Introducing the Canvas Catalog and Credentials Integration: Elevating Learner Engagement and Institutional Value

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
19
1986

Canvas.png

 

We’re excited to unveil a game-changing enhancement in the Canvas product ecosystem: the integration of Canvas Catalog with Canvas Credentials, bringing Badges and Pathways to the forefront of the learning experience!

Imagine a Catalog that doesn’t just showcase course offerings but also the tangible rewards—like Badges—and the structured learning journeys—like Pathways—that make each program stand out. This integration is designed to inspire learners, streamline admin workflows, and drive institutional success.

And here’s the best part: The Canvas Catalog and Credentials integration will launch on January 6, 2025. This significant update enhances the learner experience and provides institutions with a powerful tool for showcasing their programs.

Save the Date!Save the Date!

 

Why This Integration Matters

The Challenge
Canvas Catalog users and administrators have long faced a gap in showcasing the full value of their programs. Students couldn’t see the Badges they could earn or the structured learning Pathways that could guide their journey, leaving them without the motivation or clarity to take the next step. Institutions, meanwhile, missed out on a powerful opportunity to differentiate their offerings and drive enrollments.

The Solution
With the new Canvas Catalog and Credentials integration, these gaps are a thing of the past. The integration automates the connection between Canvas Credentials and Canvas Catalog, ensuring that Badges and Pathways are seamlessly displayed in Canvas Catalog.

Checking the available badges for each listing is as easy as this.Checking the available badges for each listing is as easy as this.

 

 

Students will be able to:

  • See Badges on the homepage and detailed listing pages, automatically pulled from Canvas Credentials, helping them visualize their achievements effortlessly.
  • Explore Pathways, gaining clarity on how their courses connect to long-term goals through a streamlined, automated interface that keeps information accurate and up-to-date.

For institutions, this means:

  • Set it and forget it: Once Badges and Pathways are assigned, they’re automatically synced to Catalog, reducing administrative burden and ensuring consistency.
  • Real-time updates: Any changes to Badges or Pathways in Credentials are automatically reflected in Catalog, ensuring students always see the most current and accurate information.
  • Efficiency meets impact: Automation frees up administrators to focus on strategy and student engagement rather than tedious updates, while still delivering a polished, professional Catalog experience.

Visualize student success via PathwaysVisualize student success via Pathways

 

With this integration, institutions finally have the tools they need to promote the comprehensive value of their programs, while automation ensures they do so with ease and efficiency. This drives increased engagement, enrollments, and satisfaction for students and administrators alike.

What to Expect on January 6th

Badges and Pathways on the Homepage

Students browsing your Catalog will instantly see:

  • Badges: Each listing highlights the Badges students can earn, serving as a visual testament to the skills and achievements awaiting them.
  • Filters for Pathways: Students can filter listings by Pathways to find guided learning journeys that meet their needs.
Detailed Listing Pages

When students dive deeper into a listing, they’ll find:

  • A full view of Badges: All associated Badges are displayed prominently, giving students an immediate sense of the program’s value.
  • Pathway visualizations: A clear, step-by-step progression helps students understand how their learning journey unfolds.
  • Interactive design: Clicking on Badges or Pathways redirects students to Canvas Credentials for further exploration, keeping them engaged and informed.

Get Ready for January 6th

While the feature officially launches on January 6th, now is the perfect time to plan and strategize how you’ll make the most of this transformative update:

  • Review your current Catalog listings to identify where Badges and Pathways can enhance visibility and value.
  • Brainstorm how this integration can help differentiate your offerings and drive enrollment.
  • Keep an eye on our help documentation, which will be available soon to guide you step-by-step through setup once the integration is live.

What’s Next?

Starting January 6th, students will not only see individual Badges but also understand how your programs fit into their long-term goals through Pathways.This is more than an update—it’s an innovative step forward in how institutions connect with students and help them visualize success like never before.

Imagine the excitement of students discovering listings that don’t just promise education but offer a roadmap to success. Picture your institution standing out as a leader in personalized, impactful learning experiences.

Join us in kicking off the new year with this groundbreaking feature. Your learners—and your institution—will thank you.

We’re counting down the days—are you?

The Canvas Catalog & Credentials teams

19 Comments
v_nguyen
Community Explorer

Hi all. Just wanting to verify, an institution would need both Canvas Catalog and Canvas Credentials, correct?

rpsloan
Community Participant

Hi @matekiss! Would this be available to test in Beta prior to the 01/06/25 launch?

jsowalsk
Community Coach
Community Coach

@matekiss I second @rpsloan's question and also, is this going to be at the root of Catalog or to be able to turn on at subcatalog levels?

RobertGibson
Community Participant

@v_nguyen That is correct. Bear in mind that Canvas Credentials do not yet support Open Badges 3.0, but that is coming soon....

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hi @rpsloan ,
No, this time there is no possibility of this due to technical reasons. This development will go to production right away. The documentation team is already working on a detailed guideline about the features, and I’ll share a video with the group as well.

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @jsowalsk ,
This will be available at the Subcatalog level.

jsowalsk
Community Coach
Community Coach

@matekiss I am glad to hear that this will be at the subcatalog level. It would be better for us to have the opportunity to provide feedback/see it in beta before going live in production since this is such a powerful platform on top of another platform. In addition, it would be nice to see how issuers work alongside Catalog admins before moving to production.

eric_silva
Community Participant

@matekiss Will this integration be available if we have the free version of Canvas Credentials, or will it require the paid version? Thanks!

vsenior-cvc
Community Explorer

This is great! 

We currently have not enabled the new storefront due to the custom scripts we have.  Will the new Credentials still show up on January 6 on our course listings pages if we do not have the new storefront enabled? 

Thank you!

emc2
Community Participant

@matekiss will this be a feature we can turn off/will it be turned off or disabled by default at the root level so we can just turn it on at sub-catalog levels when we are ready? 

emc2
Community Participant

@matekiss could you help us understand what those technical reasons are that would limit the ability to add this feature to beta?

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @jsowalsk ,

We’re working on a detailed video walkthrough to showcase all the features included in this update. The Catalog Guide will also be updated to reflect each setting and change once the integration is live, and the release notes will provide all the details too. You can count on these resources being ready by the deployment date. Unfortunately, we’re not able to release this update to Beta this time, but you’ll still have an opportunity to share feedback through forms and/or other platforms.

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @eric_silva ,
The integration is only compatible with the paid version of Canvas Credentials.

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @vsenior-cvc ,
We've designed the integration in such a way that the old Storefront is also supported. The detailed video guide will provide all the necessary details.

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @emc2 ,

This integration will be turned off by default on the day of the deploy. So you will have entirelly the chance to enable first only by specific Subcatalogs only.

The Beta instance of the Credentials part is not in such condition that would make it possible to deploy first to Beta.


jsowalsk
Community Coach
Community Coach

@matekiss Will the Credentials integration be available in production development environments? This is different than beta environments.

jsowalsk
Community Coach
Community Coach

@matekiss Since the documentation hasn't been updated, will the credentials integration be a feature toggle and when it is put in production be default on or off at the root and subcatalogs?

matekiss
Instructure
Instructure
Author

Hello @jsowalsk ,

Will the Credentials integration be available in production development environments? This is different than beta environments.
Thank you for your question! While we considered this option, it’s not currently possible. Previously, Credentials didn’t have a Beta environment at all. However, moving forward, testing capabilities will be introduced, starting with US customers. Stay tuned—this feature is coming soon!

Since the documentation hasn't been updated, will the credentials integration be a feature toggle, and when it is put in production, will it default to on or off at the root and subcatalogs?
Great question! Our documentation team is actively working on updates, which will be available prior to the launch date.

The feature toggle will default to OFF, so you’ll need to enable it manually at the root catalog level or for specific subcatalogs. If you enable it at the root level, subcatalogs will inherit this setting by default. However, you can override this by adjusting individual subcatalog settings as needed.

If you’d like to test the feature in advance, I recommend create a separate test Subcatalog to enable and explore the integration in a controlled environment.

jsowalsk
Community Coach
Community Coach

@matekiss So to confirm the only way to test this is in production? I think that is very risky.

Thank you for the clarification.