Questions
- How do I download all student submissions for an assignment in Canvas?
- How do I bulk download Canvas assignment submissions?
- How do I download student work from Canvas to grade offline?
- Where is the Download Submissions link in Canvas?
- How do I open the ZIP file of Canvas submissions?
- Can I re-upload graded submissions back to Canvas after downloading?
- Why are student names missing from my Canvas submission download?
- What file types are included in a Canvas bulk submissions download?
Environment
This article applies to:
- Who: Faculty and instructors with access to a Canvas course assignment
- Platform: Canvas LMS — any modern web browser at canvas.bowdoin.edu
Resolution
If you want to download all student submissions for an assignment, you can download them as a bulk download. All submissions are downloaded as a single ZIP file that you can use to grade submissions on your computer offline. If a student has resubmitted an assignment, only the most recent submission will be included in the ZIP file. You can also download assignments from the Gradebook.
Bulk downloads can be used for the following submission types: file uploads, text entries (displayed as HTML files), website URLs (displayed as HTML files), and Google Docs submissions. Bulk downloads cannot be used for media recording submissions and will not include any media files embedded in text entry submissions.
In bulk downloads, Canvas automatically amends the file name for each submission type:
- For group assignments, the file name will include the name of the assigned group.
- For individual student assignments, the file name will include the name of the student (last name first).
- When anonymous grading is enabled, student names are not included in the names of downloaded files.
Note:
- Large files may be compressed when downloaded.
- After downloading student files, you can re-upload all student submissions. However, you cannot change the names of the submission files — otherwise Canvas will not be able to recognize the files that should be replaced.
- Students with concluded enrollments are not included in the submissions download.
Open Assignments
In Course Navigation, click the Assignments link.
View Assignment
Click the name of the assignment you want to view.
Download Submissions
Click the Download Submissions link.
View Progress
Canvas will generate the assignment submissions together and download them to your computer as a .zip file. You can view the status of the download in the progress bar [1] and also by download percentage [2].
When the file is finished processing, download the file by clicking the Click here to download link [1]. Canvas will also include the size of the download file as part of the link for your reference.
To close the download window, click the close icon [2].
Open ZIP File
Once the file has been downloaded, locate the ZIP file on your computer [1]. To open the file, either double-click to open it (Mac) or right-click the file and select Extract All (Windows).
When the file expands, click the submissions folder [2] to view the assignment submissions [3].
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Additional Resources