Faculty can now self-provision sandbox courses in Canvas! A sandbox is a blank course you can use to explore Canvas features by creating example modules, assignments, quizzes, and discussion boards. You can also use a sandbox to start designing a course and later copy it into the official Canvas course shell, or to develop an organization site.

Open your Canvas Dashboard.
Select the “Start a New Course” button on the right side of the Dashboard page.

Screenshot of the Canvas LMS interface for Quinnipiac University. The page displays a “Coming Up” section with a group discussion assignment and a “Recent Feedback” section stating “Nothing for now.” A button labeled “Start a New Course” is highlighted with a purple rectangle, and below it is a “View Grades” button.

In the “Create Course” box, enter a name for your sandbox.

Is the sandbox for a specific course?

Format: CourseID_LastName_Sandbox_CurrentTerm

Is the sandbox for an organization site?

Format: OrganizationName_LastName_Sandbox

Is the sandbox for your general use?

Format: LastName_Sandbox_MMDDYY

Screenshot of the “Create Course” window in Canvas LMS. The “Course Name” field is filled with “QU100_Smith_Sandbox” and is highlighted with a purple rectangle. A purple arrow points to the blue “Create” button next to a “Cancel” button.

Once the sandbox is created, Canvas will take you to the Settings page of the sandbox.

Choose Home from the course navigation (purple arrow) to go to the course home page.
Choose Import Course Content from the right sidebar (green arrow) to import a Blackboard ZIP file or copy an existing Canvas course into this sandbox.

Screenshot of the Canvas LMS “Settings” page for the course “QU100_Smith_Sandbox.” A purple arrow points to the “Home” button in the left navigation menu. A green arrow points to the “Import Course Content” button.

As of September 2025, sandbox courses do not automatically receive the Quinnipiac Canvas course template. Learn more about the Quinnipiac Canvas course template → Learn how to import resources from Canvas Commons →

QILT is here to help you!

Meet With Us or Submit a Request

If you need help with Canvas, remember there are 24/7/365 phone and chat support options in the Canvas Help menu.

Additional Resources

View full knowledgebase →

View all teaching and learning resources →

Sandboxes: Creating a Canvas Sandbox Course

QILT is here to help you!

Additional Resources