Canvas outages are usually brief, and the fastest way to find out when service will return is to check Canvas's own status page
When Canvas goes down, the Canvas Status page at status.canvaslms.com is the only place that will tell you when it's coming back. This page updates in real time as Canvas engineers work on the problem. You don't need to log in — just visit the URL directly in your browser.
Canvas hosts servers in multiple regions, so an outage affecting you might not affect everyone. The status page shows which regions are affected and which are running normally. If your institution uses Canvas, they may also post updates on their own IT support page or send emails to students and staff.
Most Canvas outages last between 15 minutes and 2 hours. Longer outages are rare. During an outage, you cannot log in, submit assignments, or view grades — the entire platform is unavailable to you, not just your account.
Key Takeaways
- Check status.canvaslms.com for real-time updates on when Canvas will be back online.
- Canvas outages usually last under two hours, though the status page will tell you the expected time.
- Your school's IT department or Canvas support email may also send notifications about outages affecting your institution.
- If the status page shows Canvas is up but you still cannot log in, the problem is likely on your school's network or your own device, not Canvas itself.
How to check the Canvas status page
Go to status.canvaslms.com in any web browser. You will see a list of Canvas services — Instructure Canvas, Canvas Data, Canvas Catalog, and others. Each service shows a colored dot: green means working normally, yellow means degraded performance (slow but functional), red means down.
Scroll down to see recent incidents and updates. Canvas engineers post messages as they investigate and fix problems. These messages include what went wrong, which regions are affected, and when they expect to restore service. Refresh the page every few minutes during an outage to see the latest update.
The status page also shows scheduled maintenance windows, which Canvas announces in advance. Scheduled maintenance usually happens on weekends or late at night and lasts 30 minutes to a few hours. Your school should notify you before scheduled maintenance, but you can also check the status page to see if maintenance is planned.
What to do while Canvas is down
If you have an assignment due while Canvas is down, contact your instructor directly by email. Most schools have a policy that technical outages do not count against you — your instructor can grant an extension or accept a late submission without penalty. Do not wait until after the outage to reach out; email your instructor as soon as you realize Canvas is unavailable.
If you are in the middle of taking a quiz or exam when Canvas goes down, your answers are usually saved automatically. When Canvas comes back online, log in and resume where you left off. If your quiz was not saved, contact your instructor with the time the outage occurred and ask them to check the Canvas logs.
If you need to contact Canvas support directly, go to support.canvaslms.com. Canvas support can tell you whether the outage is affecting your region and provide a more specific timeline. Your school's IT help desk can also escalate issues to Canvas if the outage is affecting many students.
Why Canvas goes down and how often it happens
Canvas is a cloud-based platform, which means it runs on servers that Canvas (owned by Instructure) maintains. Outages happen when servers need updates, when there are hardware failures, or when unexpected traffic spikes overload the system. Canvas also performs regular maintenance to keep the platform secure and add new features.
Complete outages affecting all users are uncommon — Canvas reports that the platform is available more than 99.5% of the time. This means you might experience one or two full outages per year, though many outages only affect certain regions or certain features. Partial outages, where some features work but others do not, happen more often but usually go unnoticed because you can still access your course.
Canvas publishes a status history page showing all incidents from the past 90 days. If you want to see how often outages happen at your school, you can check this history to understand the pattern.
Difference between a Canvas outage and a school network problem
If the Canvas status page shows everything is green but you still cannot log in, the problem is not Canvas. Check whether other websites load normally on your device. If they do not, your internet connection is down. If other websites work but Canvas does not, the problem might be your school's network, your school's Canvas configuration, or your browser.
Try these steps: clear your browser's cache and cookies, try a different browser, or try logging in from a different device or network. If Canvas works from your phone on mobile data but not from your school computer, the problem is your school's network. Contact your school's IT help desk in this case.
If Canvas works for other students but not for you, the problem is likely your account or device. Try resetting your password or contacting your school's Canvas administrator.
How to stay informed about future outages
Canvas publishes a status RSS feed at status.canvaslms.com that you can subscribe to in any RSS reader. This way, you will receive notifications when Canvas posts updates without having to check the page manually.
Your school may also have a notification system — check your school's IT website or Canvas login page to see whether you can subscribe to Canvas outage alerts. Some schools send email or text notifications to all students when Canvas is down.
Follow your school's official social media accounts or IT department accounts, as they often post about Canvas outages before sending formal emails. This can give you a heads-up while you are waiting for the status page to update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my work if Canvas goes down while I'm using it?
Canvas saves your work automatically as you type in most places — assignments, discussions, and quizzes all auto-save. If Canvas goes down, your work is saved on Canvas's servers. When the service comes back online, your work will be there. If you were in the middle of a quiz, you can log back in and resume from where you left off.
Can I download my grades or assignments before an outage?
Yes. In Canvas, go to your course, click Grades, and look for a download option. You can export your grades as a CSV file. For assignments, go to each assignment and download your submission file. This is useful if you want a backup, but it is not necessary for protection against outages — Canvas keeps backups of everything.
What if Canvas is down on the day an assignment is due?
Email your instructor immediately with the time you tried to submit and a screenshot of the Canvas status page showing the outage. Most schools have policies that allow extensions for technical outages. Your instructor can see in Canvas when you attempted to submit, and they can manually accept a late submission if needed.
Does Canvas go down on weekends?
Canvas can go down any day of the week, but scheduled maintenance usually happens on weekends or late nights to minimize disruption. Check the status page for a maintenance schedule. Unplanned outages can happen anytime, though they are rare.
Is Canvas down for everyone or just my school?
Check the status page to see which regions are affected. Canvas serves many schools across different regions. An outage might affect schools in one region but not others. If the status page shows Canvas is up but your school cannot access it, contact your school's IT department — the problem is on your school's network, not Canvas.