Share a OneDrive file in a Canvas module

Since OneDrive files are private by default, adding a file from your OneDrive to your Canvas course without managing sharing settings will result in students requesting permission. The Office365 app within Canvas allows you to link to a OneDrive file without having to individually share the file with your student. If you aren't using Canvas or want to share your files outside of Canvas, you can follow Microsoft's steps in Share OneDrive files and folders instead.

Want to add a link to a OneDrive file in a page, announcement, course syllabus, or other location in your Canvas course? See the guide Link to a OneDrive document in Canvas content for what steps to follow.

Please note: Following these steps will share a document with your entire class. If you need to share a document with an individual student, please follow Microsoft's instructions for sharing a OneDrive file with specific people instead.

Before you start:

Click "Office 365" in your course Navigation and follow the authorization steps in Viewing your OneDrive files in Canvas.
- If you don't see this, follow the instructions in Customizing your Course Navigation before proceeding.
Ensure that you have a published module to add the file to. See the Canvas guides below for more information:
- How do I add a module?
- How do I publish or unpublish a module?

Add a OneDrive file to a module in Canvas

Open the Canvas course you want to share the file with
In the navigation menu for the course, click Modules.
Find the published module that you want to add this file to and click the + to the right of the module name.
In the "Add Item" window that opens, click the dropdown in "Add __ to Readings" to change from Assignment to External Tool.
Scroll down the list of External Tools until you see "Office 365". Click the tool name or the magnifying glass to the right.
If you didn't authorize the Office 365 app in the "Before you start" section, you may be prompted to authorize the application.
The Office 365 app will open a list of files and folders in your OneDrive. Find or search for the file that you want to share with the class.
Click the box to the left of the name of the file you want to share.
Click "Attach File" to confirm.
You will see the "Add Item" window from Step 4 again. Scroll down within the window to see the options below the list of tools.
1. Confirm that the "URL" field contains a link that starts with "https://office365-pdx".
2. The "Page Name" will automatically be filled in with the filename from OneDrive. This will be what students see in the module, so you may want to edit this to be more descriptive for students if it isn't already.
3. By default, the file will open within the Canvas window when students click it. If you'd like the file to open in a separate window from Canvas, check the box next to "Load in a new tab".
Click "Add Item" when you're done.
In the Modules page, find the newly added file link. Click the circle with a slash through it icon to the right of the filename to publish the file and make it visible to students.
Repeat these steps for any additional files you want to share from OneDrive.