YouTube Videos In Canvas: Steps for Ad-Free Playback

Important: This migration process is only necessary for YouTube videos that are embedded in your Canvas courses with embed code. If you're sharing YouTube videos going forward, you don't need to migrate anything—just use Canvas Studio's YouTube sharing feature directly.

Starting November 1, 2025, YouTube videos embedded directly in Canvas may display ads, potentially disrupting the learning experience.

For sharing new YouTube content moving forward, use the guide on Sharing YouTube Videos with Canvas Studio above to ensure an ad-free experience from the start.

If you have existing YouTube embeds in your course(s), use this guide to migrate them to Canvas Studio for ad-free playback.

How to migrate embedded YouTube content

Enable the YouTube Migration Tool

Before you can migrate embedded videos, the migration tool must be enabled in your course.

Navigate to your course Settings.
Click the Feature Options tab.
Locate the YouTube content migration feature and enable it.

Refresh the page. The YouTube Migration option will now appear in your course Navigation Menu.

Scan Your Course for YouTube Content

Once the tool is enabled, you can scan your course to identify all embedded YouTube videos that may display ads.

Click YouTube Migration in your course Navigation Menu.
Click Scan Course to begin searching for YouTube content.

After a few moments, the results will display showing:
- Total: The number of ad-enabled YouTube videos found
- Canvas Resource: A direct link to where the video appears in your course
- Content Type: The type of Canvas content containing the video
- Review: An option to review and convert each video

Convert Embedded YouTube Videos

With all YouTube content identified in one place, you can now convert videos to Studio content.

Click the Review button next to any video you want to convert.
Preview the video to confirm it should be migrated.
Click Convert.

After a few moments, the status will change to show the video has been converted.
The Canvas Resource column will display an All converted notice once complete.

Converted videos are automatically saved to Course Collections within Canvas Studio, where they will play ad-free with captions carried over from YouTube.

Video Overview

YouTube Migration Tool FAQ

Do I need to migrate each time I share a YouTube video?

No! This migration process is only needed if raw embed code is used to share a YouTube video in a Canvas course. To share a video and block ads, please use the YouTube feature in Canvas Studio to share content from YouTube.

Why are YouTube videos in Canvas starting to show ads?

Starting October 31, 2025, YouTube videos embedded or linked in Canvas may display ads as part of YouTube's updated content monetization model. Videos uploaded from September 2025 onward, or are migrated to Canvas Studio will play ad-free using the YouTube Player for Education.

What are the benefits of migrating YouTube videos to Canvas Studio?

Migrated videos provide a distraction-free learning experience with no ads, no overlays, and no recommended videos. Additionally, captions from YouTube are automatically carried over, and you gain access to Studio-only features like monitoring student viewing behavior and embedding quiz questions.

Will migrating videos affect my Canvas Studio storage?

No. YouTube videos embedded in Canvas Studio function as links to YouTube and are not hosted in Studio, so they won't count against your storage quota.

Where will my migrated videos be stored?

Videos migrated using the tool are automatically saved to Course Collections within the course where they were originally embedded. If you manually migrate a video, it will be added to your personal Studio library.

What if a video fails to migrate?

Videos may fail to migrate if they have been set to Private, have become Unavailable (deleted), or are part of a YouTube playlist. For more troubleshooting help, visit the YouTube Player for Education FAQs.

Can I migrate videos manually instead of using the tool?

Yes. You can manually migrate YouTube videos by removing the embedded video from your Canvas content, adding the YouTube URL to Canvas Studio, and then re-embedding the Studio version. For detailed step-by-step instructions, visit How do I migrate embedded YouTube videos in Canvas to Studio content?

Where can I learn more about the YouTube Player for Education that shows no ads?

For comprehensive information about the YouTube Player for Education, migration processes, and additional troubleshooting, visit the YouTube Player for Education FAQs resource document.