The Rich Content Editor (RCE) is the text editor in Canvas. It provides an intuitive toolbar grouped by common icons and interactions. The RCE is used in the following Canvas features: 

  • Announcements
  • Assignments
  • Discussions
  • Pages
  • Quizzes
  • Syllabus

Navigating the Rich Content Editor

For a visual description of the RCE, visit What is the Rich Content Editor? You can add and modify text using the toolbar or menubar.

If the browser isn’t expanded to fit the full width of the toolbar, the toolbar displays an Options menu (three dots) that includes the remaining toolbar items.

Under the content area, the editor status bar provides easy access to keyboard shortcuts [1], the accessibility checker [2], content word count [3], and the HTML editor [4]. Additionally, the RCE window can be resized using the move handle below the window [5].

RCE status bar with buttons for keyboard shortcuts, accessibility checker, word count, html editor, and window resizing options

To create hyperlinks to other locations within your Canvas site, use Course Links or Course Documents. When creating hyperlinks to websites outside of Canvas, use External Links.

Using External Links to other parts of your Canvas site will result in broken links and access problems when you reuse the same content for future courses on Canvas.

Embedding media

To embed an image, upload the image to the Files area, then search for it in Course Images within the toolbar. You should add alt text to all images, unless they are purely decorative.

For video content hosted on another website, such as YouTube or Vimeo, use an embed code to embed the video directly.

An embed code allows you to place a video directly inside your Canvas page. Most of the time, you will want to use the embed code rather than the URL.

  1. The embed code for a video can usually be found as part of its Share features. Copy the entire embed code by clicking the Copy Embed Code button or highlighting and copying the embed code.
  2. Navigate to the course site where you wish to add the video.
  3. Open the Rich Content Editor in an announcement, assignment, discussion, page, quiz, or syllabus.
  4. From the menubar, click the Insert > Embed.
RCE insert menu with Embed option highlighted
  1. Paste the embed code in the Embed Code field. Then click the Submit button.
example of embedded iframe code with the "submit" button indicated
  1. Preview your embedded media in the Rich Content Editor. Videos should appear in a small player window on the page.
  2. Click Save.

Using external tools

You can also embed content and links from external tools or apps in your course. Selected external tool icons, like Panopto (Class Recordings), will display next to the Apps icon in the editor toolbar.

You can view a list of external tools from the menubar or toolbar. From the menubar, click the Tools link [1], navigate to the Apps option, then select View All. Alternatively, you can view your apps from the toolbar by clicking the App icon [2].

RCE tools menu with apps selected, displaying options for "class recordings" and "view all"

Embedding and linking options vary by app. Please refer to the Tools section of this site for instructions on specific external apps.

Additional Resources

Getting Help

Please contact your Local Support Provider or submit a request to canvas@pobox.upenn.edu.