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New content editor in Canvas

Good to know for you who are a teacher!

Published Dec 08, 2020

The content editor, the "tool" you use when creating content on pages, tasks, etc. in Canvas has been redesigned to be easier to navigate. Read more about what has changed and how you can try the new version in your course room before the update on January 16, 2021.

Canvas content editor, sometimes also called "editor", is where you enter text, insert images and files, etc. on in Canvas. It will be updated for everyone on January 16, 2021, but for those who want to prepare, it is now possible to activate the new content editor.

What is new in the editor?

The content editor has been redesigned to be easier to navigate. No features have been removed, they have just been moved around. Note: New Quizzes has its own content editor that is not updated.

In short, the changes will be:

  • Collectively related functions in sections in the toolbar, with distances and markers between them.
  • The toolbar is never more than one line.
  • The menu bar is visible by default.
  • The sidebar for course links and media is displayed only when it is to be used.
  • The content editor can be opened in full screen (Esc key to close). The full screen button is located below the content box, along with the accessibility button, the HTML button, and the word count.

How does it look?

Screenshot editor Canvas
The new editor will simplify and make it easier to find the functions.

Where do I activate the new editor?

If you want to try the new content editor right now, you can enable it at the course level:

  1. Go to "Settings" on the selected course.
  2. Move to the "Feature Options" tab. Enable "Content Editor Enhancements".

If you do not do this, the new content editor will not be activated until it becomes standard for everyone who uses Canvas, i.e. January 16, 2021. 

Learn more about the new editor

Read more about the difference between the existing and the new editor: Rich Content Editor Comparison Document (external page, community.canvaslms.com)  and What is the New Rich Content Editor? (external page, community.canvaslms.com)  .

The video shows how the new editor works:

Go directly to the video: "107- New RCE- Instructure Canvas Community" (video on Vimeo)

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Last changed: Dec 08, 2020