Canva essentials

New to Canva? This course covers everything you need to start creating, from navigating the platform to sharing your finished designs.

Canva’s always getting better so some screens, buttons, or AI features might look a little different while we refresh this course. You’ll still be able to follow along, complete the lessons, and earn your certificate.

Canva essentials

1h

10 lessons

Beginner

Start course Earn a certificate

New to Canva? This course covers everything you need to start creating, from navigating the platform to sharing your finished designs.

Canva’s always getting better so some screens, buttons, or AI features might look a little different while we refresh this course. You’ll still be able to follow along, complete the lessons, and earn your certificate.

Canva essentials

New to Canva? This course covers everything you need to start creating, from navigating the platform to sharing your finished designs.

Canva’s always getting better so some screens, buttons, or AI features might look a little different while we refresh this course. You’ll still be able to follow along, complete the lessons, and earn your certificate.

Start course

New to Canva? In this 60-minute course, learn to navigate the platform and get to know its features and tools.
Welcome to Canva essentials
Video
Learn how to log in, find your projects, explore templates, and navigate Canva’s homepage so you can start creating with confidence.
Navigating Canva's homepage
Guide
Learn how to choose a template and personalize its text, colors, fonts, images, and layout to make the design your own.
Customizing templates
Guide
Customizing templates
Activity
Learn how to use Canva search to find templates, elements, photos, videos, apps, and fonts.
Using search
Activity
Learn how to upload, edit, and enhance your photos in Canva.
Uploading and editing photos
Guide
Editing images
Activity
Explore Canva’s Element Library and learn how to find and use graphics, shapes, frames, grids, charts, tables, and other design elements.
Exploring the Element Library
Guide
Explore Element Library
Activity
Learn to format text, choose fonts, and create impactful typography using Canva’s font library and text tools.
Text and the Font Library
Guide
Text effects
Activity
Explore Canva’s Visual Suite, including Docs, Whiteboards, Presentations, Videos, Sheets, and other formats that help you create, plan, and collaborate.
Exploring the Visual Suite
Guide
Learn how to collaborate in real time, share designs, and export projects seamlessly.
Sharing, collaborating and downloading
Guide
Congratulations! You've completed the Canva Essentials course and learned the fundamental skills to create with confidence.
Congratulations on completing Canva essentials
Video

Test

Make it official

Take this 19-question test and earn a certification - perfect for your CV and LinkedIn.

Earn a certificate

What you’ll learn

Navigate Canva and find key tools
Start designs from templates
Customize templates with text, elements, and images
Upload and edit photos
Format text and choose fonts
Share, collaborate, and download your designs
Complete the quiz and earn your certificate

Earn a certificate

248,925 learners

1h

10 lessons

Beginner

Key skills

Template customization

Collaboration and teamwork

Layout

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Last updated 19 Jun, 2026

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The Course covers every essential component of Canva for educators. It provides easy-to-follow videos and hands-on activities, enabling educators to feel more confident using Canva for their own projects and, more importantly, with their students.

Alyssa, Instructional Design Coach

Frequently asked questions

First, we recommend completing all the course material associated with the certification. This might include tutorial videos, activities, and cheat sheets.
Once you’re ready, start the test at the top of this page. You’ll be asked a series of questions. If you get them all right, you'll be awarded a certificate.
There is no expiry date on our certifications. However, we update the course content and test questions regularly to reflect new updates to Canva, so it’s a good idea to come back and re-test every 12 months or so.
Feel free to try the test again. We don’t limit the number of times you can attempt it.
Please log in to your Canva account to take the test. If you don’t have an account, it’s free to create one. You can do that at canva.com
Yes. At the end of the test, you can add your credential to your LinkedIn profile and share your achievement on social media.
The certification is digital-only for now. You’ll receive an email to access your certification at any time.
Canva certifications are a great way to showcase your skills and proficiency with our platform! While our training courses are not accredited by any external party, Canva itself is a globally recognized company, and our products are used by millions of people all around the world. Earning a Canva certification can help demonstrate your expertise in visual communication and familiarity with one of the most popular design tools available today. It’s a fantastic addition to your professional portfolio!
The name displayed on the certificate is the same as your Canva account name. This can be changed by going to your account settings and clicking Edit next to the name field: www.canva.com/settings/your-account
If you have any further questions or need additional support, visit our help center at canva.com/help

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Canva essentials