Canvas@Illinois, Adding a user to a course site

Learn how to add a user to a course site.

You can manually add/invite other users, such as Teaching Assistants (TAs) or other Teachers, to Canvas course sites using the People index page. Follow the steps below. 

Important: If you are teaching a registrar-affiliated course, do not manually add students! It is best to let the automated rostering system add students based on the official enrollments from Banner Self-Service.

  1. In your course navigation menu, select People.
    Canvas course with an arrow pointing toward the People link in the course navigation menu

  2. Select the + People button and a modal box will appear.
    People index page in Canvas pointing to the +People button

  3. In the Add People box, under Add user(s) by, use the radio buttons choose one of the following:
    1. Email address: This must be the user's full Illinois email address; external emails (such as @gmail.com) are not accepted.
    2. Login ID: For our institution, this is a user's NetID.
    3. SIS ID: For our institution, this is also a user's NetID.
      Blue arrow pointing to the "Add user(s) by" section and radio buttons within the Add People modal
  4. In the textbox, enter the user's email address or NetID (depending on your selection in step 3).
    Blue arrow pointing toward Email Addresses text box with an example email written

  5. Under the Role drop down, select the appropriate role (TA, Teacher, Designer, etc.).
    Blue arrow pointing toward the Role dropdown menu in the Add People modal

  6. Under the Section drop down, make sure you select the correct section (see the following article for more information on which section may be appropriate: Canvas@Illinois , Sections, SIS/Registrar-Affiliated, Base/Default)
    Blue arrow pointing toward Section dropdown menu in the Add People modal

  7. If the user should only be able to interact with users in their selected section, check the box to enable the "Can interact with users in their section only" setting.
    Blue arrow pointing to "Can interact with users in their section only" checkbox setting

  8. Select the Next button.
    Blue arrow pointing to the Next button in the Add People modal

  9. In the dialog box, a summary page will appear. Review the name and ID to make sure you're adding the correct user. If the information is correct, select the Add Users button and the box will close.
    Example summary page in the Add People modal with a blue arrow pointing to the Add Users button to finish adding a user to the Canvas course

  10. You'll then return to the People index page and you'll see the new user listed with a "pending" badge. This means the user was sent an invitation to the course and must accept the invitation to fully interact with the course. Once the invitation is accepted, the badge will no longer appear.
    Example People index page in a Canvas course pointing toward the newly added user with a blue "pending" badge

 Additional resources:


Keywords:
add, teaching assistant, ta, enroll, enrollment, people 
Doc ID:
112261
Owned by:
Canvas G. in University of Illinois Technology Services
Created:
2021-07-12
Updated:
2026-01-20
Sites:
University of Illinois Technology Services