[ARCHIVED] How do I mass archive Inbox messages as an instructor?

[kabrown2]

Inbox‌#archive all

[James · Accepted solution]

Please see these lessons from the Canvas Instructor Guide:

• How do I delete a conversation as an instructor?  
• How do I archive a conversation as an instructor?  

There is a short line buried in there that explains how to do it in bulk.

To delete multiple conversations, select the message checkbox or press the command key (Mac) or control key (Windows) while clicking each message you want to delete [1]. Then click the Delete icon [2].

or

To select multiple messages to archive, click the message checkbox or press the command key (Mac) or the control key (Windows) while clicking each message you want to select. You can also click the checkbox or use the same keyboard command to deselect a message.

[cindi_kirby]

I would like to be able to mass delete the messages in Inbox, but a mass Archive would be acceptable. 

[James · Accepted solution]

Please see these lessons from the Canvas Instructor Guide:

• How do I delete a conversation as an instructor?  
• How do I archive a conversation as an instructor?  

There is a short line buried in there that explains how to do it in bulk.

To delete multiple conversations, select the message checkbox or press the command key (Mac) or control key (Windows) while clicking each message you want to delete [1]. Then click the Delete icon [2].

or

To select multiple messages to archive, click the message checkbox or press the command key (Mac) or the control key (Windows) while clicking each message you want to select. You can also click the checkbox or use the same keyboard command to deselect a message.

[cindi_kirby]

A little further down it says you can hold Ctrl + A and that will select all the messages. Then click the delete icon. 

[wendyhusd383]

Ctrl + A does NOT select messages.

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Hello there, @wendyhusd383 ...

I just tested the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut on my own PC, and it worked as expected.  I went to my Canvas Inbox, and then I clicked on the top message so that it highlights in blue and displays on the right side of the screen.  Then I pressed Ctrl + A on my keyboard.  It highlighted several of my messages on the left-hand side of the Inbox...but not all.  What you can also do is select the first (top) message in your list, and then scroll down to the bottom of your list of messages.  Hold down the Shift key, and then click on the bottom message.  This should highlight everything from the top message to the bottom.  Then, you can archive.  Much of this is covered in the section "Select Multiple Conversations" within this Guide:

• How do I use the Inbox as an instructor? - Instructure Community
• How do I use the Inbox as a student? - Instructure Community

I hope this will be of some help to you.  Sing out if you have any other questions about this...thanks!