Ability to Re-order External Apps icons in Rich Content Editor

[Hildi_Pardo]

After the 2019-03-09 Canvas Release, which included the addition of a Commons Favorites Importing icon in the rich content editor (RCE), our Google integration icon "disappeared" from our RCE.    Well....it really didn't disappear, but that's what a lot of teachers thought, and they panicked.    The Google integration moved underneath the "more external tools V icon.
I submitted a ticket (Case #04164555), asking how we could get our Google icon back out, for easy access. I asked if we could re-organize our apps, for example by moving another app icon (CK-12) under the V, and/or even the Commons under the V, to free up space for our Google icon. Teachers use the Google icon a lot so it's important to have easy access and reduce clicks.
I was told "There is not a way to easily change order of the external tool icons that display in the Rich Content Editor.  ....the external tool icons will appear in the order that they were installed into Canvas.  It looks like the CK-12 was the first external app installed as a Editor Button, then the Google Apps was next.  You could delete the CK-12 app which would then put the Google Apps icon in the Rich Content Editor.  If you then re-install the CK-12 app, it would be added to the bottom of the external tools list in the Rich Content Editor."
It would be great if system admin can re-arrange the external tools in a way that makes most sense for our district.

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

For more information, please read through the Canvas Deploy Notes (2020-08-26). 

[cbirdsong]

I wholeheartedly agree!! We have a new installation of Cidilabs DesignTools that comes with an image embed tool that will also crop on the fly, however it wasn't showing up in the main icons and panicked some super user faculty of ours. I found it at the very bottom of the blue V external tools list, which no one thinks to look in! I really don't want to have to uninstall every other external tool to get this Cidilabs icon to show up in the main row, just to then have to reinstall all those I just uninstalled! Really would be nice to have a way to rearrange those icons, at least from an admin level, or even a course level so faculty can do it based on the tools they use most. PLEASE Canvas Engineers????? 

[kmallen]

We would like this as well! Our Canvas CSM recommended that we delete and reinstall all of our external tools to get them in the preferred order. This workflow is not ideal, and we'd love a feature to be able to rearrange the external tools on the RCE!

[Jeff_F]

The new RCE toolbar has a different approach for external tools.  Select  # 20 to see the list of LTI tools in alphabetical order.

Reference:  https://community.canvaslms.com/people/snugent/blog/2019/09/09/new-and-improved-rich-content-editor-... 

[Hildi_Pardo]

Thanks for the heads up!   I love the training resource you've posted -- is that something you made? (and can share?)

[Jeff_F]

Credit goes to snugent‌ as she is two scoops of   a w e s o m e ~ !

[Stef_retired]

Comments from Instructure

The account-level App Configuration page displays an LTI favorites column, which allows admins to enable up to two external tools directly in the New Rich Content Editor toolbar. Additionally, when external tools are used frequently by an individual user, the icon displays a menu of the last five accessed tools. These changes help users find and access frequently used apps more readily available in the New Rich Content Editor.

For more information, please read through the Canvas Deploy Notes (2020-08-26)

[adehart]

@Stef_retired , when I try to enable a tool at the subaccount level, I get an error message.  Is this feature only available for use at the Account level and not something that can be set at the subaccount level?  

Thanks!

Angela

[Stef_retired]

@adehart 

Angela, our team would look to look into this further, so would you please submit a support case?