The rich content editor is used throughout Canvas for creating and editing content for all different content types, such as pages, assignments, and discussions. It contains common text formatting options such as bold, italic, underline, font color, alignment, etc.

Content editor toolbar

Additional Tools and Functionality

There are also additional tools that allow for inserting links, tables, images, and media. All of these tools are in the second row of the rich content editor's toolbar.

Inserting tables in the rich content editor functions much like in MS Word, where you “draw” out your table.

Insert table

You can also upload or record media directly from the editor by clicking the Upload/Record Media button. Once you click the button in the content editor, you'll be able to choose to either Record Media using your computer's webcam and microphone, or Upload Media that is on your computer. You'll need to click the Allow button that appears in order to record media.

Record or Upload media

In addition to adding your own media, you can easily add YouTube videos by simply copying and pasting the url of the video. Canvas will then automatically embed the video once you press Enter.

YouTube embed

Linking Pages, Files, Images, and Using Alt Text

You can add links to existing Pages, Files, or Images using the sidebar on the right and the appropriate tab. This becomes a very powerful way to interlink different pages within your course and also add links to support files, such as PDF articles, in the context in which they're being discussed on a page. Pages and other parts of your course that you can link to will appear under the Links section of the sidebar on the right.

Links tab in the right sidebar

If you'd like to add an image to a page that you haven't already uploaded, you can do so by clicking the Images tab on the right sidebar and then clicking the + Upload a new image link. Click the Choose File button that appears and then locate the file that you want to upload. Lastly, click the Upload button and the image will be uploaded then automatically added to your page.

Image upload process

By default, the file name of your image will be used as alt text (text which is read by screen readers to assist learners with visual disabilities). Be sure to either name your images appropriately or click the Embed Image button in the content editor and edit the alt text under the Attributes section to provide a text description of your image.

Alt text field in image attributes menu