Uploading files and using folders

• In your Account, there is a Files area which provide access to My Files (your own files, e.g. your profile photo) as well as course files.
• Within a Canvas course, there is a Files area which stores all the files required for that particular course.
• Files can be linked to Modules, Assignments, or Pages for easy student access within a course (so that students do not need to seek their relevant course materials within the Files structure). 

Within the Files area, you can:

• Create folders
• Upload files
• View file details
• Set usage rights
• Restrict access to files, including by date
• Download or upload a ZIP file
• Move files
• Preview files
• Publish and unpublish files
• View the storage capacity of your course files
• Drag and drop files from personal files into course files

Index

1. Creating a folder in the Files area
2. Uploading items to a folder in the Files area
3. Adding a file to a Module
4. Embedding a file in a Page

1. Creating a folder in the Files area

To create a folder within the Files area, click the + Folder button at the top right-hand side of the screen. Type a name for the new folder and click the tick (or press the Return/Enter key) to complete the action. 

2. Uploading items to a folder in the Files area

To add items to a folder in the Files area within a course:

• Select your Canvas course and then Files from the Course Navigation menu.
• Select the relevant folder (see Step 1 above).
• Click the Upload button at the top right-hand side of the screen, then select any relevant item(s) from your device and click Open to complete the upload. 
• You can also directly drag and drop items from your device into the appropriate folder in the Files area. 
• It is important to use folders to help organise your stored items in a meaningful way. 

3. Adding a file to a Module

When building content for your courses, you are able to directly add files to a Module:

1. Navigate to the relevant course and click on Modules. 
2. Scroll to the module into which you would like to add a file, and click the  plus button on the top right-hand side of the module. 
3. Select File from the drop-down list, and either select the file you would like to use from all of your available files, or select New File to upload a new file from your device. 
4. If selecting a new file, remember to select what folder you would like to save the file in (a list of all available folders in your Files area will appear for you to choose from). 
5. Click Add item and your file will now appear as an item at the end of the module. If necessary, you can drag and drop it to a new location. 

4. Embedding a file in a Page

Embedding a file into a Canvas page means that the file will automatically appear on screen when a user clicks on the link in the page. 

To embed a file into a Canvas Page:

1. Go to the page in question (from Pages, or Modules).
2. Click Edit in the top right corner and go into the Rich Content Editor.
3. Now place your cursor where you wish to insert the file. 
4. Click the Files tab from the Content Selector on the right-hand side of the page. 
5. If you have already uploaded your material in the Files section of Canvas, select your file from the list.
6. If not, click +Upload a new file, then click Browse to select the required file from your device. 
7. When you have the file, select it, and click Open. Select the Folder drop-down menu to choose where you would like to store this file once it has been uploaded.
8. Click Upload, and check the Rich Content Editor to confirm your file has been uploaded (it will flash yellow upon upload and then turn blue). 
9. Next, place your cursor over the link and click once. Following this, click the link icon.
10. A Link to Website URL box should pop up, click the Auto-open the inline preview for this link checkbox.
11. Click Save. 
12. Your file will now automatically open when a user lands on this page.