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How to Verify Your Course Content is Published in Canvas
Overview
Publishing your Canvas course does not automatically publish all content inside it. Each module, assignment, quiz, file, and discussion must also be individually published. Verifying your course content is published ensures that students can see and access all required materials when your course goes live.
This guide walks you through checking and publishing the key components of your course.
Estimated Time to Complete: 20 minutes
Instructions
- Use Student View to Check Visibility
- Open your course in Learn@Capitol (Canvas)
- Click Home
- In the upper-right corner, click Student View
- Navigate through your course as a student:
- Can you see modules, assignments, quizzes, and files?
- Are Zoom meetings accessible?
- Is the homepage clear and informative?
- Click Leave Student View when finished.
- This is the quickest way to identify unpublished or hidden items.
- This is the quickest way to identify unpublished or hidden items.
- Check and Publish Modules
- Click Modules from the course menu
- Review each module and item:
- Green checkmark = Published
- No icon or gray circle = Unpublished
- To publish:
- Click the gray circle next to the module or item—it will turn green
- If a module is published but items inside it are not, students won’t see those items.
- Click the gray circle next to the module or item—it will turn green
- Check and Publish Assignments
- Click Assignments from the course menu
- Make sure each assignment:
- Is published (green checkmark)
- Has a due date and availability window if needed
- To publish:
- Click the gray circle icon next to the assignment title
- Click the gray circle icon next to the assignment title
- Check and Publish Quizzes/Exams
- Click Quizzes
- Confirm:
- The quiz is published
- Time limits and availability dates are correctly set
- If you are using timed access:
- Set availability dates and due date under Edit > Assign
- Set availability dates and due date under Edit > Assign
- Check and Publish Files
- Click Files
- Look for:
- PDFs, slides, or handouts that students need
- Green checkmark icons next to published files
- To hide internal files (like templates or admin content):
- Click the green checkmark to unpublished
- Click the green checkmark to unpublished
- Check and Publish Discussions (If Applicable)
- Click Discussions
- Publish each thread students are required to see or respond to
- Post-Publishing Final Step
- After verifying and publishing all items:
- Return to Home
- Click Student View one more time to ensure everything is accessible and clearly organized
- After verifying and publishing all items:
Troubleshooting
Students can’t see a quiz or file | Double-check that both the item and its parent module are published |
Assignments not on calendar | Ensure a due date is set—this links the assignment to the Canvas calendar and to-do list |
Student View shows blank pages | Exit Student View and publish the appropriate content |
Still Need Help?
Need help verifying your content is fully published? Reach out to the Online Learning team at ask@captechu.edu and we’ll be happy to check with you.