How Do I Embed a Panopto Video in Canvas?

Panopto videos can go directly into a Canvas page, assignment, discussion, or announcement through the Rich Content Editor, or be added as their own item inside a module. This guide covers both methods, as well as what to check when a video won’t play for students.

Before You Start: Preparation Checklist

Before you open your course in Canvas, confirm the following:

• The video is already uploaded to Panopto and sits in a folder you can access — your course folder or your personal My Folder.
• Where the video should live: inside a Page, Assignment, Discussion, or Announcement via the Rich Content Editor, or as its own Module item.
• The recording’s availability settings in Panopto allow students to view it — a video can be embedded correctly and still be blocked if its availability date hasn’t started or it hasn’t been shared with users with a NECO email address (see Share > “Who can access this video”).
• Whether the recording has captions or a transcript added in Panopto — add these before embedding so the video is accessible from the moment students see it.

Embed a Video Using the Rich Content Editor

1. Open the Rich Content Editor on the page, assignment, discussion, or announcement where you want the video to appear.
2. In the editor toolbar, click the Panopto icon. If you don’t see it right away, click the toolbar’s options (three-dot) icon to expand the full set of tools.
3. Select the folder where the video is stored. If the folder isn’t visible in the list, start typing its name and it will filter as you type.
4. Locate your video within the folder and choose Insert.
5. Preview the embedded video in the editor, then click Save (or Save & Publish, depending on the content type) to finish.

Add a Video as a Module Item

1. Go to Modules and find the module you want to add the video to.
2. Click the + button next to the module’s name to open the Add Item dialog.
3. From the dropdown, choose External Tool, then select Panopto Video Module Embed.
4. In the window that opens, use the dropdown at the top to choose your course folder or My Folder, then select the video you want and click Insert. The video’s link will populate the URL field automatically.
5. Click Add Item to finish adding the recording to the module.
6. Click the publish icon next to the new item so it’s visible to students — adding an item to a module does not publish it automatically.

Best Practices

• Double-check each recording’s availability settings in Panopto before you publish — a video can be perfectly embedded and still be unwatchable if it isn’t available yet.
• Mirror your Canvas module structure with matching folders in Panopto so videos are easy to find and reuse across terms.
• Add captions in Panopto before embedding, rather than after — students who need them shouldn’t have to wait.
• Embed the video through Panopto rather than uploading a raw video file to Canvas — it streams more reliably and doesn’t risk maxxing out your course’s file storage.
• If your course’s Rich Content Editor doesn’t show a Panopto icon, use the Insert menu’s Embed option and paste the embed code copied from the video’s Share settings in Panopto.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Students say the video is “unavailable” or won’t play.

Solution: In Panopto, hover over the recording, click Settings, and check the Availability section under Overview. Confirm “Session becomes available” is set to Now rather than a future date.

Issue: The Panopto icon doesn’t appear in the Rich Content Editor toolbar.

Solution: Click the toolbar’s options (three-dot) icon to reveal additional tools. If it’s still missing, use Insert > Embed and paste the embed code copied from the video’s Share menu in Panopto instead.

Issue: You added the video to a module, but students say they don’t see it.

Solution: Adding an item to a module doesn’t publish it automatically. Click the publish icon next to the item — a solid green checkmark means it’s visible; a grey circle means it’s still hidden.

Self-Check Questions

• Have I confirmed the video’s Panopto availability settings allow students to view it right now?
• Did I choose the placement — embedded in a page or added as a module item — that fits how students navigate the course?
• If I added the video to a module, did I click publish so it’s actually visible?
• Does the recording have captions or a transcript before students reach it?
• Did I preview the embed before saving to make sure the right video loaded?

Additional Resources

• Panopto Support: Embed Panopto Videos in a Canvas Course (Faculty)
• Instructure Community: How Do I Embed Media from an External Source in the Rich Content Editor?
• Johns Hopkins SAIS: Embedding a Panopto Video in Canvas
• Boston College CTE: Sharing Panopto Recordings — Panopto Modules

Need Extra Support?

If a video won’t embed, won’t play for students, or you’re not sure which method fits your course, feel free to reach out to the TLC or IT HelpDesk.