Canvas: Customizable Dashboard for Students

Summary

The Customizable Dashboard provides a personalized starting point for reviewing coursework, grades, announcements, course contacts, and other important information across the Canvas courses. As Student, you can add, remove, and rearrange dashboard widgets to match your preferences.

Body

In this article

Guide Topic

The Customizable Dashboard provides a personalized starting point for reviewing coursework, grades, announcements, course contacts, and other important information across the Canvas courses. As Student, you can add, remove, and rearrange dashboard widgets to match your preferences.

Note: The Customizable Dashboard is supported only for users with a student-only role. A user who has both a student role and another Canvas role may not see the option.

Steps to Implement

  1. Sign in to Canvas.
  2. Select Dashboard from the Global Navigation menu. The current Dashboard view opens.

a screenshot of part of the navigation menu with the Dashboard option highlighted

  1. Select Switch to new dashboard view.

a screenshot showing the location of the Switch to new dashboard view button at the upper right corner

Canvas displays the new Dashboard and its default widgets.

A screenshot of the default widgets in the new dashboard: Course work, announcements, course grades, people and recent grades

 

 

  1. Select the Dashboard tab to view customizable widgets. Select the Courses tab to access course cards and open individual courses, select a course card or course link to enter that course.

a screenshot showing the location of the Dashboard and Courses tab

Default Dashboard Widgets

When you first open the Customizable Dashboard, the following widgets may be displayed by default:

  • Course work: Shows counts for due, missing, and submitted assignments and allows filtering by course or status.
  • Course grades: Provides course cards, grade visibility controls, and links to course and grade pages.
  • Announcements: Displays course announcements with Read, Unread, and All filters.
  • People: Helps students find course participants by course or role and send Canvas Inbox messages.
  • Recent grades: Surfaces recently graded work and feedback across courses when the widget is available.

Customization Mode

  1. Open the new Dashboard view. Select Customize dashboard, the Dashboard enters customization mode.

a screenshot showing the location of the Switch to old dashboard view button at the upper right corner

  1. Locate the section where the widget should appear, select Add widget.

a screenshot showing the location of the '+ Add widget' button

  1. Review the available widgets.

A screenshot showing the available widgets: course work, course grades, announcements, people, to-do list, Recent grades & feedback, Progress overview and Inbox

  1. Select Add for the desired widget.
  2. Repeat the process to add other widgets.
  3. Save the changes.

a screenshot showing the location of the 'Save changes' button at the upper right corner

Rearrange a Widget Using Drag and Drop

  1. Enter customization mode.
  2. Locate the widget to move.
  3. Point to or select the widget’s drag control.

a screenshot showing the location of the widget's drag control at the upper right corner of the widget

  1. Drag the widget to the preferred location. Release it when the placement indicator appears in the desired position.
  2. Save the changes.

Rearrange a Widget Without Drag and Drop

  1. Enter customization mode. Select the widget’s movement or options control.
  2. Choose the appropriate movement option.
  3. Continue moving the widget until it reaches the preferred location.

a screenshot showing the location of the widget's movement control at the upper right corner of the widget: move to top, move up, move down, move to bottom, move left top, move left bottom

  1. Save the changes.

Remove a Widget

  1. Select Customize dashboard.
  2. Locate the widget to remove.
  3. Select the widget’s Delete icon.

a screenshot of the 'delete icon' on the upper right corner of the widget

  1. Confirm the widget is no longer displayed in the layout.
  2. Save the changes.
     

Switch Back to the Classic Dashboard

  1. Open the new Dashboard.
  2. Select Switch to old dashboard view.

a screenshot showing the location of the 'Switch to old dashboard view' button at the upper right side of the screen

Details

Details

Article ID: 1056
Created
Fri 8/14/26 3:11 PM
Modified
Mon 8/17/26 9:27 AM