What Crosslisting Does and When You Need It

Crosslisting in Canvas means linking two or more course sections together so students see the same content, assignments, and grades regardless of which section they enrolled in. When you crosslist courses, Canvas treats them as a single course for grading and content purposes, even though they may have different meeting times, instructors, or section numbers in your institution's system.

You typically crosslist when the same course runs in multiple sections and you want to manage it once instead of separately. For example, if you teach Biology 101 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., crosslisting lets you post one set of assignments and see all students' work in one gradebook. Without crosslisting, you would need to enter grades and post materials twice.

Crosslisting happens at the account level, not within Canvas itself — your institution's administrator sets it up in the system that feeds into Canvas (usually your student information system). Once crosslisted at that level, Canvas automatically reflects the connection when courses sync.

Key Takeaways

  • Crosslisting is configured by your institution's Canvas administrator or registrar, not by individual instructors within Canvas.
  • Once crosslisted in your student information system, Canvas will show all enrolled students in a single gradebook and course shell.
  • You can request a crosslist by contacting your Canvas support team or registrar with the specific section numbers you want linked.
  • After crosslisting takes effect, changes you make to content, assignments, or grades appear for all students across all linked sections.
  • If you need to uncrosslist courses, contact your administrator — you cannot reverse it from within Canvas.

How to Request a Crosslist From Your Administrator

Start by identifying which course sections you want to link. You will need the exact section numbers or course codes from your institution's course catalog or registration system. For example, if you teach two sections of English 201, note whether they are listed as 201-01 and 201-02, or by CRN (course reference number).

Contact your Canvas support team, registrar's office, or the person who manages course provisioning at your institution. Different schools route this request differently — some have a Canvas help desk, others use the registrar, and some use a dedicated course management team. A quick email or phone call to your main Canvas contact will direct you to the right place.

In your request, include the full course names, section numbers, and term (semester and year). For example: "Please crosslist English 201-01 and English 201-02 for Spring 2024." If one section should be the primary section (the one that appears in your course list), mention that too, though many institutions default to the lowest section number.

Your administrator will process the request in your student information system, which then syncs to Canvas. This usually takes one to three business days, depending on how often your institution updates course data. You will receive confirmation once the crosslist is active.

What Happens in Canvas After Crosslisting Takes Effect

Once crosslisting is complete, Canvas will show you a single course shell with all students from both sections enrolled. Your gradebook will display every student together, sorted by section if you want to see who is in which group. All assignments, discussions, and announcements you post appear for everyone at once.

The course name in Canvas typically reflects the primary section number. If you taught English 201-01 and 201-02, your Canvas course might show as "English 201-01" in your course list, but the enrollment includes both sections. Check your course settings to confirm the name and adjust it if needed.

When you grade an assignment, the grade records for the student's actual section in your institution's system. If a student from section 01 submits work, their grade goes to section 01 in your registrar's records, even though you entered it in the shared Canvas gradebook. This separation happens automatically — you do not have to do anything special.

Managing Grades and Attendance in a Crosslisted Course

In the gradebook, you can filter or sort by section if you need to see one group at a time. Click the filter icon (usually a funnel symbol) in the gradebook header, then select the section you want to view. This is helpful if you want to check attendance or grades for just the morning section before a meeting with those students.

When you export grades to your institution's system, Canvas sends each student's grade to their enrolled section automatically. You do not choose which section gets which grade — the system handles it based on each student's enrollment record. If you use a third-party gradebook tool, check whether it supports crosslisted courses; some older systems do not sync correctly with linked sections.

Attendance and participation records work the same way. If you track attendance in Canvas, each student's record stays tied to their section when you export data. The shared Canvas space just means you manage it all in one place rather than switching between two course shells.

Uncrosslisting Courses or Fixing a Mistake

If you need to uncrosslist courses — for example, if sections should have been kept separate — contact your administrator again. Uncrosslisting happens in your student information system, not in Canvas, so you cannot do it yourself. Explain why the sections need to be separated, and your administrator will process the change.

After uncrosslisting, Canvas will create separate course shells for each section. Any grades and content you entered while they were crosslisted will remain in the original course shell. Your administrator may need to help you move materials to the new shell if you want to keep them, or you may need to re-enter some data. Plan for this to take a few days.

If you crosslisted the wrong sections by mistake, contact your administrator as soon as possible. The sooner you catch it, the less data you will need to reorganize. Most institutions can uncrosslist and re-crosslist the correct sections within a day or two.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Do not assume crosslisting happens automatically just because two sections of the same course exist. Your institution has to set it up deliberately. If you teach two sections and they are not linked, they will not be unless you request it.

Do not try to manually combine courses by copying content from one section to another. This creates confusion and makes it hard for your administrator to help if something goes wrong. Always use the official crosslist process.

Do not forget to tell students which section they are in if you are teaching a crosslisted course. Some students may not realize they are in a shared Canvas shell with another section. A note in your syllabus or first announcement clarifying the setup prevents confusion about meeting times and section-specific information.

Do not wait until the semester starts to request a crosslist. Submit your request at least two weeks before the term begins so your administrator has time to process it and verify the setup before students enroll.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I crosslist courses taught by different instructors?

Yes, but both instructors need access to the same Canvas course shell. Your institution will set permissions so both instructors can edit content and see all grades. Agree beforehand on who posts announcements and assignments to avoid confusion. Some schools designate one instructor as the primary contact for the crosslist.

What if my institution uses a different name for crosslisting?

Some schools call it "linking," "combining," or "merging" courses. The function is the same — multiple sections share one Canvas shell. When you contact your administrator, describe what you want (two sections in one course) rather than using a specific term, and they will understand.

Do students see both section numbers in Canvas?

Usually only the primary section number appears in the course name. Students can see their own section in their enrollment details, but the Canvas course shell itself shows one name. If you want students to know both sections are linked, mention it in your syllabus or course announcements.

Can I crosslist a course after the semester has started?

Yes, but it is more complicated. Any grades or content entered before crosslisting took effect will be in separate shells, and your administrator may need to help merge them. It is much easier to set up crosslisting before students start enrolling.

What happens to my course if I uncrosslist mid-semester?

Canvas will split the course into separate shells for each section. Grades and content stay in the original shell, and your administrator may need to help you copy materials to the new shell. Uncrosslisting mid-semester disrupts the course, so avoid it if possible — plan your crosslist needs before the term begins.