Canvas Course Home Page

The course Home page is the first page that students see when they open your course or click on "Home" in their course navigation. As an instructor, you can decide what you want students to see on the Home page.

Note: If you have previously created a Home Page in Canvas for your course and would like to know how to make various updates to your modules, check out the links below:

On This Page

 

Consider using the home page to:

  • Introduce yourself and the course to students (with a custom page that you design).

  • Direct your students to the most important resources they will need to be successful in your course.

  • Remind students of their upcoming assignments.

  • Outline on a weekly basis what you will be covering in class and how they can prepare.

  • Set the home page as a course activity stream so that you and your students can see the most recent announcements and discussions in your course.

This home page, from an actual course at USU, is an example of an attractive and effective format. However, there are many good approaches for your course home page.

sample home page


This video will guide you in creating a home page using Design Tools withing Canvas.

1

On the Course Navigation menu, click Home

Canvas home tab.

 
2

Click Choose Home Page

Select Home page

 
3

In the Choose Home Page dialog box, select what to display on the Home page

If you would like to use a custom Canvas page as your home page, but the Pages Front Page option is disabled, follow the instructions in the Enable Pages Front Page section.

Choose Home Page

 
4

Click Save

Before a custom Canvas page can be set as the home page, it has to be designated as the front page.

This video will guide you through the process in canvas. 

1

Click Front Page must be set first or navigate to the Pages tab

arrow pointing at front page must be set first link

 
2

Find the desired page and click on the three-dot icon at the right end of the row

Three dot icon in Canvas pages list

 
3

Click Use as Front Page

Use as front page button

 
4

Repeat the steps in the How to Set the Home Page section

Once you have a homepage created. You can customize it with a theme. 

This video will guide you through selecting a theme for your Canvas course homepage. 

Step by Step:

1

On your Canvas course go to Pages

Canvas Course home page, a link for Pages highlighted in orange.

 

2

Click + Page

+ Page highlighted in orange.

 

3

Enter a Page Title

Entry bot for Page Title highlighted in orange.

 

4

Open DesignPlus

Open DesignPlus button highlighted in orange.

 

5

Click Theme

Theme button highlighted in orange.

 

6

Select Front Page

Front Page button highlighted in orange.

 

7

Open the Style tab

Style tab highlighted in orange.

 

8

Select Standard Themes

Standard Themes tab hightlighted in orange.

 

9

Choose a theme from the list

Optional Themes highlighted in orange.

 

10

Save to apply changes

Save button highlighted in orange.

 

The module shortcuts can be customized on your homepage. 

This video will guide you in creating module shortcuts on your Canvas course homepage.

Step by Step:

1

Click Edit

Edit button highlighted in orange.

 

2

Open the DesignPlus sidebar

Open DesignPlus highlighted in orange.

 

3

Click the + (Add New Elements)

Plus symbol, add new elements, highlighted in orange.

 

4

Place the cursor within the page window

Empty text field highlighted in orange.

 

5

Select Module List
Module typed into the search box, Module List button highlighted in orange.

 

6

Click the Calendar Icon

Calendar icon highlighted in orange.

 

7

Select the days the first module should open and close

A calendar with a weeks worth of days highlighted

 

8

Click the down arrow to copy the date pattern to future modules

Down arrow, Copy Date Pattern, highlighted in orange.

 

9

Open the Advanced options

Advanced tab highlighted in orange.

 

10

Click All to show the Quick Links for all modules

Tab for All highlighted in orange.

 

11

Choose a Quick Links style from the list

Quick Style options highlighted in orange.

 

12

Click Save

Save button highlighted in orange.

 

13

Your Quick Links module shortcuts will be shown on the homepage

An updated Canvas home page now showing the new module shortcuts.

How to change the course number and title shown on your Canvas course homepage.