How Do I Copy a Canvas Course?

Canvas gives you two ways to reuse a course from a previous term: copying a course into a brand-new shell, or importing content (in its entirety or just specific pieces) into a course you already have created. This guide covers both methods, how to select specific content during an import, and how to handle due dates for a new term.

Before You Start: Preparation Checklist

Before you open your destination course in Canvas, decide on the following:

• Which course you’re copying from — you’ll need instructor access to that source course.
• Whether you want the entire course or only specific content — assignments, pages, quizzes, and so on.
• How you want dates handled: shifted to match the new term, removed entirely so you can set them manually, or left as they are.
• Whether you already have a destination course shell, or need Canvas to create one as part of the copy.

Copy an Entire Course Into a New Shell

Use this method when you don’t have a destination course yet and want Canvas to create one as part of the copy.

1. In the source course’s Course Navigation, click Settings.
2. Click Copy this Course.
3. Confirm or update the Name, Course Code, Start date, and End date for the new course. These may auto-populate from override dates in your current course settings.
4. Under content, choose All Content to bring everything over, or Select specific content to pick individual items after the copy starts.
5. Check Adjust events and due dates if you want to shift or remove dates as part of the copy.
6. Click Create Course.
7. Watch the Current Jobs section for progress. A status of Waiting for Select means the copy is paused until you finish choosing specific content.

Copy Content Into an Existing Course Using the Import Tool

Use this method when the destination course already exists and you want to bring content into it.

1. Go to the destination course and click Import Existing Content (found on the course home page or in Settings).
2. From the Content Type dropdown, choose Copy a Canvas Course.
3. Start typing the source course’s title and select it once it appears in the matching results.
4. Choose All content, or check Select specific content to pick individual items.
5. Check Import Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes to convert Classic Quizzes to the New Quizzes format.
6. Check Adjust events and due dates if needed, then set your preferred date option (see below).
7. Click Import.

Select Specific Content

1. Once your import job’s status reads Waiting for Select, click Select Content to open the content list.
2. Check the boxes next to whole categories (for example, all Assignments) or expand a category to check individual items one at a time.
3. For quizzes especially, check the item’s name under every category it appears in — a single quiz can show up under Quizzes, Modules, and Question banks — plus any linked files like images or videos.
4. Click Select Content again to confirm your choices and start the import.

Adjust Events and Due Dates

With Adjust events and due dates checked, you have three options:

• Shift dates: Enter the original course’s beginning and ending dates, then the new dates you want them changed to. Canvas proportionally shifts every imported due date and event to match the new timeline.
• Substitution: Within the Shift Dates section, click Substitution to map one day of the week to another (for example, every Monday session moves to Tuesday). Add as many substitutions as you need, or remove one with its Remove icon.
• Remove dates: Strips all due dates from assignments, announcements, quizzes, calendar events, modules, and files, so you can set them manually afterward.

Best Practices

• Bring over only what you’ll actually use this term — an uncluttered course is easier for you and your students to navigate.
• Use Select specific content instead of a full copy when you’ve substantially revised the course since the last time you taught it.
• Convert Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes during import (Canvas is phasing out Classic Quizzes).
• After a date shift, double-check individual assignment due dates — automatic shifting doesn’t always land exactly where you expect, and Canvas’s bulk date-editing tool can fix stragglers quickly.

Troubleshooting

Issue: You selected specific content, but not everything you expected came over.

Solution: Some items, especially quizzes, appear under more than one category. Go back into the import and check the item under every category it shows up in — Quizzes, Modules, and Question banks — along with any linked files.

Issue: Assignment due dates look wrong after the copy.

Solution: Check which date option you used during import — Shift dates, Substitution, or Remove dates. If dates still aren’t right, use Canvas’s bulk date-editing tool to correct them directly rather than redoing the import.

Issue: Your import status has been stuck on “Waiting for Select.”

Solution: That status means the import is paused until you finish choosing content. Open the import job and click Select Content to complete your selections and let it proceed.

Self-Check Questions

• Did I choose the correct source course to copy from?
• Do I want the whole course, or only specific content?
• Have I decided whether to shift dates, remove them, or leave them as-is?
• If I imported quizzes, did I check every category they might appear under?
• Did I confirm the import actually finished, rather than sitting at “Waiting for Select”?

Additional Resources

• Instructure Community: How Do I Copy a Canvas Course Into a New Course Shell?
• Instructure Community: How Do I Copy Content From Another Canvas Course Using the Course Import Tool?
• Instructure Community: How Do I Select Specific Content as Part of a Course Import?
• Instructure Community: How Do I Adjust Events and Due Dates in a Course Import?

Need Extra Support?

If a course copy doesn’t come through the way you expected, or you’re not sure which method to use, reach out to the TLC.