Use Appointment Groups to Host Virtual Office Hours

Last updated on September 16, 2026

Office hours are a hallmark of higher education and as you move to online, you will likely want to continue offering this option to students.

Canvas has a tool built in to the Calendar to make this task more manageable. By using Appointment Groups, you can easily implement a way for student’s to sign up for appointments with you during a set time.

Directions

[Length 2:06, CC Available]

Create Appointment Group

1. Log in to your Canvas Account.
2. Click Calendar on the global navigation bar to the left.
3. Click  the + Icon in the upper right. The Edit Event window opens.
4. Select the Appointment Group tab.
5. Type the Name of the Event or Meeting in the Name box.
6. Type the location of the event or meeting into the Location Box.
7. Click the Select Calendars button.
8. Check the boxes next to the courses you wish to add the appointment group to.
9. Click Done.
10. Select whether you wish to Have students sign up in groups.
    • Select a Group Set from the Group Category drop-down menu that appears.
11. Select the desired date(s) under Date.
    • Note: Another Date field will appear once you enter your first date. If you wish to set the appointment group for multiple dates, such as every Wednesday for the semester, enter each date.
12. Enter the Time Range for the appointment group to the right of each date. This should be the total duration you will be available for appointments.
13. Enter the duration in minutes that each individual appointment in the Divide into equal slots of [#] minutes field.
14. Click Go to automatically create individual events/appointments.
15. Select the appropriate Options  as you see fit:
    • Limit each time slot: Set the Number of Students to allow for each time slot.
      • If this is not selected, there will be no limit to how many students can attend each slot.
    • Allow students to see who has signed up for slots still available: If appointment slots allow more than one student/group, this option allows students to see who has already signed up for slots that they can join.
    • Limit participants to attend: Set the Amount of appointments each student can attend.
      • If this is not selected, students can attend as many appointments as they want.
16. Type any additional details in the Details box.
    • If appointments are virtual, add the Teams Meeting Link in the Details box.
17. Click Publish.

View Appointment Details

1. Log in to your Canvas Account.
2. Click Calendar on the global navigation bar to the left.
3. Click on an Appointment Slot from the calendar.
4. Click Group Details.
   • Note: Click Edit to edit the Assignment Group if needed.
5. Scroll down until you see Appointments.
   • Students who have signed up for an appointment will appear to the right of the time slot.
6. Click Message Students to send a Canvas Message to all students who haven’t signed up or all students who have signed up.
   • Select which group of students you wish to send the message to from the drop-down menu.
   • Type your message.
   • Click Send.

---

Have Questions?

Need additional support on this or other teaching and learning topics? Please visit us for drop-in support or try one of our self-help tutorials. 

Ready to take your teaching to the next level? Opt into our Connections with CTLD newsletter!