Making Reference Copies of Videos in Panopto

This article provides instructions on how to create a reference copy for a single video or batch copy multiple videos in Panopto at Idaho State University (ISU). 

In order to share Panopto content across multiple courses while maintaining the original versions, you need to create a Reference Copy for a single video, or Batch Copy multiple videos. Reference copies refer back to the original source video but with a completely clean slate of viewer-contributed metadata such as the number of times the video has been viewed. 

• Creating Reference Copies
• Editing a Video
• Reference Copy Permissions
• Additional Information

1. Navigate to your ISU Canvas course and choose a course module.
2. Select the link to a Panopto video that you would like to make a reference copy of.
3. After the video opens, you may need to click the Watch in Panopto button (the upward pointing arrow in the lower-right corner of the window).
4. Click on the folder name at the top of the page to view all the videos it contains (the folder name will be related to the course in which you originally uploaded the video).
5. Hover your mouse over the video you want to copy and click on the selection box that appears. You will now see task icons.
6. If you want to make reference copies of all the videos in the folder, click the Select All / None icon - you should now see a checkbox in each video. Note: By default, you will see 25 videos on a page and the Select All will only select those 25 videos. If you have more than 25 videos, you can change the Results per page to display more.
7. Once you have selected the video(s) you want to copy, click the Copy icon.
8.  A Copy video(s) to window will open with a dropdown to choose the folder you wish to copy to. From the dropdown, open the Canvas folder to display all of your Canvas courses.
9. Select the folder for the course you wish to copy to and then click on the Copy button. After all the videos have been copied, it will say "Done" under the Copy button and you can click the X to close the window.

A Reference Copy in Panopto inherits the permissions of its new folder, allowing you to share the same video across multiple courses with different student groups. However, any restrictions on the original video, such as organization-wide settings, still apply.

Note: After you have copied the video(s), you will need to use the Panopti LTI tool to relink the videos into your course. For more information, see Using the Panopto LTI in ISU Canvas (external link).

• If you edit the original video, the updates are automatically reflected in the reference copy, ensuring content consistency across courses.
• A reference copy cannot be edited independently from the original video. Since it is linked to the original video, any edits such as trimming, captions, or content updates must be made in the original video and will automatically apply to all reference copies. However, you can create a new version (copy) of the video that can be edited without affecting the original video. See How to Create a New Video Version (external link).
• Note: If the original video is deleted, all Reference Copies become inaccessible because they are linked to the original file.

A Reference Copy in Panopto inherits the permissions of its new folder, allowing you to share the same video across multiple courses with different student groups. However, any restrictions on the original video, such as organization-wide settings, still apply.

• Access helpful guides, troubleshooting tips, and FAQs for using Panopto. Panopto Support Center (external link).
• See the Panopto playlist (external link).
• Other Panopto articles (external link).

• Chat with Canvas Support for Faculty (external link)
• Canvas Instructor Guides (external link)
• Visit the ITRC Portal for answers to common questions (external link)
• For additional assistance email AnswersITRC@isu.edu (external link)