# How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook?

You can use the Gradebook to send messages to your students. This lesson describes how to message students using the Message Students Who option.

You can also message students individually from the Gradebook by using the [student context card](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-view-a-context-card-for-a-student-in-a-course/ta-p/608).

Message recipients are filtered based on specific assignment categories:

<div id="bkmrk-have-submitted%E2%80%94stude"><div><div>- **Have submitted**—students who have submitted the assignment, even if they have a grade or not.
- **Have not yet submitted**—students who haven't submitted the assignment, even if they have been manually awarded a grade.
- **Have not been graded**—students whose assignments have not yet been graded (submitted or unsubmitted).
- **Scored less than \[point value\]**—students who earned a grade on their assignment less than X number of points.
- **Scored more than \[point value\]**—students who earned a grade on their assignment more than X number of points.
- **Reassigned**—students who have submitted an assignment and [you have reassigned it](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-reassign-an-assignment-in-SpeedGrader/ta-p/469484) to them.

</div></div></div>Although one message most likely will be sent to multiple students at the same time, each student will receive an individual message.

**Note:** You can also [message students through the total column](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-the-Total-column-in-the-Gradebook/ta-p/788).

## Open Gradebook

<div data-step-uuid="096AD5B0-AAE2-0135-1584-06467EE270FA" id="bkmrk-"><div data-step-uuid="096AD5B0-AAE2-0135-1584-06467EE270FA"><div>![Open Gradebook](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/767/032/original/ed196fa5-faf6-4380-a78a-fb84a5af537e.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>In Course Navigation, click the **Grades** link.

## Open Assignment Menu

<div data-step-uuid="5bd02f8f-89b1-433c-986e-3c555182387b" id="bkmrk--0"><div data-step-uuid="5bd02f8f-89b1-433c-986e-3c555182387b"><div>![Open Assignment](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/002/615/371/original/76201463-7563-44e8-af8f-70d3f4711757.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>Hover the cursor over the assignment or assignment group column header and click the **Options** icon.

## Message Students

<div data-step-uuid="096B1050-AAE2-0135-1587-06467EE270FA" id="bkmrk--1"><div data-step-uuid="096B1050-AAE2-0135-1587-06467EE270FA"><div>![Message Students](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/003/305/698/original/379b229c-cf19-4f9f-8bc7-10988154bcdb.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>Click the **Message Students Who** link.

## View Compose Message

<div data-step-uuid="096B4BA0-AAE2-0135-158A-06467EE270FA" id="bkmrk--2"><div data-step-uuid="096B4BA0-AAE2-0135-158A-06467EE270FA"><div>[![View Compose Message](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/770/medium/ae3a0f37-8df3-4422-bf97-69abd7b6819e.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/770/original/ae3a0f37-8df3-4422-bf97-69abd7b6819e.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>In the Compose Message window, you can select a category of students to message \[1\], manage the recipients by role or individually \[2\], enter a message title \[3\], and compose a message \[4\].

## Select Message Category

<div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7" id="bkmrk--3"><div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7"><div>[![Select Message Category](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/772/medium/fe02bedf-1b1e-48bf-9217-e9ba39f7c48d.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/772/original/fe02bedf-1b1e-48bf-9217-e9ba39f7c48d.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>Choose a category of students to message in the **For students who** drop-down menu. By default, the **Have not yet submitted** message category is selected \[1\]. To message students who have submitted, click on the drop-down menu \[2\] and select **Have submitted** \[3\], then click one of the following radio buttons:

<div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7" id="bkmrk-all-submissions%C2%A0%5B4%5D%3A"><div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7"><div><div>- **All submissions** \[4\]: Message students who have any submissions.
- **Graded submissions** \[5\]: Message students who have graded submissions.
- **Not graded submissions** \[6\]: Message students who have ungraded submissions.

</div></div><div>[![Select Different Message Category](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/647/673/medium/adbb4039-615b-4be7-b8c5-e512bce489f5.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/647/673/original/adbb4039-615b-4be7-b8c5-e512bce489f5.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>To message a different category of students, click the **For students who...** drop-down menu \[1\]. Then select one of the other available categories for assignments \[2\]:

<div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7" id="bkmrk-have-not-yet-submitt"><div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7"><div><div>- **Have not yet submitted**: Students who haven't submitted the assignment, even if they have been manually awarded a grade. You have the option to skip excused students.
- **Have not been graded**: Students whose assignments have not yet been graded (submitted or unsubmitted).
- **Scored more than \[point value\]**: Students who earned a grade on their assignment more than a cutoff value.
- **Scored less than \[point value\]**: Students who earned a grade on their assignment less than a cutoff value.
- **Reassigned**: Students who have submitted an assignment and [you have reassigned it](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-reassign-an-assignment-in-SpeedGrader/ta-p/469484) to them.

</div></div></div></div>To message students based on an assignment group or the [Total column](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-use-the-Total-column-in-the-Gradebook/ta-p/788), select one of the following categories:

<div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7" id="bkmrk-total-grade-higher-t"><div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7"><div><div>- **Total grade higher than \[percent value\]**: Students whose total grade is more than a cutoff value.
- **Total grade lower than \[percent value\]**: Students whose total grade is more than a cutoff value.

</div></div></div></div>**Note:** Available categories options vary based on the assignment type or group.

### Enter Cutoff Value

<div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7" id="bkmrk--4"><div data-step-uuid="78f5ec04-d547-42a3-bd97-743bdce878d7"><div data-step-uuid="d4713328-90be-4db8-9f27-1493c9846786"><div>[![Enter Cutoff Value](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/490/920/medium/7cc056e5-1112-4137-9970-b64336ef8020.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/490/920/original/7cc056e5-1112-4137-9970-b64336ef8020.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div>If you are messaging students who scored more than or less than a value or whose total score is higher than or lower than a value \[1\], enter a number of points in the **Cutoff Value** field \[2\].

**Note:** The cutoff value is based on values in the open gradebook, and those values may be different than the values students see in their Grades.

## Manage Recipients

<div data-step-uuid="cd243391-660b-4442-9e6c-5aaa0d04fb9b" id="bkmrk--5"><div data-step-uuid="cd243391-660b-4442-9e6c-5aaa0d04fb9b"><div>[![Manage Recipients](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/490/922/medium/6b3cba77-aa9b-451c-9b67-ac56542ac92f.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/490/922/original/6b3cba77-aa9b-451c-9b67-ac56542ac92f.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>To select or deselect users with a given role, click the checkboxes in the **Send Message To** field \[1\].

To view, add, or remove specific users, click the **Show all recipients** link \[2\].

<div data-step-uuid="cd243391-660b-4442-9e6c-5aaa0d04fb9b" id="bkmrk--6"><div data-step-uuid="cd243391-660b-4442-9e6c-5aaa0d04fb9b"><div><div></div></div><div>[![Manage Recipients](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/005/749/941/medium/22efebf5-05a6-4eaa-944e-0294052f976a.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/005/749/941/original/22efebf5-05a6-4eaa-944e-0294052f976a.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>When you show all recipients, you can manage individual recipients included in a message. To remove a user, click the **Remove** icon \[1\]. To add a user, click the **Add** icon \[2\].

## Enter Message Content

<div data-step-uuid="edb4d1d3-5352-456f-8525-5466edb71769" id="bkmrk--7"><div data-step-uuid="edb4d1d3-5352-456f-8525-5466edb71769"><div>[![Enter Message Details](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/775/medium/e44b391c-22e6-4834-b6bf-69cb6e1b8c0f.png)](https://media.screensteps.com/image_assets/assets/008/654/775/original/e44b391c-22e6-4834-b6bf-69cb6e1b8c0f.png)</div><div><div></div></div></div></div>By default, the subject is a message based on your selections. To edit the subject, enter a different subject in the **Subject** field \[1\].

Type a message to the students in the **Message** field \[2\].

To [attach a file to the message](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Colder-Storage/How-do-I-attach-a-file-to-a-message-as-an-instructor/td-p/261063), click the **Attach** button \[3\].

To [create a media recording or upload a media file](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/FRD-Colder-Storage/How-do-I-attach-a-media-comment-to-a-message-as-an-instructor/td-p/262873), click the **Media** icon \[4\].

To send the message, click the **Send** button \[5\].

**Notes**:

<div data-step-uuid="edb4d1d3-5352-456f-8525-5466edb71769" id="bkmrk-although-one-message-0"><div data-step-uuid="edb4d1d3-5352-456f-8525-5466edb71769"><div><div>- Although one message most likely will be sent to multiple students at the same time, each student receives an individual message.
- You can also [message students by Gradebook assignments](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-send-a-message-to-students-from-the-Gradebook/ta-p/741).

</div></div></div></div>\[Content retrieved from [https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-send-a-message-to-students-from-the-Gradebook/ta-p/741](https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-send-a-message-to-students-from-the-Gradebook/ta-p/741)\]