Why and when you might hide a course
Canvas lets you hide courses from your main dashboard so they do not clutter your active course list. You might hide a course because you have finished it but want to keep the materials for reference, because you are auditing it and do not need it in your primary view, or because you are taking a break from it mid-semester. Hidden courses still exist in your account — you can unhide them at any time — but they will not show up when you first log in.
Hiding a course is different from dropping it or unenrolling. When you hide a course, you keep access to all the content, grades, and assignments. The course straightforward moves out of sight. Your instructor cannot tell whether you have hidden a course; it is a personal organization choice on your end.
Key Takeaways
- Hidden courses remain in your Canvas account with all content intact; hiding is not the same as dropping or leaving the course.
- You hide a course by clicking the three-dot menu next to the course name on your dashboard and selecting "Hide from Dashboard".
- Hidden courses can be unhidden at any time using the same menu, so you can bring them back to your main view whenever you need them.
- Instructors cannot see whether you have hidden a course, and hiding does not affect your enrollment status or grades.
Steps to hide a course from your dashboard
Log into Canvas and go to your dashboard. You will see a list of your current and past courses displayed as cards or in a list view, depending on your settings. Find the course you want to hide.
Look for the three-dot menu icon (sometimes called a context menu or options button) in the top right corner of the course card. Click it. A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Select "Hide from Dashboard". The course will when ready disappear from your main dashboard view.
If you use the list view instead of card view, the three-dot menu appears at the end of each course row. The process is the same: click the menu and select "Hide from Dashboard".
How to unhide a course later
If you need to access a hidden course again, you can bring it back to your dashboard. Click the "All Courses" link or button, usually found at the bottom of your course list or in the left sidebar. This shows every course you are enrolled in, including hidden ones.
Find the hidden course in the full list. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select "Show on Dashboard". The course will reappear in your main dashboard when ready. You have not lost any work, grades, or materials — everything is exactly as you left it.
What happens to your work when you hide a course
Hiding a course does not change anything about your enrollment, your grades, or your access to course materials. All your assignments, discussion posts, quiz scores, and files remain in the course. Your instructor can still see your work and grade it. You can still submit assignments and participate in the course even while it is hidden from your dashboard.
The only thing that changes is visibility on your personal dashboard. It is purely a display preference. If your instructor posts a new assignment or announcement in a hidden course, you will not see a notification on your dashboard, but you can still access the course by going to "All Courses" and clicking into it.
Hiding versus other ways to manage courses
Canvas offers several ways to manage your course list, and it is worth knowing the difference. Hiding a course keeps it in your account but removes it from your dashboard. Unenrolling or dropping a course removes you from the course entirely — you lose access to materials and your enrollment record changes. Archiving a course (available to instructors, not students) is different still and is something your instructor controls, not you.
If you want to keep access to course materials but do not want the course visible, hiding is the right choice. If you want to completely leave a course and have no further involvement, you would need to contact your instructor or registrar about dropping or unenrolling, depending on your school's policies.
Organizing multiple hidden courses
If you hide several courses, you can still find them by clicking "All Courses". Canvas does not sort hidden courses separately, so they will appear mixed in with your active and past courses. To keep track of which ones you have hidden, you might want to make a note in your own system or remember which semesters they belong to.
Some Canvas users hide old courses from previous semesters to keep their dashboard focused on current work. Others hide courses they are auditing or taking for personal interest. There is no limit to how many courses you can hide, and you can hide and unhide them as often as you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my instructor see that I hid a course?
No. Hiding a course is a personal dashboard setting on your end. Your instructor has no way to know whether you hid the course, and it does not affect your enrollment status or how they view your participation and grades.
If I hide a course, will I still get notifications about new assignments?
You will not see notifications on your dashboard, but you can still access the course through "All Courses" and see new assignments there. If you want to stay informed about a hidden course, check it manually or ask your instructor to send important announcements by email as well.
Can I hide a course I am currently taking?
Yes. You can hide any course you are enrolled in, whether it is active, finished, or in progress. Hiding does not change your enrollment or affect your ability to submit work or see grades.
What if I hide a course and then forget which one I hid?
Click "All Courses" to see your complete course list, including all hidden courses. You can unhide any course from there. There is no penalty for hiding and unhiding courses, so you can experiment without worry.
Does hiding a course delete my grades or assignments?
No. All your work, grades, and course materials stay in Canvas exactly as they are. Hiding only removes the course from your dashboard view. Your data is completely safe.