Remove courses by hiding them or deleting them permanently

Canvas keeps old courses on your dashboard by default, even after the term ends. You have two ways to clean this up: hide a course so it stays in your account but disappears from your dashboard view, or delete a course to remove it entirely. Most people hide courses instead of deleting them, since hiding takes one click and you can unhide later if you need to review old material.

The method you use depends on whether you are a student, teacher, or administrator — each role has different permissions. Students can only hide courses. Teachers and administrators can hide or delete. This guide covers all three.

Key Takeaways

  • Students can hide old courses from the dashboard by clicking the three-dot menu next to the course name and selecting "Hide from dashboard."
  • Teachers and administrators can hide courses the same way, or delete them permanently using the course settings menu.
  • Hidden courses remain in your account and can be unhidden later — they are not gone, just out of sight.
  • Deleted courses cannot be recovered, so only delete if you are certain you will not need the course material again.
  • If you delete a course by mistake, contact your Canvas administrator within a few days — they may be able to restore it from a backup.

How students hide courses from the dashboard

Open Canvas and look at your dashboard. Find the course card you want to remove. In the top right corner of that card, you will see three dots arranged vertically (called a menu button). Click it.

A small menu will pop up with two options: "Hide from dashboard" and "View course." Click "Hide from dashboard." The course card will disappear when ready. The course is still in your account — you have not deleted anything — it just no longer shows on your main dashboard view.

To see hidden courses later, scroll to the bottom of your dashboard and click "Show all courses." Your hidden courses will appear in a separate section labeled "Inactive courses." You can unhide any of them by clicking the three-dot menu again and selecting "Show on dashboard."

How teachers and administrators hide courses

Teachers and administrators follow the same process as students to hide a course: click the three-dot menu on the course card and select "Hide from dashboard." The course disappears from your view but remains in your account.

If you need to unhide it later, go to the bottom of your dashboard, click "Show all courses," find the course in the "Inactive courses" section, and click its three-dot menu to select "Show on dashboard."

How teachers and administrators delete courses permanently

Deleting a course removes it entirely from Canvas. You cannot undo a deletion through the dashboard — once it is gone, only your Canvas administrator can restore it, and only if they have a backup from the day you deleted it.

To delete a course, open the course and click the "Settings" link in the left navigation menu. Scroll down to the bottom of the settings page. You will see a red button labeled "Delete this course." Click it. Canvas will ask you to confirm — type the course name or code exactly as it appears, then click the confirmation button. The course will be deleted.

Before you delete, make sure you have downloaded or saved any files, assignments, or grades you might need later. Once the course is deleted, you will not be able to access any of that material through Canvas.

What happens to grades and records after you hide a course

Hiding a course does not affect your grades or transcript. Your final grade for that course remains in your academic record, and instructors can still see your work if they need to reference it. Hiding only removes the course from your personal dashboard view.

If you are a teacher and you hide a course, students can still see it in their course list and access it if they have the direct link. Hiding a course as a teacher is mainly for your own organization, not for controlling student access.

Recovering a deleted course

If you delete a course by mistake, contact your Canvas administrator right away. They may be able to restore it from a system backup, but only if they act within a few days. The longer you wait, the less likely a recovery becomes.

When you contact your administrator, have the course name, course code, and the date you deleted it ready. They will need this information to search for the course in the backup system. Be aware that even if they can restore the course, any changes made after the deletion date will be lost.

Organizing your dashboard without deleting courses

If you have many courses and want to keep them organized without deleting, hiding is the better choice. Hide old courses to keep your active courses visible, then unhide them during exam week or when you need to review old material.

You can also use Canvas's course favorites feature to pin your most important courses to the top of your dashboard. Click the star icon on a course card to mark it as a favorite — it will move to the top and stay there even if you have many other courses below it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide a course if I am a student?

Yes. Click the three-dot menu on the course card and select "Hide from dashboard." The course stays in your account but disappears from your dashboard view. You can unhide it anytime by going to "Show all courses" at the bottom of your dashboard.

What is the difference between hiding and deleting a course?

Hiding removes a course from your dashboard but keeps it in your account — you can unhide it later. Deleting removes it entirely and cannot be undone through Canvas. Only teachers and administrators can delete. Students can only hide.

If I delete a course, can the instructor still see my grades?

No. Deleting a course removes all of its content, including grades and assignments. Your transcript may still show a final grade if it was already recorded by your school's registrar, but the course itself and all its details will be gone from Canvas.

How do I unhide a course after I hide it?

Scroll to the bottom of your dashboard and click "Show all courses." Find the course in the "Inactive courses" section, click its three-dot menu, and select "Show on dashboard." The course will reappear on your main dashboard.

Can my instructor see that I hid their course?

No. Hiding a course is private to you. Your instructor cannot see whether you have hidden their course from your dashboard. They can only see whether you access the course content.