Canvas: Smart Search

What is Smart Search?

Smart Search is an AI-enhanced course feature option that can be activated by a teacher to enable those with access to a course the ability to search within a course content using everyday language (e.g., “show me all assignments about climate policy”). Behind the scenes, when Smart Search is enabled, Canvas creates a searchable index using course content. 

As an instructor, why should I activate Smart Search?

  • Simplify discoverability of relevant resources without scrolling through modules or course files.

  • Help students locate materials that support just‑in‑time learning.

  • Reduce duplicate questions by helping students find answers on their own.

How is the Smart Search course feature activated in a Course?

The Smart Search course feature is turned off by default. Course Feature Options are managed by people with teacher role by clicking on the Settings link at the bottom of the course-level Navigation menu, then clicking on the Feature Options tab. Under the State column, click the red circled X next to Smart Search to turn it on.

What are some Best Practices for instructors when activating Smart Search?

  1. Before activating Smart Search in a new course, test the feature option in another site. To do this, use or request access to an archive copy of a Canvas site from a previous term. This will help confirm how unpublished and published course materials are indexed or excluded from search. See how to request and Archive copy of a Canvas site under Hosted Archive Copy of a Canvas Site in Canvas: Requesting an Archive Copy for Sharing or ePub for Offline Access.

  2. Plan for visibility. Searchable content includes all published Pages, Announcements, Discussion prompts, Assignment descriptions. If you routinely publish and then unpublish course materials or have module completion requirements to control pacing, consider leaving Smart Search off. This is 

  3. Use clear titles & headings in course content. Clear content structure improves search quality for students.

  4. Review for PII. Edit or remove personally identifying information and data that doesn’t belong in search results.

  5. Communicate with students. Inform students that Smart Search is available and explain what it can and cannot do.

How does Smart Search Work?

STEP

BEHIND THE SCENES

1. First search

Canvas builds an index of all published course items. Searchable content includes all published Pages, Announcements, Discussion prompts, Assignment descriptions.

2. Query

A plain‑language question is converted into numbers (“embeddings”) that capture meaning, then compared to the index.

3. Results

Canvas returns a ranked list with a short snippet and a link. Course role permissions determine what is returned in the result. For example, students cannot open items they can’t already access.

Privacy & Data Facts

  • No student data is used for AI training. The AI model is pre‑trained; it only reads course content in order to build the searchable index.

  • PII visibility. Anything written inside published content (names, emails, etc.) will appear in search snippets.

  • Storage location. The searchable index sits in the Middlebury Canvas database; nothing is stored on the AI model servers.

What are known Limitations or Things to Watch for?

ISSUE

WHAT WE KNOW

LIMITATION

Granular control of searchable content

Course feature is on/off per course.

Can instructors exclude specific Modules or Pages? 

Not at this time. Assume Smart Search is indexing all published content in Pages, Announcements, Discussions, and Assignment descriptions.

Content Management

Any content that is discoverable by a Student can appear in search results.

Can instructors exclude specific content? 

Not at this time. Unpublish content that should not appear in a search result.
 

Can Smart Search be turned off after it has been turned on? 

Yes. Smart Search can be enabled or disabled at any time. In the Canvas course click Settings, then click Feature Options tab and locate the Smart Search feature. Click green checkmark under the State column next to Smart Search to turn it back off. The icon will change back to a red circled X.

Does Smart Search index student submissions or quiz questions? 

Not at this time; only course authored content is included.

Is there multilingual support in Smart Search? 

Yes. The AI model handles many languages, improving results in non‑English courses.

How to get additional help?

For more information visit Canvas’ Smart Search FAQs.

For technical support, contact Instructure Support by 24/7 phone [+1-833-890-4166] or email support@instructure.com. For pedagogical support schedule a consultation with a DLINQ team member.

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Canvas
Canvas is Middlebury's enterprise learning management system. It provides tools to create online course sites that enable course communications, forums, assessments, file sharing, and other activities.