How to Embed a PowerPoint in Canvas: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you looking to share your PowerPoint presentations with students or colleagues on Canvas? Embedding a PowerPoint directly into a Canvas page is a great way to make your presentations easily accessible.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the simple process of embedding a PowerPoint presentation in Canvas. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to upload your PowerPoint file, generate an embed code, and add the embedded presentation to any Canvas page. Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need Before You Begin

Before you can embed a PowerPoint in Canvas, you’ll need a few key things:

1. A PowerPoint presentation file (in .ppt or .pptx format) that you want to embed
2. A Canvas account with permissions to edit the relevant course
3. Access to an internet-connected computer

Make sure you have your PowerPoint presentation ready to go on your computer. You’ll be uploading this file to Canvas in one of the steps below.

Step 1: Upload Your PowerPoint to Canvas

The first step is to upload your PowerPoint file to Canvas. Here’s how:

1. Sign in to your Canvas account and go to the course where you want to embed the PowerPoint.
2. In the left sidebar, click on “Files”. This will take you to the file management area for your course.
3. Click on the “Upload” button near the top-right corner of the Files page.
4. In the file upload window that appears, either drag and drop your PowerPoint file or click “Choose File” to select it from your computer.
5. Once your file is selected, click the “Open” button to start uploading it to Canvas.
6. When the upload is complete, you should see your PowerPoint file listed in the Files area.

Tips for Uploading PowerPoint Files

• Make sure your PowerPoint file has a clear, descriptive name so it’s easy to find later
• Avoid using special characters like ?, “, or * in your file name, as these can sometimes cause issues
• If your PowerPoint file is very large, it may take a few minutes to fully upload to Canvas

Step 2: Generate an Embed Code for Your PowerPoint

Now that your PowerPoint is uploaded to Canvas, the next step is to generate an embed code that will allow you to display the presentation within a page. Follow these steps:

1. In the Files area of Canvas, locate the PowerPoint file you just uploaded.
2. Hover your mouse over the file name. A “More Options” button (three vertical dots) should appear on the right. Click this button.
3. From the options menu, select “Embed”.
4. In the Embed window, look for the “Embed” section, which should contain a code snippet.
5. Click the “Copy Embed Code” button to copy this code snippet to your clipboard.

Understanding the Embed Code

The embed code you just copied will look something like this:

<iframe src="https://yourschool.instructure.com/courses/1234/files/5678/download" width="640" height="480">
</iframe>

This code uses an HTML <iframe> element to display your PowerPoint file within a web page. The src attribute points to the URL of your PowerPoint file in Canvas. The width and height attributes specify the dimensions of the embedded presentation in pixels. You can adjust these values if needed.

Step 3: Embed Your PowerPoint in a Canvas Page

With your embed code ready, you can now add your PowerPoint presentation to any Canvas page. Here’s how:

1. In your Canvas course, navigate to the page where you want to embed the PowerPoint.
2. Click the “Edit” button at the top-right corner to enter the page editing mode.
3. In the page editor, click the “HTML Editor” link. This will open the raw HTML view of your page.
4. Locate the spot in the HTML where you want to insert your PowerPoint. This will typically be between paragraph tags (<p>...</p>).
5. Paste your embed code at this location.
6. Click “Save” at the bottom of the HTML Editor to apply your changes.
7. Click “Save & Publish” in the main page editor to make your changes live.

Previewing Your Embedded PowerPoint

After saving your page, you can preview how your embedded PowerPoint will look to students:

1. From the page editor, click the “Preview” button at the top-right corner.
2. The page will reload, and you should now see your PowerPoint presentation embedded in the page content.
3. Use the scroll bars to navigate through your presentation slides.
4. If everything looks good, your PowerPoint is successfully embedded and ready for others to view!

Expert Tips for Embedding a PowerPoint in Canvas

1. Making Your PowerPoint Accessible

When embedding a PowerPoint in Canvas, it’s important to ensure your content is accessible to all users, including those using assistive technologies. Here are some tips:

• Add alt text to images & shapes: Provide alternative text for any images, charts, or shapes in your PowerPoint slides. This helps convey the content to users with visual impairments.
• Use high-contrast colors: Ensure there is sufficient color contrast between your text and background elements. This improves readability, particularly for users with low vision.
• Provide captions & transcripts for media: If your PowerPoint includes audio or video content, include captions and/or transcripts so that all users can access the material.

2. Updating an Embedded PowerPoint

If you need to make changes to a PowerPoint that’s already embedded in Canvas, follow these steps:

1. Make your edits in the original PowerPoint file on your computer.
2. In Canvas, go to the Files area and find the previously uploaded PowerPoint.
3. Click the “More Options” button and choose “Manage File”.
4. In the file management window, click “Replace”.
5. Select your updated PowerPoint file and click “Open” to upload it.
6. Canvas will automatically update any embedded instances of the PowerPoint to use the new version.

Common Troubleshooting Issues

1. Embedded PowerPoint not loading or displaying

• Ensure you’ve correctly copied & pasted the full embed code into the HTML view of your page
• Check that the src URL in your embed code points to the correct PowerPoint file in your Canvas course files
• Confirm that the PowerPoint file type is supported (Canvas supports .ppt, .pptx & hosted files on Microsoft OneDrive & Google Drive)

2. PowerPoint file too large

• If your PowerPoint file is very large (over 500MB), it may not embed successfully due to file size limits in Canvas
• Try compressing images, audio & video within your PowerPoint to reduce the overall file size
• Split large presentations into multiple smaller files and embed each one on a separate page if needed

3. Embedded PowerPoint not responsive on mobile

• PowerPoint embeds may not scale well to small screen sizes by default
• Ensure your width and height attributes are set to reasonable pixel values for your content
• Consider providing a direct download link to the PowerPoint file in addition to the embed, for mobile users

Final Thoughts

Embedding a PowerPoint presentation in Canvas is a straightforward process that can greatly enhance your course content. By uploading your PowerPoint file, generating an embed code, and adding that code to a Canvas page, you can seamlessly integrate presentations into your online teaching materials.

Just remember to keep accessibility in mind as you create your PowerPoint content, and be aware of potential issues like large file sizes or mobile responsiveness. With a bit of care and attention, embedded PowerPoints can be a powerful tool for sharing knowledge with your students and peers on Canvas.

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Trish Dixon

Trish Dixon is the founder of PPTBliss and a PowerPoint expert with over a decade of experience in presentation design. Passionate about visual storytelling, Trish shares her expertise through easy-to-follow tutorials on slide design, animations, transitions, and best practices, helping professionals create impactful presentations across industries.

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