Using the Link Validator in Canvas

Canvas has a way of tracking the broken links in your course and notifying you when students click on one of these broken links. There is also a tool where you, as the instructor, can run a report to look for bad links. Whether you are the course lead, someone teaching an online section, or an instructor using your course shell to enhance your teaching for on ground students, valid links are important for student success. The process of fixing or replacing bad links does take some time but your students will be rewarded with a much better learning experience after you have finished.  

To locate the link validator, go to Settings in the Course Navigation and then to the "Validate Links in Content" button on the right side of the screen.

Click on the "Start Link Validation" button that appears.

Here is how to decipher some of the common messages: 

Example #1 

This information tells us the exact location of the bad link. 
This wording indicates the type of location; In this case, the error is on a page. 
This statement tells us the reason the link is bad; In this case, the link goes back to a previous course which your students cannot access.  
These are the links within the page that are not working for students.

Suggested modification:  

Go to the page and locate the links. 
Click on each of the “bad” links. 
Figure out if you have access to the resource: 
If it is in the Files area, then you can use the Content Insertion tools to re-link the resource. 
If you do not have the file, then replace it with something comparable or contact the course lead for a copy. 
If it is external, find the correct URL and replace.

Example #2 

Graphical user interface Description automatically generated with medium confidence     

This information tells us the exact location of the bad link. 
This wording tells me the type of location, in this case, an assignment. 
This statement tells me the reason the link is bad; in this case, the link goes to an external source, like a webpage, that isn’t working. 
This blue text is the link within the assignment that is not working for students.

Suggested modification:

Look around on the website site to find the content that you think best matches the desired result.
If nothing seems to match, use another resource or ask the course lead for the original webpage URL.

Example #3 

Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated   

This information tells us the exact location of the bad link. 
This wording tells us the type of location, in this case, a content page. 
This statement tells me the reason the link is bad; in this case, the information that was originally at the link is no longer available. 
This blue text is the link(s) within the assignment that is not working for students.

Suggested modification: 

Figure out if the content is still in the course. If so, use the content insertion tools to re-add the proper link. 
Did you accidentally delete the referenced document or assignment? If so, it will need to be recreated and then re-linked. 
If the deletion was intentional, then the link needs to be removed so that students do not get an error message.

Canvas Guides are a great place to look for information. Here is one that may be helpful in this situation:

Validating links Link to Canvas Guide