Copy a Canvas Course: Importing Content

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.

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

You have three options for copying content in Canvas:

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.

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.

Important: 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.

How 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.
Choose All Content to copy everything, or use the “Select specific content” option 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

Check the import status on the Import Existing Content page:
- Green: Import successful.
- Orange: Warnings—click View Issues for details.
- Red: 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.

Copy All Content Demonstration Video

If prompted, sign in with Cardinal Apps to view the video.

Trouble viewing the embed? Watch the Copy All Content Demonstration Video directly.

Copy Only Select Parts

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

Select Specific Content Demonstration Video

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.

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.

Copy To Demonstration Video

FAQ: Copying Canvas Courses

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.