Import a Course

Import a Course#

When you have released your course, you can use the course export and import tools in Studio to save a backup copy of the course, and optionally re-import your course for editing. For more information, see Export a Course and Import a Course through Studio.

When you import and export a course, you work with .tar.gz files.

To duplicate an existing course for a new run, course creators can use the course re-run option. See Re-running a Course.

Caution

Before exporting and importing a course, ensure that links in the course to other course content use the /jump_to_id/<unit identifier> syntax. If a link does not use the /jump_to_id/<unit identifier> syntax, the link will be broken if you export then import the course. For more information, see Add a Link to a Course Unit.

Warning

Content of the imported course replaces all the content of this course. You cannot undo a course import. We recommend that you first export the current course, so you have a backup copy of it.

There are several reasons you may want to import a course. Some examples follow.

  • To load a course you developed outside of Studio.

  • To run a new version of a course that was not created in Studio.

  • To prepare course content for reuse in another learning system.

The course that you import must be in a .tar.gz file (that is, a .tar file compressed with GNU Zip). This .tar.gz file must contain a course.xml file in a course data directory. The tar.gz file must have the same name as the course data directory. It may also contain other files. For more information, see Working with the .tar.gz File.

If your course uses legacy layout structures, you may not be able to edit the course in Studio. To make sure that your course is completely editable, ensure that all components are embedded in a unit.

The import process has five stages. During the first two stages, you must stay on the Course Import page. You can leave this page after the Unpacking stage has completed. EdX recommends, however, that you don’t make important changes to your course until the import operation has completed.

To import a course, follow these steps.

  1. From the Tools menu, select Import.

  2. Select Choose a File to Import.

  3. Locate the file that you want, and then Select Open.

an image of the Import page in which you can select a ``.tar.gz`` file to replace your course content.

Note

When you import a course, important dates, such as the course start date and time, are overwritten. After the import is complete, you should check dates to ensure they are set as intended. For more information, see Scheduling a Course Run.