Currently, Canvas courses are set to be automatically archived at the end of the semester. It is possible for instructors to reopen courses so that students may view past content, but that is at the discretion of the individual instructor. If you would like to ensure you have continued access to past Canvas material, we recommend downloading course content and submissions at the end of each semester. 

Locating Canvas Downloads

From any page on Canvas, click on Account (underneath your profile picture). In the menu that appears, click Settings.

On the Settings menu, select either Download Submissions or Download Course Content.

Downloading Submissions

Canvas enables you to download all files you have submitted in a single batch. After clicking Download Submissions, click Create Export. You may need to wait a few minutes while the export is generated. 

Once it is ready, click New Export to download. (After a few minutes, the title of the link will change to "User Data Export from XX minutes/hours/days ago.")

The download will contain a zip file with every submission that you have made on Canvas in its original format. If you made any submissions as text boxes on Canvas, they will be saved as HTML files. Discussion posts, even if they were graded, are not included in the download.

There is no option to download submissions for only a specific course. If you have already downloaded submissions but would like to do so again after a new semester, you will need to download all submissions again.

Downloading Course Content

After clicking Download Course Content, you will be presented with a list of all courses you are currently enrolled in. Choose the class whose content you would like to download and click Generate ePub. You may need to wait a few minutes for the files to be generated. 

Once the generation is complete, you can Download ePub and Download Associated Files.

Download ePub will download a file containing the module and page content for your course in ebook form. You will need to open it using a program that can process ePub files, such as Apple Books, Overdrive, or Adobe Digital Editions.  Note: The navigability of the ePub file may vary greatly depending on how the course was constructed on Canvas. The file will convert the course modules into a table of contents, so in general, courses that are structured around modules will be easier to navigate.

Download Associated Files will download a zip file containing all public files added to the course, such as PDFs of readings and presentation slides. It will not include any files the instructor has hidden or that students have submitted. If you would like to download files you submitted as assignments, follow the instructions for Downloading Submissions above.

Saving Discussions

Unfortunately, discussion posts are not included in any of the download options available on Canvas. If you would like to save a record of a discussion post, we recommend using your web browser to save the discussion page as a PDF.