Knowing how to change a course nickname in Canvas helps you customise how courses appear in your dashboard. A clear and meaningful nickname makes it easier to find courses quickly, especially if you manage many at the same time.
In the video, you’ll see how to open your Canvas course list and edit a course nickname in just a few steps. Start by going to the Courses menu at the top of your Canvas screen, then select All Courses. You’ll see a list of current courses with their official names. Next to each course, there’s an option to edit the nickname. Click into that field, type the new name you want, and hit Enter or Save. Once changed, your dashboard will show the nickname you chose rather than the full course title.
Changing a course nickname doesn’t affect the official course name that others see. It only changes how it looks on your Canvas Dashboard. This makes personal organisation easier without affecting student views or enrolment records. For example, if you teach multiple first-year classes, you might shorten long titles to something like “Yr9 Eng Lit” so you can spot them quickly.
Another benefit of knowing how to change a course nickname in Canvas is that you can customise names for different terms or roles. If you switch between being a tutor and a lead lecturer, nicknames can help you separate roles at a glance.
The process also works well for students. Encouraging students to give themselves useful nicknames for long-titled courses can improve navigation and reduce confusion.
Tip: Use short, clear nicknames that include key details—like term name or paper code—so you can find the right course fast each time you log in.