How do I copy content from another Canvas course using the Course Import tool?

[#1]

You can copy course content such as assignments, modules, pages, and discussions from previous Canvas courses into existing courses. You only have access to copy content from courses from current or previous courses in which you are an enrolled user.

This option allows you to copy content into existing courses. You may be able to copy content into a new course shell.

Notes:

• Course imports may not include all content. For more details, please see the import content section in the Canvas Basics Guide.
• Importing a course more than once may have unintended consequences. If you import content into a new course, edit the content in the new course, and later import the previous content again, the imported content will override the existing content.
• You can only copy content from a course that you can currently access. This includes any past or future courses that allow instructor access outside active term dates.
• If you copy all content or include course settings in selected content, the grade posting policy from the original course will override the grade posting policy in the new course. Additionally, imported assignments will retain their assignment posting policy from the original course.

Open Settings

In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

Import Content into Course

Click the Import Course Content link.

Select Content Type

In the Content Type drop-down menu, select the Copy a Canvas Course option.

Search for a Course

In the Search for a course drop-down menu [1], select the course you would like to access. Courses are ordered alphabetically by most recent term. You can also choose to include completed courses by selecting the completed courses checkbox [2]. The Include completed courses checkbox is selected by default.

To search for a course by name, enter the name in the Course Name field [3]. Click the name of the course when it appears.

Note: If you have access to more than 100 courses, the search page only displays the Course Name field.

Select Migration Content

To import all content from the course, select the All Content radio button [1].

If you want to select specific content, click the Select specific content radio button [2].

Note: If you select the specific content option, you are required to select the content you want to import after you review the remaining page options. After you start importing the content, the import selection cannot be canceled.  

Adjust Events and Due Dates

If you want to adjust the due dates associated with the course events and assignments, click the Adjust events and due dates checkbox.

Import Course

Click the Import button.

View Current Jobs

The Current Jobs section displays the status of your import. Running reports display a progress bar indicating the time remaining to complete the import [1].

If you chose to select specific content in your course, the current job will show as Waiting for Select [2], which means you must select the content you want to import.

The import may also display other status indicators as part of the import process. Learn more about course import statuses.

View the content from any completed imports by accessing any link in Course Navigation.

[ddreiling]

Not enough clarity.

[CanvasDocTeam]

Hello @ddreiling,

Sorry this lesson didn't meet your expectations. Is there anything specific about this lesson that we could clear up in future updates?

Cody

[tahiti225]

What if the course you are trying to import does not show up in the list? It is a published course.

[CanvasDocTeam]

@tahiti225,

Are you an enrolled user in the course where you want to import the content?

Cody 

[david_downs]

Hi. In the introduction to this article it states, "You only have access to copy content from courses from current or previous courses in which you are an enrolled user." Then in the third bullet in the intro it states, "You can only copy content from a course that you can currently access." I think  a user needs to both be enrolled in a course and have access to it in order to copy content from it. But since the two requirements are separated from each other, that is not clear. One of our users read the instructions to mean you needed to be enrolled in the course or have access to it. For clarity, would it be possible to update the second sentence of the introduction to say something like, "You only have access to copy content from courses from current or previous courses in which you are an enrolled user and currently have access" or something like that?  Thanks for your consideration!

[chrisgenthe]

I only want to copy a few items (specifically video links I added to one course) from one course to all of my other courses. How do I do that?

[Renee_Carney]

@chrisgenthe 

We have a few guides that I think will help you with this.

How do I copy an assignment to another course? - Canvas Community

How do I copy a discussion to another course? - Canvas Community

How do I copy a page to another course? - Canvas Community

How do I copy a quiz to another course? - Canvas Community

[CanvasDocTeam]

Hi @david_downs,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’re looking into a way to clarify the lesson better and will update it as soon as we have the best solution. Thanks again for your suggestion. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you might have in the future.

Alli

[pamartinez]

Hello,

I want to copy just ONE Module at a time from one of my active user courses to another..I don't want to copy all the modules. I see no way to do that. Please help!!!

Thanks,

The technical dinosaur...

[Renee_Carney]

@pamartinez You can use the import tool described above to select one module at a time when you import to another course.  

You can also copy individual content items, like assignments, and then you could place them in a module in the course you moved them to.  There is a discussion related to this at Copy modules to other classes - Canvas Community 

[ccallicott]

@Renee_Carney I am also trying to import one module at a time, and I am unable. The tool only allows me to select "Modules" as a whole and doesn't provide the option of selecting a specific module. This is problematic as I am simultaneously building two of the same course. 

[ccallicott]

@pamartinez  and @Renee_Carney  I think I solved our problem. Once you get to the "Select Content" window, if you click the arrow to the left of the checkbox, it opens up the grouping to display individual items. @Renee_Carney  maybe this can be added to the instructional page above?

[Ktrettin]

Is there a way to import individual assignments from another teacher's course (in my school) into my course?  I know you can import the entire course via the commons, but that will wipe out all things in my course that I have created and students have turned in.  All I want to do is be able to copy another teachers assignments / quizzes / etc. that we share content across canvas courses that are not in my own courses.

[CanvasDocTeam]

Hi @Ktrettin,

Check out these two lessons to see if it might work for you:

• How do I copy an assignment to another course?
• How do I send an assignment to another instructor?

Cody

[Rebelrona]

I just want to make sure that when you course copy to another section - it doesn't remove the content from the first section - it just duplicates it - That is not clear in your guide above - I'm assuming it doesn't remove the content and just copies/duplicates it to the other section. But before I do anything - I wanted to be sure on that.

[Markeyc]

When importing from another course with the same Assignment Groups is there a way when importing assignments to have them go to the same Assignment Group as they were in before importing? For example, I import a module from course 1 to course 2, rather than separating the imported content into the correct assignment groups I already decided on they were all put in Imported Assignments. This is less than ideal as now I have to move them all around to the correct assignments groups in the course I just imported them to. Why do all the settings stay the same.... Except the assignment group? I hope I'm being clear enough in my description. I also want to be very clear that cross linking is not an option for my courses so I rely on importing and I'm looking for time savers.

[CanvasDocTeam]

@Rebelrona,

This option will only copy content from the course and won't remove anything.

Cody 

[CanvasDocTeam]

@Markeyc,

It looks like assignments will retain their group if you either a) import the entire course or b) select specific content and select the entire assignment group. So I suppose if it is faster, you could import the entire assignment group and then remove any assignments you don't want.

Cody 

[sbridge]

What about item banks?  Those aren't on the list of import options...

[CanvasDocTeam]

Hi @sbridge,

Thanks for your question! Including New Quizzes in course import/export is something that is currently under development.

Cody 

[brian_champagne]

Is it possible to delete saved comments from Speed Grader?

[CanvasDocTeam]

Hi @brian_champagne,

Couple questions.

1. Are you trying to delete comments you've made or someone else has made?

2. What type of comments were added? E.g. annotated comments, free-form comments, or feedback comments.

Naomi