Make sure links in your course can be accessed

As an instructor, you can verify all external links throughout your course to ensure they are valid. You can check these links using the course link validator, which searches through course content and returns invalid or unresponsive external links in both published and unpublished content.

The link validator also includes deleted links. Deleted links are links that are still in the course, but their linked content has been deleted (such as a course file or page). Another critical feature is the ability of the link validator to display whether a link within your current semester course leads to another course. This is critical as students placed on your roster for a given  section can only access the content in that course and a link to another course (where they are not on the roster) will provide them with an unauthorized message.

Validating links regularly is critical and ensures that students are able to access files and content seamlessly any time they access your course.

Open Settings

 

In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

 

Open Validation Link

In the sidebar (to the right), click the Validate Links in Content button.

 

Start Link Validation

Click the Start Link Validation button.

 

View Links

If any links are found in the course, Canvas displays the number of links [1], followed by the name of the content item and the content's associated invalid link(s) [2].

 

View Link Labels

A link with the Deleted tag [1] means the linked content has been deleted from the course.

 Links without tags [2] are invalid or unresponsive links.

 

View Unpublished Content

To include links in unpublished course content, click the Show links to unpublished content checkbox [1]. The page will update the linked content to show any broken links in unpublished content, indicated by the unpublished tag [2].

 

Update Links

To update links within course content, click the name of the content item [1].

 

After you update your content, you can check validate your links again by returning to the Link Validator page and clicking the Restart Link Validation button [2].