Canvas exams · Privacy
Can Canvas Teachers See What Websites You Visited?
This is one of the most searched questions around Canvas quizzes. Here's what Canvas quiz logs typically show, what they don't, and how proctoring tools change the picture.
Quick answer
In most setups, Canvas quiz logs do not show a detailed list of websites you visited. The log is mainly a timeline of quiz-related events (views, timestamps, focus changes). Separate proctoring tools can add additional monitoring and their own reports.
What Canvas can log during a quiz
- Start/submission timestamps.
- Question/page views (depending on quiz type).
- Focus/navigation events (leaving and returning to the quiz).
- Technical events (reloads, disconnects, reconnects).
What the quiz log usually does not show
- A browser history list of websites you opened.
- Exact content of other tabs or apps.
- Screen recording or webcam video by default.
Instructors can still interpret the timeline (for example, frequent focus loss during a closed-book exam), but the log itself typically doesn't reveal the outside content.
Canvas vs proctoring tools
Many schools pair Canvas with products like Proctorio or Respondus. Those tools generate separate reports and can introduce additional monitoring beyond the standard Canvas quiz log.
FAQ
Can Canvas detect other tabs?
Canvas can record focus/navigation signals like leaving and returning to the quiz page, which can correlate with tab switching.
Can teachers see my screen?
Not from Canvas quiz logs alone. Screen/webcam monitoring depends on separate proctoring software (if your institution uses it).
What should I look at to understand the log?
Start with the quiz log timeline: timestamps, focus events, and the pacing of question views/answers.