Skip to content
Customer Support Portal
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Why does the Course External Assets tool fail to update my content?

If the Course External Assets tool cannot dismiss, import, or update an asset, the issue is usually related to permissions, Canvas API limitations, or the accessibility of the external file. Use the sections below to identify the issue and troubleshoot it.

Dismiss Action Failed

Dismissing an external asset means adding an HTML class called dp-ext-ignore to the element which requires saving changes to the Canvas content HTML via API calls on your behalf. If Canvas cannot save those changes, the dismiss action will fail.

Update Action Failed

The external file or image was successfully imported into your course, but the content could not be updated because the HTML changes could not be saved.   You can tell if this is the case by checking your course Files > external_imports folder to see if the external file is there.

If a Dismiss or Update action fails:

  1. Verify that you have permission to edit the content. If the page does not have an Edit button, you do not have sufficient permissions.
  2. Try the same action on another asset. If it succeeds, the problem is likely specific to the original content.
  3. Retry the action on the individual asset instead of using a bulk action. This can help avoid Canvas API throttling.
  4. If the issue persists, contact Cidi Labs support for further assistance and include:
    1. the affected content
    2. the content HTML

Import Failed

The tool could not copy the external file into your course. This usually happens because Canvas cannot access the original file via the Canvas API. In many cases, inaccessible files are labeled “File not found”. However, some inaccessible files may only appear with a status of “Flagged”. 

What to do:

  1. Open the file using the link in the Asset column.
    1. If the file opens, continue with the remaining troubleshooting steps.
    2. If the file does not open, Canvas cannot access it. The file cannot be imported, and students also will not be able to access it. Replace or remove the file.
  2. Please confirm in your course Files whether or not it actually imported the file.  If the file is there, then it is an Update issue and not an import issue.
  3. If the file failed to import, but the file successfully opens in a new tab, try importing just the single row instead of a bulk import action.
  4. If the issue persists, contact Cidi Labs support for further assistance and include:
    1. the affected content
    2. the problematic file link