Pressbooks - How to Export Pressbooks Content as a Common Cartridge for use in Canvas [UW-Madison]

This document describes how to export Pressbooks content in a format (Common Cartridge) for import into Canvas.

If you would like to embed your Pressbooks content within a Canvas course, you first have to export it as a Common Cartridge file which can then be imported into your course. 

Prepare Pressbooks chapters for Canvas

Before you export your Pressbook, consider how you want the content to appear in Canvas. Each part within a Pressbook will be imported as a Canvas course module by default, and each chapter will be imported as module items within their respective part.

Only chapters with their "Shown in Export" switches selected within the book's organize page will be exported within the common cartridge file. Once users have selected the specific chapters they would like to be included in the export, they can proceed with actually exporting the book.

Screenshot of the Main body part from an Pressbook's organize page. There are two chapters listed in the main body part, and both haive their 'Show in Exports' switch set to 'on' to indicate that they will both be included in the export of the book.

Export Pressbook as a Common Cartridge file

Here are the steps to export the Pressbook:

  1. From your book's dashboard, navigate to the export page by clicking on Export in the left Navigation menu
    This screenshot shows the navigation ribbon on the administrative side of a Pressbook. The items included in the menu are Dashboard, Organize, Book Info, Appearance, Export, Import, Publish, Plugins, and Media. To navigate to the Export page, users should click on the Export entry in this navication menu.
  2. Make sure to check the checkbox next to "Common Cartridge with LTI links (Canvas)," and then click on the red "Export Your Book" button to generate the export.
    The top part of a Pressbook's export page is shown. A white rectangle including different exporting formats is displayed with checkboxes allowing users to select the formats they would like for the export. Underneath "Other formats:" the checkbox for "Common Cartridge with LTI Links (Canvas)" is selected. Beneath the export selection panel a red "EXPORT YOUR BOOK" button is displayed. Users should click that button once selecting the exports they'd like to have Pressbooks create the exports.
  3. Once the exporting process is complete, the export will be available to download under under the Latest Exports heading on the export page.
    The lower portion of the Pressbooks Export page is displayed. Underneath a "Latest Exports" heading, the most recent export that was created (in this case a common cartridge file) is displayed, and the download link for that export is called out. Users need to download the export, so that it can then be imported into a Canvas course.
    By default, the plugin will produce a Thin CC with LTI links, which will include all chapters in the book (including front and back matter) which have been selected for export.

Once you are done exporting the Thin Common Cartridge file, you will import it into your Canvas course by following the directions in Pressbooks - Importing a Pressbooks Common Cartridge File into Your Canvas course [UW-Madison] .

See Also


Keywords:
content, authoring, pressbook, pressbooks, export, common, cartridge, canvas 
Doc ID:
84558
Owned by:
Learn@UW Madison in Learn@UW-Madison
Created:
2018-08-07
Updated:
2025-04-10
Sites:
DoIT Help Desk, Learn@UW-Madison