How to open an .imscc file
An .imscc file is a whole course packed into one archive. Drop it below to browse it the way it looked in Canvas: modules in order, pages with their images, assignments, discussions, quizzes and attached files. It opens in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer.
Drop your .imscc or QTI .zip here
Canvas course exports and Canvas quiz exports
Opens in your browser. Your file is never uploaded.
Open an .imscc file in three steps
- 1
Find the .imscc file
It usually comes from Canvas (Settings › Export Course Content › Course), from a colleague, or from a backup you made before leaving a school. The name ends in .imscc.
- 2
Drop it on the box above
Or click Choose a file. The archive is unzipped and read by your browser; nothing is uploaded, so it works for large courses on a normal connection.
- 3
Browse and take what you need
Use the sidebar to move through modules, pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes and files. Download any attached file, or export a page or quiz to Word or PDF.
What’s inside an .imscc file
IMSCC stands for IMS Common Cartridge, a standard format for moving courses between learning platforms. The file is a ZIP archive. At its root is imsmanifest.xml, which lists every resource and the module structure.
Canvas puts pages in wiki_content/ as HTML, uploaded files in web_resources/, quizzes as QTI XML (with a richer Canvas copy in non_cc_assessments/), and course settings in course_settings/. Inside the HTML, images point to $IMS-CC-FILEBASE$ paths, which is why pictures go missing if you just unzip the file and open a page.
OpenIMSCC reads the manifest, rebuilds the module order, and resolves those image and file paths, so pages look the way they did in the course.
Questions
Can I just rename .imscc to .zip and open it?
You can, and you’ll get folders of XML and HTML files. Pages open without their images (they point to $IMS-CC-FILEBASE$ paths), quizzes are raw XML, and the module order is buried in imsmanifest.xml. Opening it here gives you the readable course instead.
Do I need a Canvas account to open it?
No. OpenIMSCC reads the file itself, so it works after you’ve left a school or lost access to Canvas, and on computers where Canvas isn’t available.
Can I import an .imscc file into another LMS?
Often, yes. Common Cartridge is a standard, and platforms such as Moodle, Schoology and Brightspace can import it, though Canvas-specific parts (some quiz types, external tools) may not carry over. Opening it here first shows you what’s in the file before you import it.
Why are some items empty or missing?
Some things never travel in an export: external tool (LTI) links only work inside an LMS, New Quizzes aren’t supported yet, and links to other Canvas courses point outside the file. Everything that is in the file is listed in the sidebar.
Does it work on a Chromebook, Mac or iPad?
Yes, in any current browser. Very large exports (hundreds of MB) need a fair amount of memory, so a laptop or desktop is more reliable than a phone for those.