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

You can copy course content such as assignments, modules, pages, and discussions from previous Canvas courses into existing courses. You can also bulk migrate quizzes from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes.

You can only copy content from courses in which you are enrolled as a user whose role has the Manage Course Content permission of Course Content - Add enabled.

The Import Course Content 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.
  • 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. The participation dates from the original course will override the participation dates in the new course. Additionally, imported assignments will retain their assignment posting policy and participation dates from the original course.
  • When a course is copied that includes a new quiz with an item bank, the item bank is shared with the new course automatically.

Open Settings

Open Settings

In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

Import Content into Course

Import Content into this Course button

Click the Import Course Content link.

Select Content Type

Import Content from Blackboard

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

Search for a Course

Select Institution

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 Include completed courses checkbox [2], which is selected by default.

To search for a course by name, enter the name or SIS ID 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

Select Course

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.  

Bulk Migrate Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes

Bulk Migrate Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes

If allowed by your institution, you can bulk migrate existing quizzes into New Quizzes by clicking the Import existing quizzes as New Quizzes checkbox.

If your institution enables the quiz migration feature, question banks linked via a question group in Classic Quizzes will migrate to New Quizzes. If the quiz migration feature is not enabled by your institution, questions from question banks must be individually added before migrating to New Quizzes.

Notes:

  • New Quizzes does not include a survey feature. Therefore, surveys migrated from Classic Quizzes come over as standard quizzes in New Quizzes.
  • After migration to New Quizzes, multiple dropdown questions display as matching questions.
  • Text No Question questions migrate to New Quizzes as Stimulus questions. An instructor must add a question in order for it to display in a quiz.
  • Question groups with manually created questions will migrate as item banks in New Quizzes.
  • If a quiz is migrated multiple times, Canvas uses smart merging to decipher the question bank content that should be retained. This process helps ensure all content is retained, such as in cases where multiple users may be making edits to a quiz at the same time.
  • Practice quizzes from Classic Quizzes can be migrated to New Quizzes. Once migrated, by default, the practice quizzes are displayed as zero points possible and are hidden from the Gradebook and Grades page.

Adjust Events and Due Dates

Select Course

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

Import Blueprint Course Settings

Import Blueprint Course Settings

You can import settings from a blueprint course into another blueprint course. Importing blueprint settings applies the same lock preferences to objects as the original blueprint course. To import settings from a blueprint course, click the Import Blueprint Course Settings checkbox.

View Content Import Warning Message

View Content Import Warning Message

When importing content, a message displays explaining that importing the same course content or export package more than once overwrites any existing content in the course.

Import Course

Import Course

Click the Import button.

View Current Jobs

Course Extraction Email

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.