As 2025 comes to a close, the Canvas Catalog team at Instructure is proud to reflect on a year of product enhancements that support the unique challenges of managing and scaling non-degree offerings. Whether institutions are running continuing education, workforce training, certificate programs, or lifelong learning initiatives, Catalog serves as the public storefront, registration system, and engagement layer that connects learners with opportunity.
This year, we focused on discoverability, enrollment conversion, administrative control, and learner engagement. Every release aimed to reduce manual work for staff, improve visibility for listings, and ensure students have a smooth, branded experience from discovery to completion.
Connecting Catalog and Digital Badges
We began the year by launching the long-anticipated integration between Canvas Catalog and Canvas Credentials, now rebranded as Parchment Digital Badges. This integration allows institutions to showcase badge-earning opportunities and pathway progress directly on listing pages. By surfacing this information up front, learners can make more informed decisions about which courses align with their goals before enrolling.
Release notes | Article
Course and Program Recommendations
In February, we introduced the Recommendation Engine to support prospective learners as they explore available offerings. This feature surfaces related listings directly on the catalog storefront, using catalog structure and user behavior to suggest courses and programs that may align with the learner’s interests or goals. It helps students discover relevant opportunities while browsing, before they enroll.
Release notes | Article
One-Time Use Promo Codes
In July, we launched One-Time Use Promo Codes to support targeted outreach and partner-specific discounts. These codes can only be used once, allowing for greater control and better tracking of specific campaigns.
Release notes | Article
New Integration with Impact
In August, we expanded the Catalog ecosystem by launching an integration with Impact. This enables institutions to deliver targeted, contextual messages within the Catalog interface. For example, you can notify prospective learners about enrollment deadlines or promote newly added courses as they browse the catalog. These messages can be tailored by audience or listing, helping students stay informed and act quickly without leaving the page.
Release notes | Article
Instructor Fields in Listings
In October, we added the Instructor Field to listings. This small but important update makes it easier for learners to identify who is teaching the course and for institutions to highlight faculty expertise.
Release notes | Article
Managing Listings Over Time
We introduced Listing Lifecycle Management to give admins better control over listings. You can now archive, unarchive, and adjust visibility as course offerings change, making it easier to manage seasonal or limited-time programs.
Release notes | Article
New Engagement Nudges
This year we released a series of nudges aimed at improving student engagement and enrollment follow-through:
Each of these messages was designed to be timely, relevant, and easy to manage from the admin side.
Simplifying Financial Workflows
In Q4, we launched two key updates to improve payment and refund handling:
- Native Refunds: Admins can now issue refunds directly from the Catalog UI without needing a separate platform
Release notes
- Flywire Integration: Expands payment options, particularly for international learners, and supports a wide range of currencies
Release notes | Article
Always Improving
These were just a few of the improvements delivered in 2025. We made dozens of smaller refinements throughout the year, all with the goal of making Catalog easier to use, more flexible, and more aligned with the needs of modern learners and administrators. View the complete list of releases here.
Looking Ahead to 2026
In 2026, we will continue to focus on automation, the payment experience, and integrations both within and outside the Instructure ecosystem. Our goal remains the same: provide institutions with the tools they need to deliver high-quality, accessible learning experiences at scale.
Thank you for your continued feedback, collaboration, and support. We look forward to building what’s next with you.
The Canvas Catalog Team
