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 my content," or "Roll my course forward," the process is the same: you don't have to rebuild your course each term.

Important: At the start of every new term, copy your course content before making any edits. This preserves a record of your previous course and gives you a clean starting point for the new term.

Three Options for Copying Content

Copy the entire course – Best for fully built courses you want to reuse as-is
Copy select parts of the course – Ideal if you only need certain assignments, quizzes, or pages
Copy a single module or item – Perfect for reusing a specific section or updating a single resource

Option 1: Copy the Entire Course

Use the Import Existing Content tool to copy content from a previous Canvas course. This is the most common method for preparing a new term.

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

Steps to Copy an Entire Course

Open your new Canvas course shell
Click Import Existing Content from the Home page or Settings
On the Import Content page, set Content Type to Copy a Canvas Course
In the search field, select the course you want to copy from
- Only courses you have participated in a Teacher or TA role will appear as options to copy from.
Choose All Content to copy everything, or use Select specific content for more control
If you want to adjust dates:
- Check Adjust events and due dates
- Choose Shift Dates to move dates to the new term (enter old and new term dates), or Remove Dates to leave all dates blank
- Use the Substitution option if the new term follows a different weekly schedule
Click Add to Import Queue and wait for the process to finish

After Importing

While the course copy process has finished, additional cleanup steps are needed to remove any inconsistencies and prepare the course for publication.

Check the import status on the Import Existing Content page:
- Green (Completed): Import successful
- Orange (Partially Completed): Warnings—click View Issues for details
- Red (Failed): Import failed—contact Canvas Support for help
Go to Settings > Navigation and edit your course navigation links
Go to Pages > View All Pages and set the course front page
Go to Modules > Course Orientation for Students and edit or publish modules as needed

Video Tutorial: Copy All Content

Option 2: Copy Only Select Parts

If you only need a few items, use Select Specific Content on step 5 of the course copy process.

Video Tutorial: Select Specific Content

Option 3: Copy a Single Module or Item

To copy a module or copy an individual item, use the "Copy To" feature.

Note: Copy To has a known issue with New Quizzes that may require an extra step.

For this option, start in the original course containing the content you want to copy—this is the opposite of using Import Content.

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

Video Tutorial: Copy Single Items

Frequently Asked Questions

How do participation dates work in Canvas?

Participation dates control when students can access and work in your course. The course must be published first. Learn more about managing participation dates.

Where can I learn more about adjusting dates during the import?

See the instructor guide for adjusting events and due dates during import.

Where can I check the import status?

See the guide for how to view the status of current and prior imports.