You can get help with Canvas from the Help icon. The Help menu displays a list of resources to help you with Canvas. Canvas displays links according to roles in all enrollments; for instance, if you are an observer who has one course with an student-based role, the Help menu will show you links available to observers and students.
This lesson outlines the two default help links that are most commonly included in the Help menu for observers. However, your institution may customize the Canvas Help menu to display custom help resource links and hide default links.
Note: Depending on your institution, the Help menu may not be available.
Open Help
At the bottom of Global Navigation, click the Help link.
Note: Depending on your institution, the Help link name and icon may vary.
View Default Links
Five default help links may display for observer users:
- Search the Canvas Guides [1]: Search the Canvas Guides for information about features inside of Canvas
- COVID-19 Canvas Resources [2]: Users can view resources for teaching and learning online
- Conference Guides for Remote Classrooms [3]: Users can view and search guides and resources for using Conferences in remote classrooms and online learning
- Report a Problem [4]: Submit problems with Canvas to our support team
- Submit a Feature Idea [5]: Submit ideas about how to make Canvas better
Note: Depending on your institution, not all default links may be available in your Help Menu.
View Custom Links
Your institution may reorder or remove the default links.
Your institution may remove or modify which link displays as the featured link [1] and which link displays the New label [2].
Lastly, your institution can include custom links in the Help menu [3]. Custom links may include pages to phone numbers, support information, and other resources.
Search Canvas Guides
The Search the Canvas Guides link helps you search Canvas documentation for information about features in Canvas.
COVID-19 Canvas Resources
The COVID-19 Canvas Resources link allows users to view tips for learning online using Canvas.
View Web Conferencing Resources
The Conference Guides for Remote Classrooms link allows users to access guides and resources for using web conferencing in remote classrooms and online courses. This link may not appear in your Canvas Help menu.
Report a Problem
The Report a Problem link helps you report problems in Canvas.
You may find a faster response to your question by searching the Canvas Guides. But if you can't find an answer, you can submit a ticket and get support help.
Submit Ticket
In the Subject field [1], create a subject for your ticket.
In the Description field [2], describe the problem you are experiencing in Canvas. Please be as detailed as possible to help troubleshoot the problem.
The following information helps the Canvas support team more quickly resolve your question(s):
- A link to the user or name and email of the user.
- A link to the location where the error is occurring.
- A summary of what is occurring.
- A screencast or screenshot of what is occurring.
- The steps you have taken for the Canvas support team to replicate what you are experiencing.
- What resolutions you have already tried (i.e. cleared cache and cookies).
If you submit tickets frequently, you may prefer to use a screencasting program to create an online link to an image or create a video walkthrough. However, if you're not comfortable using online links, you can submit attachments later if necessary; once you submit the ticket, you'll receive an email from the support team. You can reply to the email with any attachment as needed.
Additional information to help the Canvas support team:
- If any files are involved, please provide a copy of the file.
- If it is a custom tool issue, please provide the name of the tool.
- If there are any previous cases that may pertain to your question, please provide those case numbers.
In the How is this affecting you? drop-down menu [3], select the statement that best describes how the problem is affecting you:
- Just a casual question, comment, idea, suggestion
- I need some help but it's not urgent
- Something's broken but I can work around it for now
- I can't get things done until I hear back from you
- EXTREMELY CRITICAL EMERGENCY
When you're done, click the Submit Ticket button [4].
Depending on your institution's support schedule, you'll receive a reply as soon as possible.
Request a Feature
The Submit a Feature Idea link allows you to submit feature ideas to Canvas. This link directs to the Feature Ideas space in the Canvas Community.
View Release Notes
If enabled by your institution, you can view release note links from the Help Menu. Release notes describe new and updated features added to the Canvas interface. The Help Menu displays the last ten release notes posted for the observer role. You may also see notes for admin and instructor roles, if you have been assigned one of those roles in a course.
To view a release note document, click the link for the release [1]. The document contains a user summary of release information relevant to observers. The Help Menu also includes a short description [2] and the date the release notes were published [3].
The Help Menu displays a numbered badge for any release notes that have not been viewed [4]. To hide the numbered badge, click the Show badges for new release notes button [5].
Note: Feature options are not mentioned in release notes until the feature will become a default feature for all users.
