OVERVIEW
This article provides instructions on how to use the course migration tool for Canvas as part of the transition to Canvas Cloud.
BEFORE YOU MIGRATE
1) UNDERSTAND WHICH CONTENT CAN BE MIGRATED
When selecting a course to migrate using the course migration tool (migrate.its.sfu.ca), the following items will or won't automatically transfer to Canvas Cloud.
| CAN MIGRATE |
UNABLE TO MIGRATE |
|
Course Content
- Announcements
- Assignments, files, modules and pages
- Discussion topics
- Question banks and quizzes
- Rubrics
- Syllabus body
- Most course settings and LTIs
- Calendar events
|
Student work
- Assignment submissions
- Quiz submissions and results
- Discussion replies (discussion topics will migrate, but replies do not)
- Grades
Enrolment-related data
- Course users and roles
- Collaborations and sections
- Conferences
- Groups and group sets
Other
- Feature option settings
- LTI secrets and keys
- Location details on calendar events
|
REMINDER ABOUT PROFILE DATA
Profile data cannot be migrated automatically. If you wish to keep any profile data, you will need to manually re-add the profile data on Canvas Cloud. This includes: ePortfolio, biography, profile files, profile photo, inbox messages.
2) DETERMINE IF YOUR COURSE IS APPROPRIATE FOR MIGRATING
| COURSES TO MIGRATE |
COURSES TO MOVE TO ANOTHER SERVICE |
WHICH COURSES YOU SHOULDN’T MIGRATE |
- Courses that contain content you wish to keep and reuse for a future iteration of the course
- Courses that are currently running and have an end date beyond January 2026
|
- Courses used only for storage, record keeping or backup
- Courses used for research or containing research data
Note: Consider using Microsoft 365 tools, such as OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams as they provide stronger protection and recovery for your files than Canvas.
|
- Courses that contain content you no longer need
- Sandbox and test courses
|
NOTE: Provided above are some general guidelines. If your course content is still needed and requires Canvas features, migrate the course to Canvas Cloud.
NON-ACADEMIC COURSE MIGRATION GUIDELINES
If your course is non-academic (training, orientation, activity-type course), additional guidance will be released soon on non-academic courses that are actively running.
HOW TO MIGRATE
STEP 1. Visit the course migration tool at migrate.its.sfu.ca
STEP 2. Sign into your SFU account.
STEP 3. Under “Create New Migration”, select the Canvas course you wish to migrate to Canvas Cloud. Then, select Submit Query.
STEP 4. Select Confirm.
STEP 5. Once the progress is complete, a web link will be displayed that directs you to the migrated course on Canvas Cloud.
NEXT STEPS
- Review the course for any issues and make necessary adjustments. In rare cases, links to media files or third-party tools (LTIs) may not transfer correctly and may need to be manually updated.
- Copy the content from your migrated course to your official course shell. This allows you to adjust terms, dates and more on assignments and announcements.
- Consider converting your quizzes from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes. This will allow you to use the New Quizzes features.
- Note: Once a Classic Quiz converted to a New Quiz, it cannot be reverted.
- If applicable, such as non-academic courses, re-add users to your course. You can export a list of enrolled students by exporting the gradebook.
- Learn more about feature differences between Canvas On-Premise and Canvas Cloud.
NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT?
For questions about Canvas migration:
For pedagogical or instructional design questions:
For additional assistance or technical support: