What is the Rich Content Editor?

The Rich Content Editor provides a condensed, more intuitive toolbar that is grouped by common icons and interactions.

The content editor that is available anytime for creating new content. The Rich Content Editor is used in features that support the editor (Announcements, Assignments, Discussions, New Quizzes, Pages, Quizzes, or Syllabus).

View Rich Content Editor

View Rich Content Editor

The Rich Content Editor includes the content area, the menubar, and the toolbar.

In the content area, you can add and preview the page content [1].

In the menubar, you can use the menu options to format the page content [2].

In the toolbar, you can format text [3]; insert links, images, media, and documents [4]; open external tools [5]; format paragraphs [6]; clear formatting [7]; add tables [8]; insert an equation [9]; and embed media [10]. When content in a browser window is long enough to require a scroll bar, the toolbar is fixed at the top of the browser window.

Note: If enabled by your institution, the Rich Content Editor Icon Maker, allows you to make icons in your course within the Rich Content Editor.

What Canvas Features Use the Rich Content Editor?

The following Canvas features use the Rich Content Editor:

  • Announcements
  • Assignments
  • Discussions
  • New Quizzes
  • Pages
  • Quizzes
  • Syllabus

Open Keyboard Shortcuts

View Rich Content Editor

Canvas users can use keyboard navigation in the Rich Content Editor. To view the Keyboard Shortcuts menu, click the Keyboard icon or press the Shift+Question Mark keys simultaneously. You can also open the menu by pressing the Alt+F8 keys (PC keyboard) or Option+F8 keys (Mac keyboard) simultaneously.

View Keyboard Shortcuts Menu

View Keyboard Shortcuts Menu

The following shortcuts are supported in the Rich Content Editor:

  • To open the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog, press Alt+F8 (on a PC keyboard) or Option+F8 (on a Mac keyboard) simultaneously
  • To focus the element options toolbar, press Ctrl+F9 (on a PC keyboard) or Cmd+F9 (on a Mac keyboard) simultaneously
  • To focus on the editor's menubar, press Alt+F9 (on a PC keyboard) or Option+F9 (on a Mac keyboard) simultaneously
  • To open the editor's toolbar, press Alt+F10 (on a PC keyboard) or Option+F10 (on a Mac keyboard) simultaneously
  • To close a menu or dialog and return to the editor area, press the EscĀ key
  • To navigate through a menu or toolbar, press the TabĀ key
  • You can also use other keyboard shortcuts