long as work is still happening, to prevent misleading notifications.
Course Content
Grading
Scheduling
Default notifications are set as follows:
Alerts
Course Activities
Conferences
Conversations (Inbox)
Discussions
Groups
Scheduling
You may be able to reply directly to email notifications outside of Canvas. Replies are updated in the Canvas Inbox. However, please be aware that replies will include all content in the email (such as email signatures), and attachments added as part of an external reply are not included with the message shown in Canvas.
For email allow list purposes, notifications will be sent from an email address ending in instructure.com. In most cases, adding the Instructure domain to the allow list is all that is required. The notification sender is displayed according to the notification context: account name, course/group name, or user name.
Several email headers show the sender details that could be used to supplement or enhance a filter that is generating bounced notifications. Canvas uses the following technologies:
If required, allow lists can also be created by Internet Protocol (IP). However, this method is not recommended as the list of valid IP addresses changes periodically and requires maintenance. For a complete list of current IP addresses, please contact your Customer Success Manager and/or Implementation Consultant for assistance.
Notification settings only apply to you; they are not used to control how course updates are sent to other users. (The only exception is the Course Content notification.)
All active users can manage all notification settings shown in this document unless otherwise indicated. An active user is defined as a user with an active enrollment who can participate in a course. Users with concluded enrollments or who have restricted participation will not receive notifications, even if their course is an active course.
Users who have an Observer role within a course currently only receive notifications for actions related to the following settings:
Course Activities
Conversations
Scheduling
Alerts
Not all notifications may be available for all communication methods.
The following notification categories include limited availability for Push notifications:
Course Activities
Conversations
Scheduling
Availability is indicated by a ✢ symbol in the full Notifications description list
This document outlines each notification, the default setting, the behavior(s) that trigger the notification, and the location of the notification. Notification locations can be any contact method set in your profile page with a notification setting, the Course Activity Stream, or both.
Note: Notification Settings do not affect notifications in the Course Activity Stream. Updates in the Course Activity Stream cannot be disabled, but users can choose not to use the Course Activity Stream where applicable, such as in the Dashboard (New Canvas UI) or Course Home Page.
Due Date |
|
Description |
Assignment due date change. Due date notifications to assignment, quiz, or discussion are sent to all users, regardless of their role. |
Default |
Weekly |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Graded Assignment Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
New Graded Quiz or Survey Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
New Graded Discussion Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
Assignment Changed from Non-Graded to Graded |
✔️ | ✔️ |
Change in Assignment or Quiz Due Date ^✢ |
✔️ * |
✔️ * |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Grading Policies |
|
Description |
Course grading policy change |
Default |
Weekly |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Change in Assignment Group Grade Weight^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Change in Gradebook Total Point Method^ (Percentage/Point Value) |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Default Grades Set |
✖️ | ✖️ |
Curve Grades |
✖️ | ✖️ |
Change in Course Grading Schemes |
✖️ | ✖️ |
* = This notification will still send when the box is not checked.
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings to be notified right away.
Course Content |
|
Description |
Changes to course content including page, assignment, and quiz content. When a Canvas user makes changes to assignments, quizzes, and pages, the content includes a Notify users that this content has changed checkbox. Selecting this checkbox triggers a notification regarding the changes that have occurred within that assignment, quiz, or page. |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Edits to Pages^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Edits to Assignments^ |
||
|
✔️ | ✔️ * |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ * |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
* = This notification will still send when the box is not checked.
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings for emails to be sent right away.
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Edits to Quizzes^ |
||
|
✔️ * | ✖️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✖️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✖️ | ✖️ |
|
✔️ | ✔️ |
|
✖️ | ✖️ |
* = This notification will still send when the box is not checked.
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings for emails to be sent right away.
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Files |
|
Description |
New file added to your course. Canvas will only notify you of new files in a course once they have been uploaded. Notifications will not be sent to the user who uploads the file. If an Instructor disables the Files tab within a course, students will not receive this notification. |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New File Added to Course^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Announcement |
|
Description |
New announcement in your course or group. Instructors, TAs, and other custom instructor roles can receive notifications for course groups without being added directly to a group. To receive a notification, they must be enrolled in the course and enable the Announcement notification setting. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Announcement Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings for emails to be sent right away.
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Announcement Created By You |
|
Description |
You can see what announcements you have sent in a course or group. Also, if you allow replies, a notification will be sent for announcement replies. Instructors, TAs, and other custom instructor roles can receive notifications for course groups without being added directly to a group. To receive a notification, they must be enrolled in the course and enable the Announcement Created By You notification setting. |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Announcement Created by You |
✔️ | ✔️ |
Replies to Announcement You Created |
✔️ | ✔️ |
Grading |
|
Description |
Grade changes in your course. Includes entering or changing a submission grade and posting assignment grades. If assignment grades are posted in the New Gradebook for all students in a course or section, only one notification will be sent. If you want to see your grades as part of these notifications, check the Include scores when alerting about grades checkbox. This checkbox also includes a warning that if your email is not an institution email, sensitive content will be sent outside of your institution. Your institution can enable or disable this option at any time. If the Include scores checkbox is not visible in the notifications page, your institution has disabled this feature. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Notification settings do not apply to only one course. If you are enrolled in multiple courses as a student, but you are also enrolled in a course as an instructor or equivalent role (TA, designer), please be aware that notifications from those courses will show student grades (as instructor roles do not have their own grades in such courses). |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Grade is Entered for an Assignment/Submission^✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Grade is Entered for a Quiz^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Grade is Changed for an Assignment/Submission^✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Grade is Changed for a Quiz^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Assignment Grade is Posted |
✔️ | ✖️ |
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings for emails to be sent right away.
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Invitation |
|
Description |
Includes invitations to Web Conferences, Collaborations, Groups, Peer Reviews, and Peer Review reminders. Collaborations Invitations Email notifications for Collaborations relate directly to whether you have enabled Google Drive as a registered web service. When Collaboration notifications are turned on and Google Drive is registered, the connected email address appears in the body of the invitation email; if Google Drive is not registered, the user’s default email will appear in the invitation body. When Collaboration notifications are turned off and Google Drive is registered, an email will still be sent to the connected account email address; if Google Drive is not registered, no email will be sent. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Notifications apply to any user who is issued the invitation. However, users invited to a course in an observer role are not sent a course invitation unless they do not already have a Canvas account. Observer enrollments without a Canvas account must create an account before they can log in to the course. |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Invitees are Added to a Web Conference ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
User Invited to Join a Group |
✔️ | ✖️ |
User Invited to Join a Collaboration ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
User is Assigned a Peer Review ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
All Submissions |
|
Description |
Assignment (except quizzes) submission/resubmission |
Default |
Notifications off |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Submission is Turned In |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Quiz Submitted with Manually Graded Question |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Quiz Submitted w/o Manually Graded Question |
✖️ | ✖️ |
User Resubmits an Assignment |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Graded Group Discussion Reply |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Non-Graded Group Discussion Reply |
✖️ | ✖️ |
Graded Course Discussion Reply |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Non-Graded Course Discussion Reply |
✖️ | ✖️ |
Late Grading |
|
Description |
Late assignment submission |
Default |
Daily |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
A Submission is Turned in Late |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Submission Comment |
|
Description |
Assignment submission comment. Notifications include the text of the submission comment, the creator of the comment, the course, and assignment name. If annotation comments have been made anonymous, notifications are sent without the user’s name who posted the comment. |
Default |
Daily |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Comment Added to an Assignment Submission ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Instructor Re-Uploads Assignment Submissions |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Other User Leaves an In-Line Annotation or Comment in Submission ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Blueprint Sync |
|
Description |
Content was synced from a blueprint course to associated courses. Only enabled for institutions using the Blueprint Course feature. |
Default |
Daily |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Blueprint content synced to an associated course |
✔️ | ✖️ |
New Topic |
|
Description |
New discussion topic in your course |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Discussion Topic is Created |
✔️ | ✔️ |
New Reply |
|
Description |
New discussion reply in a topic you’re subscribed to |
Default |
Daily |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
A Discussion Reply is Made to a Discussion You Are Subscribed To |
✔️ | ✔️ |
New Mention |
|
Description |
New mention in a discussion or announcement post. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Mention in a Discussion or Announcement Post |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Reported Reply |
|
Description |
New reported reply in a discussion. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Reported Reply in Discussion |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Added to a Conversation |
|
Description |
You are added to a conversation in the Inbox |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Users can read and reply to Inbox messages outside of Canvas, but attachments are not included in both sent and received messages. If an incoming message includes an attachment, or an outgoing message requires an attachment, the user must view and send the message from within Canvas. |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
User is Added to a Conversation |
✖️ | ✔️ |
Conversation Message |
|
Description |
You are sent a conversation in the Inbox |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
User Receives a Conversation Message ✢ |
✔️ | ✔️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Conversation Created by Me |
|
Description |
You created a conversation in the Inbox |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
User Sends a Conversation Message |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Student Appointment Signups |
|
Description |
Students signed up for an appointment in Scheduler. |
Default |
Notifications off |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Student Appointment Signups ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Removal of Student Appointment Signups ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Appointment Signups |
|
Description |
A user is signed up for an appointment by another user. This notification occurs when an instructor creates an appointment group and selects the option for students to sign up in groups. After one group member makes an appointment, any other group member with this setting activated will receive a notification. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Group Member Reserves an Appointment |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Appointment Cancellations |
|
Description |
Appointments are cancelled |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Student role |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Appointment Group Deleted ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Appointment Deleted by Instructor ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Appointment Availability |
|
Description |
Change to appointment time slots |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Student role |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Appointment Group Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Time Slots Added |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Appointment Unreserved |
✖️ | ✖️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Calendar |
|
Description |
New or changed Calendar events |
Default |
Notifications off |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
New Calendar Event Created ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Calendar Event Changed ✢ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
✢ = Supported in push notifications
Membership Updates |
|
Description |
Group enrollment, accepted/rejected membership |
Default |
Daily |
User Restrictions |
Admins also receive notifications for activated pending enrollments |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
User is Added to a Group |
✔️ | ✖️ |
User Enrolls in a Course |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Administrative Notifications |
|
Description |
Includes accepted course enrollments, generated reports, context export, migration export, new account users, and new student groups. |
Default |
Daily |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Report is Generated |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Content Export |
✔️ | ✖️ |
New Account User |
✔️ | ✖️ |
New Student Group |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Accepted Course Enrollment |
✔️ * | ✖️ |
* = Instructors are not notified when a student self-enrolls.
Content Link Error |
|
Description |
Location and content of an invalid or broken link clicked by a student. |
Default |
Daily |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Student clicks a link to unpublished content^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Student clicks a link to content with permission errors^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Student clicks a broken link^ |
✔️ | ✖️ |
^ = Email notifications for these actions will be delayed, even if the user has set their notification settings for emails to be sent right away.
Global Announcement |
|
Description |
Global announcement sent by admin |
Default |
Notify immediately |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Global Announcement Sent |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Recording Ready |
|
Description |
Conference recording is ready to view. |
Default |
Notify immediately |
User Restrictions |
Applies to Instructor and Admin roles |
Notification Trigger |
Notification Setting |
Course Activity Stream |
Conference Recording is Ready |
✔️ | ✖️ |
Last update: 2021-10-27
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