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 idea is the same: you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each term.

At the beginning of every new term, it’s best practice to copy your course content before making any edits. This helps preserve the academic record of your previous course and ensures you have a clean starting point for the new term.

You have three main options when 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 when you only need certain assignments, quizzes, or pages.
Copy a single module or item – Perfect for making targeted updates or reusing just a portion of content.

Copy the Entire Course

Canvas makes it easy to reuse content from a previous course by using the Import Existing Content tool. This is the most common method instructors use when preparing to teach a course again in a future term.

⚠️ Do not clean up or edit your previous course before copying it. Copy first, then make changes in the new course. This ensures you preserve the academic record and avoid breaking links or removing valuable content.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open the new course shell where you want to import content.
On the Home page or in Settings, click the Import Existing Content button.
On the Import Content page, set the Content Type dropdown to Copy a Canvas Course.
In the Search for a Course field, locate and select the course you want to copy from.
Select All Content to bring everything over. (Recommended if you’re reusing most of the course.)
Optional: If the original course used due dates, check the Adjust events and due dates box.
- Choose Shift Dates to automatically move dates to match the new term. Enter the start and end dates of your previous course (found in Settings). Then enter the start and end dates of your new course.
- Choose Remove Dates if you want to start fresh without any dates.
- Use the Substitution option if the new course follows a different weekly schedule (e.g., starting on a Tuesday instead of a Monday).
Click +Add to Import Queue and allow the process to run.

After Importing

Check the import status on the Import Existing Content page.
- Green means the import was successful.
- Orange indicates warnings — click View Issues to review and fix anything that needs attention.
- Red (Failed) means the import wasn’t completed — contact Canvas Support for assistance.
Go to Settings > Navigation and edit your course navigation links.
Go to Pages > View All Pages and set the correct front page for the course.
Go to Modules > Course Orientation for Students and edit/publish for your course needs.

Copy All Content Demonstration Video

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

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

Copy Only Select Parts

If you are certain to only need a few parts of your course, you can choose Select Specific Content on step 5 in the Copy an Entire Course process.

Select Specific Content Demonstration Video

Copy a Single Module or One Item Inside a Module

If you only want to copy a module or an individual module item from your course, the "Copy To" feature is the best choice. Note, Copy To has a known issue with New Quizzes.

For this option, you need to open the previous course where the content exists - the exact opposite of the Import Content tool.

Copy To is for sharing with yourself in another course.
Send To is for sharing content with other people.

Copy To Demonstration Video

FAQ: Copy a Canvas Course

How do participation dates work in Canvas courses?

Participation dates control students' ability to actively work in your course. They are dependent on the course being Published first, then they allow instructors to further manage course access.

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

Read the instructor guide for adjusting events and due dates.

Where can I learn more about import status?

Read the instructor guide to view the status of current and prior imports.