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  1. Supported File Types in Brightspace
  2. Unsupported File Types in Brightspace
  3. File types supported by the annotation tool in Assignments:
  4. FAQ

Files that are uploaded to D2L Brightspace must have a supported file extension in order for students to access your course content. Supported file types include .pdf, .doc, and .html files. For a full list of supported file extensions in Brightspace, see the table below. For security purposes, certain files extensions are blocked by Brightspace and cannot be uploaded into your course.

TIP:  D2L recommends uploading all non-HTML documents as PDF files, since PDF files do not go through the conversion process. When learners download documents, they are saved in their native file formats.

Related Support Pages:

Supported File Types in Brightspace

Brightspace allows for a range of accepted file types. You can view the full list of accepted file types on the Brightspace Community Site: “What kinds of files can I use for course content?”

Extension

File Type

Notes

HTM, HTML, MHT, MHTML

Web document

Brightspace Learning Environment strips the <title> tag and text within the tag from user created web documents

RTF, PPT, PPS, PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPTX, XML, XLS, TXT, WPD, XLSX, XLS

Text document

When embedded in Content, PowerPoint presentations that contain animations do not play; however, downloading the PowerPoint presentations saves them in their native file format, allowing the animations to play

JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, TIFF

Image

SWF, MPG, MPEG, RM, MP3, MP4, M4V, M4A, AVI, WAV, RAM, ASF, MOV, RA

Media

The extensions MP4, M4V, and M4A allow users to drag entire albums, video podcasts, and movies from iTunes

Unsupported File Types in Brightspace

  • Active Server Pages (.asp, .aspx, .asa, .asax, .ascx, .ashx, .asmx, .axd, .webinfo)
  • batch files (.bat)
  • Blackberry encrypted data files (.rem)
  • configuration files (.config)
  • DISCO Dynamic Discovery Document files (.vsdisco)
  • Dynamic-link Libraries (.dll)
  • executable programs (.com, .exe)
  • HTML server side include files (.shtm, .shtml)
  • initialization files (.ini)
  • Internet database connector files (.idc)
  • Microsoft Installer files (.msi, .msp)
  • Microsoft Visual Basic files (.vb, .vbproj)
  • Microsoft Visual C# Project files (.csproj)
  • Microsoft Visual FoxPro files (.cdx)
  • Microsoft Visual J# files (.vjsproj)
  • Microsoft Visual Studio files (.jsl, .licx, .resources, .resx)
  • Microsoft Windows screen saver files (.scr)
  • script files (.scr, .sct, .wsc, .wsf, .vbe, .vbs)
  • Simple Object Access Protocol files (.soap)
  • X.509 certificates (.cer)

File types supported by the annotation tool in Assignments:

  • .doc
  • .docx
    NOTE:  .doc and .docx file types may display inaccurate formatting. For best results, download these assignments if formatting is a particular grading concern
  • .rtf
  • .odt
  • .ppt
  • .pps
  • .pptx
  • .ppsx
  • .odp
  • .xls
  • .xlsx
  • .txt
  • .jpg
  • .jpeg
  • .png
  • .tif
  • .tiff
  • .gif (once converted to PDF, only the first frame of the .gif displays)
  • pdf

FAQ

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