Canvas (Instructors) - TidyUP File & Content Cleanup Tool

TidyUP by Cidi Labs is a tool that instructors can use to scan their Canvas course for unused files and Canvas content (e.g., pages, quizzes, discussions, assignments). Instructors can use TidyUP to review and delete unused content to save course storage space and improve file management. Cleaning up unused course content can also improve the accuracy and usefulness of reports generated by other Canvas tools, such as the link validator, the Atomic Search tool, and the UDOIT course accessibility checker.

Enabling TidyUP in a Canvas Course

TidyUP is hidden by default in UWGB Canvas courses. When enabled, it is only visible to instructors. Instructors can enable the tool by unhiding it in their Canvas course navigation menu.

  1. Select Settings from the Canvas course navigation menu.
    Settings link in Course navigation menu
  2. Select the Navigation tab.
    Tabs showing Course Details, Sections, Navigation, Apps, and Grade Syncing, with Navigation tab selected
  3. In the Navigation tab, drag and drop the TidyUP item from the bottom section (hidden items) to the top section (unhidden items), then select the Save button.
    Arrow indicating that the TidyUP item needs to be moved to the top section of the navigation menu items

Scanning Your Course

Once the TidyUP tool is enabled in your course, follow these steps to initiate a scan.

  1. Select the TidyUP link from your Canvas course navigation menu. If you are prompted to authorize Cidi Labs to connect to your UWGB account, select Authorize.
  2. On the TidyUP landing page, you can select whether you want TidyUP to scan all files or a custom selection of files. For your first scan, keep “all” files selected. Select the Scan Course button to begin scanning.
    Scan Course button and radio buttons underneath for File Types to Include with the options All or Custom
  3. Depending on the amount of content in your Canvas course, the initial scan can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Once the scan has completed, you will see a list of files and pages and can begin reviewing them.

Reviewing & Deleting Content

Important Considerations Before Deleting Files with TidyUP:

  • It is highly recommended that instructors create a backup of course content before using TidyUP to delete files from a course. This can be accomplished by downloading a ZIP file of all unused files or by importing all course content into a sandbox course.
  • TidyUP is unable to scan question banks for file usage. Please verify files are not being used in a question bank before deleting them.
  • New Quizzes and assignments with the “external tool” submission type that have an empty description box in Canvas will show up in TidyUP as having “no content.” Review external tool assignments and New Quizzes outside of the TidyUP tool to assess whether they have content.
    A row of the TidyUP report showing a page that has a circle with a slash through it under the column Has Content
  • For courses that have recently had content copied or imported from another course, the “last updated” date for those items in TidyUP will be the import date. Consider running a TidyUP scan in a course at the end of a semester (or even in a recently concluded course) to more accurately determine the “last updated” date for these files.

Once your TidyUP scan has completed, you can use the tabs at the top to review your Files, Folders, and Canvas Content. After using TidyUP to clean up your files, run a new scan to see the updated lists of files, folders, and Canvas content.

Getting Help

Cidi Labs has a TidyUP user guide with useful step-by-step instructions, videos, and tips. You can also browse the TidyUP FAQ in the Cidi Labs knowledge base. If you have technical issues with TidyUP or need to report a bug, please contact Cidi Labs support.

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