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How-To Guide

Canvas SIS Prep Tool

1. Getting Started & Data Import

The tool works by first loading all your foundational data (like people, courses, and terms). You can add these one by one, but the fastest way is to import them from CSV files.

  1. Navigate to the Actions tab.
  2. Click the Import Data from CSVs... button.

    3. Screenshot of the 'Actions' tab with the import button highlighted.

  3. A dialog will appear. For each data type (People, Courses, etc.), click Choose File... and select the corresponding CSV file.
  4. Your CSV files must have specific headers. For example, a `people.csv` must have `user_id` and `name` columns. An empty row or a person with a duplicate `user_id` will be skipped.

2. Creating a Course Section

Once your data is loaded, you can create the course sections that will be imported into Canvas.

  1. Go to the Sections & Enrollments tab and click Create Section.
  2. Fill out the required fields in the dialog box. You can filter the course list by department to find the correct course more easily.

    3. Screenshot of the 'Create Section' dialog box filled out.

  3. Click OK. The tool will automatically ask if you want to manage enrollments for the section you just created.

3. Managing Enrollments

After creating a section, you need to add people to it (e.g., students, teachers).

  1. In the enrollment dialog, select a person from the dropdown list.
  2. Choose their role (e.g., Student, Instructor).
  3. Click Add. The person will appear in the list of enrolled users for that section.

    4. Screenshot of the 'Enrollment Dialog' showing a student being added.

  4. Repeat for all users in the section, then click Close.

4. Generating Final CSV Files

This is the final step. The tool will compile all the section and enrollment data you created into three Canvas-ready CSV files.

  1. Navigate back to the Actions tab.
  2. Click the red Generate Canvas CSV Files... button.
  3. An optional prompt will ask for a file prefix. This is useful for organization (e.g., "Fall2025_"). Leave it blank if you don't need one.
  4. Choose a folder to save the three files: `courses.csv`, `sections.csv`, and `enrollments.csv`.
  5. You're done! These files can now be uploaded to Canvas via the SIS Import tool.