The public course index is a collection of all courses in your institution that can be viewed publicly. In relation to the index, the word public references the index, not the courses; courses in the index may be public or private courses. Learn how to view the Public Course Index.

If you want to include your course as part of the public course index, you can select the course index visibility option in course settings. You can also create a description for your course as part of the catalog listing.

To learn more about visibility options, view the Canvas Course Visibility Options resource document.

Notes:

• The Public Course Index is currently an account setting and must be enabled by your institutional admin.
• If your course is enabled for self-enrollment, you can add a Join button to allow users to self-enroll at any time. This option does not have to be enabled to include a course in the Public Course Index, but students who view the course will not be able to contribute to any discussions, quizzes, or assignments unless they are enrolled.
• If a course includes an end date, the course is not automatically removed from the Public Course Index.