Guide
How to submit assignments on Canvas
Every Canvas assignment accepts one or more submission types chosen by the instructor, and the page only shows the tabs that apply. This guide covers each type, how to resubmit, how to prove a submission went through, and what the common error messages actually mean.
A submission is only done when the page shows the submitted time. Uploads that are still processing are not in yet.
The four steps
- 01Open the assignment from Assignments, Modules, the To Do list, or the calendar.
- 02Click Start Assignment and pick the tab for the submission type you are using. If there is no button, read the lock or availability message.
- 03Add your work. Type, upload, paste a link, or record. Agree to the plagiarism or originality pledge if the course requires one.
- 04Click Submit Assignment, then open Submission Details in the sidebar to confirm the time and content.
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Submission types, one by one
- Text entry
- Write or paste into the rich content editor on the assignment page, then Submit Assignment. Formatting, links, and embedded images are kept.
- File upload
- Choose a file from your computer, or from Canvas Files, Google Drive, or OneDrive if your school enabled them. Multiple files are allowed unless the instructor limits it.
- Website URL
- Paste a link. Canvas stores the address, so the page must stay reachable and public enough for your instructor to open.
- Media recording
- Record audio or video in the browser, or upload a media file. Large uploads take a while to process before the submission shows as complete.
- Student annotation
- Mark up a document the instructor attached, using the built-in viewer, then submit the annotated copy.
- External tool
- Opens a publisher or third-party tool. The work is done and submitted inside that tool, which reports back to Canvas.
Discussions and quizzes are not assignments in this sense: a graded discussion is submitted by posting a reply, and a quiz is submitted with its own Submit Quiz button. "On paper" and "no submission" assignments show a grade in Canvas but have nothing to upload.
Resubmitting and checking your submission
When resubmission is allowed, the assignment page shows a New Attempt or Resubmit Assignment button after your first submission. Canvas keeps every attempt; the instructor grades the latest one unless they choose another, and you can switch between attempts in Submission Details. If the instructor limited the number of attempts, the page says how many remain.
Submission Details is the receipt. It shows the submitted time, the files or text exactly as sent, whether the submission was late, any originality report, and the comment thread with your instructor. Comments left there are the usual place for feedback and for the instructor to ask for a fix, so check it after grades post. The same information appears under Grades, where a submitted icon means "in" and a late label means "in, after the due time."
Common errors and what to do
- File type not allowed. Export to one of the listed extensions. Word, Google Docs, and Pages all export to PDF and DOCX.
- This assignment is locked. It is before the available-from date, after the available-until date, or behind a module requirement you have not completed.
- Past due. You can still submit until the available-until date; expect a late label and any late penalty the course sets. No submit button means the window has closed.
- Upload stuck at processing. Large media files take time. Wait for the submitted confirmation before leaving; a page refresh mid-upload cancels it.
- Submitted the wrong file. Resubmit if allowed. If not, leave a submission comment for the instructor with the correct file attached.
Submitting from Assignly
Assignly is a desktop app for Canvas. It connects with your school login, shows every course's due dates in one place, and can draft essays, discussion replies, and upload-type assignments from the prompt, rubric, and course materials it reads from Canvas. Quizzes get explanations only; nothing is ever answered or submitted for you.
Submission is a separate, explicit step. You read the draft, edit it as much as you want, and click confirm. Only then does Assignly send it to Canvas as a normal submission under your account, using the type the assignment accepts: a text entry, a discussion reply, or a file upload. The receipt links straight to the submission in Canvas so you can open Submission Details and see exactly what your instructor will see. If the assignment is locked, past its availability window, or restricted to a file type the draft cannot produce, Assignly says so before you confirm instead of failing silently.
- Review first. The draft is yours to change; the submit button does nothing until you confirm.
- Same Canvas, same record. It lands in Submission Details like any other submission, with the time stamp and late status Canvas assigns.
- Anything else opens in Canvas. Media recordings, annotations, and external tools open inside the app's built-in Canvas view.
Canvas submission questions
Can I resubmit an assignment on Canvas?
If the instructor allows it, the assignment page shows a "New Attempt" or "Resubmit Assignment" button after your first submission. Every attempt is kept, and the instructor sees the most recent one by default. If the button is missing, resubmission is off or the assignment has locked.
How do I know my Canvas submission went through?
After submitting, the assignment page shows a confirmation with the submission time, and the sidebar Submission Details link opens the exact files or text you sent. It also appears under Grades with a submitted icon, and Canvas emails a receipt if your notifications allow it.
Why does Canvas say my file type is not allowed?
The instructor restricted the assignment to specific extensions, listed on the assignment page as "Allowed file types." Export to one of those formats; a .pages or .gdoc file usually needs to become .pdf or .docx first.
What does "This assignment is locked" mean?
Either the assignment is not yet available, its "available until" date has passed, or it belongs to a module you have not unlocked. The lock message names the reason. Only the instructor can extend the dates.
Can I submit after the due date?
Usually yes, until the "available until" date if one is set. The submission is marked late, and the course may deduct points under its late policy. If the assignment page has no submit button, the availability window has closed.
How does Assignly submit to Canvas?
After you review a draft in the app and click confirm, Assignly sends it to Canvas as a normal text entry, discussion reply, or file upload under your account. It never submits on its own, and you can open the submission in Canvas from the receipt to check it.