Using Migrated Content in Canvas

Whether you're bringing content over from Blackboard or reusing materials from a previous Canvas course, you can copy your existing course materials into your live Canvas course without starting from scratch. This guide explains where to find your content, how to copy it, and what to review afterward.

Migrated from Blackboard or Already in Canvas?

Your existing course content may be available in Canvas through one of two pathways. Diagram showing two ways to reuse course content in Canvas: migrating Blackboard content into a Canvas course or copying content from a previous Canvas course. Both pathways lead to the live Canvas course shell.

Copying Content into Your Live Canvas Course

Follow these eight steps to copy materials from a migrated Blackboard course or a previous Canvas course into the live course you'll be teaching.

STEP 1: Find Your Live Canvas Course

From the Canvas global navigation menu, select Courses, then All Courses. Locate your Spring 2027 course.

Tip: Select the star next to your course to add it to your Dashboard for easy access.

Once you've found your course, select its name to open it.

Remember: Start in your live Spring 2027 course, not the course you're copying content from.

Canvas All Courses page showing the FYD101 Spring 2027 course highlighted, with its star selected to add the course to the Dashboard.

STEP 2: Access Import Course Content

From your live course's Home page, locate and select Import Existing Content in the right-hand sidebar.

Canvas course Home page with the Import Existing Content button highlighted in the right-hand sidebar.

STEP 3: Select Copy a Canvas Course

Under Select Content Type, open the dropdown menu and choose Copy a Canvas Course.

This option applies whether you're copying content from a migrated Blackboard course or a previous Canvas course.

Canvas Import Content page with the Select Content Type dropdown expanded and Copy a Canvas Course highlighted.

STEP 4: Find the Course You Want to Copy

Search for the course containing the materials you want to reuse.

For migrated Blackboard content: Look for _migrated in the course name.
For previous Canvas content: Search for the course you previously taught.

Tip: Check the course term to ensure you're selecting content from the correct semester, especially if you have multiple versions of the same course.

Canvas course selection dropdown showing multiple FYD101 courses, with FYD101_migrated (Fall 2024) highlighted as the source course to copy.

STEP 5: Choose What to Copy

Choose whether to copy All content or Select specific content.

Canvas Import Content page showing All content selected, with Select specific content available as an alternative.

Our Recommendation: Select All content and clean up your course afterward. This helps ensure you don't accidentally leave behind materials you may need.

If you only need a few specific items, you can choose to copy those materials instead.

STEP 6: Remove Previous Course Dates

Under Adjust Events and Due Dates, select Remove dates if you don't want to carry over dates from the previous course.

Canvas Import Content page with the Adjust events and due dates checkbox highlighted under Options.

This helps prevent old due dates and availability dates from carrying over into your new course.

You can set new dates for the upcoming semester after copying your content.

STEP 7: Import Your Content

Select Import to begin copying your materials.

Monitor the progress under Current Jobs and wait for the import to show Completed.

If you chose to copy specific content, select Select Content and identify the materials you'd like to import.

Canvas content import queue showing FYD101_migrated (Fall 2024) with a Running status and partially filled progress bar.

Important: Wait until the import shows Completed before moving on. If the status shows Partially Completed, select View Issues to review anything that may need attention.

STEP 8: Review Your Copied Content

Once your content has been copied, review the materials in your live Canvas course.

Some materials may need to be reorganized, updated, or removed, particularly if they were originally created in Blackboard.

Canvas Assignments page highlighting duplicate assignments and a Blackboard Assignments group weighted at 0% of the total grade, both items to review after migration.

Not sure what to look for? Watch our short video below for examples of common cleanup tasks and what to check after copying your content.

Finding and Preparing Your Course Content

Learn where to find your existing course materials, how to access migrated content, and what to know before copying materials into your live Canvas course.

Migrated Blackboard Content

We migrated eligible Blackboard course content into Canvas. These migrated courses are content-only copies, meaning they are not connected to CaneLink and are not intended to be used directly for instruction.

Faculty can review their migrated courses and copy the materials they want to reuse into their official live Canvas course shells, where students are enrolled.

How Can I See My Migrated Courses?

You can find and review your migrated Blackboard course content directly in Canvas:

Sign in to Canvas using your University of Miami credentials.
From the Canvas navigation menu, select Courses, then All Courses.
Locate your migrated course. Migrated courses are identified by "migrated" in the course name and ID.
Open the migrated course to review its content before copying it into your live Canvas course.

For 2025 courses: Check the Migration Exception Log for items that may require manual adjustments. Within your migrated course, select Pages, then All Pages, and open Migration Exception Log.

Remember: Migrated courses are intended for reviewing and reusing content, not for teaching students directly. After copying materials into your live course, make your updates there. You can also review the Reviewing Migrated Content section below for guidance on items that may need manual correction.

Existing Canvas Content

If you've previously taught a course in Canvas, you may be able to reuse that content directly.

Copy materials from a previous Canvas course into your new live course.
Reuse existing modules, pages, assignments, and other course materials.
Review and update materials as needed for the new semester.

Good to Know: What's a Live Course?

Your live course is the official Canvas course for the semester in which you're teaching. It's where students are enrolled and where you'll manage course activities, assignments, and grades.

Regardless of where your content comes from, always begin the copying process inside your live Canvas course.

Don't See Your Course?

Not all Blackboard courses were included in the migration. For example, older courses, such as those taught in 2020, may not have been migrated automatically.

2024–2026: Eligible Blackboard course materials were migrated into Canvas.
2021–2027: Blackboard course resources, enrollment information, and grade records are being retained according to the University's archival and record-retention procedures.

Where Should I Edit My Course Content?

We recommend making updates in your live Canvas course after copying your content.

Your migrated course serves as a starting point, while your live course is where you'll prepare materials for teaching. Copy your content first, then make any necessary changes to assignments, quizzes, modules, and other materials.

Why? Changes made in your migrated course won't automatically appear in your live course. Working directly in your live course helps you avoid duplicating work and ensures you're updating the materials students will use.

Not Sure What to Look For?

Watch our short video for examples of common cleanup tasks and what to check after copying your content.

Reviewing Migrated Content

Most standard Blackboard course materials were migrated into Canvas, but some may require additional review or adjustments before they are ready for use.

K16 Solutions was used to migrate eligible 2025–2026 Blackboard courses, preserving supported content such as course structures, quizzes, and question pools.

Canvas' standard migration service was used to transfer eligible 2024 courses. Although most course content migrated successfully, differences between Blackboard and Canvas may require some materials, settings, or tools to be manually adjusted.

Possible Manual Adjustments

Use the table below to see how common Blackboard items may appear in Canvas and identify materials that need additional attention. Migrated content generally falls into one of three categories:

Expected to work: Content should function as intended without additional changes.
May need adjustment: Content may require review or updates to function correctly.
Requires manual correction or rebuilding: Content must be corrected or recreated in Canvas.

Open All Tabs

Details of Migrated Content Items

Blackboard Item	New Equivalent	Details
Announcements	Canvas Announcements	✓ Migrates well ⚠ Formatting cleanup ✖ Scheduled dates must be re-set
Assignments	Canvas Assignments	✓ Content migrates ⚠ Settings may not transfer (submission type, attempts, groups) ✖ Some transfer as quizzes and must be rebuilt
Blogs / Journals	Canvas Discussions	✓ Content migrates as discussions ⚠ Format and structure may change ✖ No 1:1 tool; must redesign
Content Items (text, images, files)	Canvas Pages	✓ Most content transfers ⚠ Images/videos may need reauthorization ✖ Some embeds must be fixed
Discussion Boards	Canvas Discussions	✓ Prompts migrate ⚠ Some import as pages ✖ Student replies may appear and must be deleted
External Links / Course Links	External Links	✓ Most transfer ✖ Some links break; use Link Validator
External Tool Links (Publisher)	External Tools	✓ Many transfer ⚠ Tools must be reauthorized ✖ Some links must be rebuilt
Files (PDF, PPT, DOC)	Canvas Files	✓ Most files migrate ⚠ Embedded images/file may not show ✖ Missing/large videos may require reupload
Folders / Learning Modules	Canvas Modules	✓ Structure migrates ⚠ Deep nesting becomes long modules. Sub-folders are text headers. ✖ May require reorganization
Grade Center Weighted Categories	Assignment Groups & Weights	✓ Graded items migrate ⚠ Gradebook layout differs ✖ Weighted columns must be rebuilt
Tests / Quizzes	Classic & New Quizzes	✓ Questions migrate. Check question formatting and functionality. ⚠ Some question elements (images, tables, formulas) may need to be reviewed for accuracy ✖ Some must be converted to New Quizzes. Some Exams/Tests may migrate into Canvas Assignments
Question Pools	Question Banks / Item Banks	✓ Most transfer ⚠ Some edits needed (images/tables/format) ✖ Must convert Classic Banks to Item Banks
Adaptive Release Rules	Module Requirements	✓ Content moves, restrictions may not ✖ Release conditions must be rebuilt
Rubrics	Canvas Rubrics	✓ Rubrics transfer ⚠ Minor formatting issues ✖ Must reattach to assessments
Syllabus	Canvas Page	✓ Migrates as a page ⚠ Formatting differences ✖ Must rebuild in Syllabus tool if desired
Surveys	Classic Quizzes Or New Quizzes (ungraded)	✓ Content transfers ⚠ Text may vary ✖ Some settings must be rebuilt
Kaltura / Bb Videos	Kaltura Media	✓ Many links work ⚠ Some need reauthorization ✖ Broken embeds must be repaired
Non-Kaltura Videos	Embedded / Linked Media	✓ Some play ⚠ Some import as links ✖ Some must be re-embedded
Wikis	Pages / Assignments / Discussions	✓ Content appears usually as a Page ⚠ Formatting may be lost ✖ No 1:1 tool—must rebuild

Now that Your Content Is Ready, Get Your Course Ready to Teach

Your content is copied. Now what?

You're ready to prepare your course for students!

Visit our resources page for a guided checklist to help you review your course structure, update activities and dates, check your course from a student's perspective, and get ready to publish.

Explore Resources & Review Course Readiness Checklist

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