Copy a Canvas Course

Canvas makes it easy to reuse content you've already created, saving you time and effort. Whether you've heard it called "Copy my course," "Import content," or "Roll my course forward," the process is the same: you don't have to rebuild your course each term. This guide walks you through importing content into a new Canvas course, explores alternative copying methods, and highlights key steps to complete after importing to avoid common issues.

Copy a Canvas Course

This is the most common method for preparing a new term with a new course shell. This guide uses the terms source course (the course you're copying from) and destination course (the course you're copying to) to clarify the copy process.

Warning: Do not edit your previous course before copying. Always copy first, then make changes in the destination course. This preserves the academic record and avoids broken links or missing content.

Open your destination Canvas course shell. This is the course you are copying content to.
Select Import Existing Content from the Home page or Settings

On the Import Content page, set Select Content Type to Copy a Canvas Course

In the search field, enter the name of the source course. Double-check the course is correct by ensuring the term matches the source course you intend to copy from.
- Not seeing a course? Only courses where you were enrolled as a Teacher, TA, Designer, Colleague, or UIW Librarian role will appear as options. Check "Include completed courses" to see courses from previous terms
- We suggest opening the Settings of the source course and copying the Canvas ID value. Then, paste it into the search field to find the exact course you need.
Choose All Content to copy everything

(Optional) Configure Options:
- Convert content to New Quizzes: Existing question banks and classic quizzes will be imported to the destination course as Item Banks and New Quizzes.
- Adjust events and due dates: Recommended. Automatically shifts all events and due dates in accordance with the start and end dates of the destination course.
  - Select Shift Dates to move events and due dates
  - Canvas will automatically populate the dates if they exist in the course settings of the source and destination course. If they are absent, enter old term start/end dates and new term start/end dates

(Optional) Continue configuring options if needed:
- Use Substitution if your new term follows a different weekly schedule
- Use Remove Dates to remove dates for the destination course
When you're ready, select Add to Import Queue and wait for the process to finish

Understanding Import Status Results

After your import completes, you'll see one of these status indicators on the Import page:

Completed (Green): Import was completely successful. No further action necessary

Completed with Issues (Orange): Import succeeded but with warnings. Select "View Issues" to see details and open direct links to the broken items. This is normal and your course is still usable.

Red (Failed): Import failed completely. Contact Canvas Support for assistance.

Additional Copy Methods

Copy only specific content

During the import process, you can choose to Select Specific Content. This is Ideal if you only need certain assignments, quizzes, or pages rather than the entire course.

Written Guide: Copy only specific content

Open your destination Canvas course shell
Select Import Existing Content from the Home page or Settings
On the Import Content page, set Select Content Type to Copy a Canvas Course
In the search field, enter the name of the source course. Double-check the course is correct by ensuring the term matches the source course you intend to copy from.
- Not seeing a course? Only courses where you were enrolled as a Teacher, TA, Designer, Colleague, or UIW Librarian role will appear as options. Check "Include completed courses" to see courses from previous terms
Choose Select specific content instead of All Content
Configure date settings if needed
Select Add to Import Queue
When the job shows "Waiting for Select," click Select Content
Check the boxes next to content you want to copy
Expand sections using arrows for more granular control
Click Select Content to begin the import

Video Tutorial: Copy only specific content

Copy individual items or modules with "Copy To" and "Send To"

Perfect for reusing a specific assignment or updating a single resource. This method works differently—you start in the source course, not the destination.

Written Guides: Copy individual items

Use Copy To to move content to another course you teach
Use Send To to share content with another course or instructor

Video Tutorial: Copy individual items

Post-Copy Action Items

After importing, your course needs several checks. Complete the following steps after you've performed a course copy.

1: Verify Import Success

Before diving into course customization, take a moment to confirm your import completed properly. Understanding import results prevents confusion and ensures you're starting with a solid foundation.

Check the import status on the Import Existing Content page in Canvas
Review any warnings in "View Issues" (warnings are usually minor and don't always affect the success of the copy)
- "Completed with Issues" does NOT mean your copy failed. Most successful imports show warnings for minor items like missing files or broken links.
- "Missing links found in imported content - Wiki page body" is a common issue. These are broken links. Use the link validator tool within Canvas to fix broken links.
Confirm your content appears in the course
- If your Home Page appears blank or missing, don't worry, your old home page is still there and just needs to be reset.

2: Set the Course Home Page

If you selected the All Content option during the import process, it may appear that your home page is missing. In reality, you copied the Home Page, but it didn't replace the template homepage of the course you copied it to. Don't worry, the Home Page is located in the Pages area of your copied course. Learn how to set the home page for your course.

3: Update the Course Navigation

Your course navigation may include old links or enabled options that aren't actively used in the destination course. For optimal user experience, limit additional navigation links to 10 or fewer, excluding core Canvas elements such as Home, Modules, Grades, and other essential course tools. Learn how to manage course navigation links.

4: Follow the Canvas Checklist

The UIW Canvas Checklist guides faculty through essential action items for accessing, building, and managing their Canvas courses. Use this checklist to ensure your course is fully prepared before the term begins and that you've addressed all critical requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my import show "Completed with Issues" in orange?

This is completely normal and doesn't mean your import failed. Orange status indicates the copy was successful but Canvas encountered minor issues like:

Missing files that were linked but deleted from the original course
Updated Canvas features that work differently than when originally created
External links that may have changed
Minor formatting adjustments

Select View Issues and open the direct links to fix the broken and flagged items.

My course home page is blank or shows the wrong content

This happens because course import doesn't always preserve home page settings. Learn how to set the home page for your course.

Can I import content multiple times?

Not recommended. Importing content multiple times can cause issues:

Duplicate assignments and content
Conflicting due dates
Overwritten customizations you made in the new course

If you need to add specific items after or before your initial import, we recommend the "Copy To" feature for individual items instead.

What content doesn't copy during course imports?

Student submissions and grades
Course analytics and statistics
Student enrollments
Some external tool configurations
Conversation/message history
Calendar events not tied to assignments

When should I use "Remove Dates" vs "Shift Dates"?

Shift Dates: Use when you want to automatically move all due dates to your new term schedule. Best for regular semester transitions.
Remove Dates: Use when you want to manually set all due dates, or when your new course has a very different structure.