Canvas MCP Server

# Canvas MCP Server - Quick Start Guide Get up and running with the Canvas MCP Server in 5 minutes. ## Prerequisites - [Bun](https://bun.sh) installed on your system - Canvas LMS account with API access - MCP-compatible client (e.g., Claude Desktop) ## Step 1: Get Your Canvas API Token 1. Log into Canvas 2. Go to **Account** → **Settings** 3. Scroll to **Approved Integrations** 4. Click **+ New Access Token** 5. Enter a purpose description 6. Click **Generate Token** 7. **Copy the token immediately** (you won't see it again!) ## Step 2: Install Dependencies ```bash cd /Users/nicojaffer/canvas bun install ``` ## Step 3: Configure Environment Variables Create a `.env` file: ```bash CANVAS_BASE_URL=https://your-institution.instructure.com CANVAS_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here ``` Replace: - `your-institution.instructure.com` with your Canvas domain - `your_token_here` with your actual API token ## Step 4: Test the Server ```bash export CANVAS_BASE_URL="https://your-institution.instructure.com" export CANVAS_ACCESS_TOKEN="your_token_here" bun run dev ``` You should see: `Canvas MCP Server running on stdio` Press `Ctrl+C` to stop. ## Step 5: Configure Your MCP Client ### For Claude Desktop Edit your config file: - **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` - **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` Add this configuration: ```json { "mcpServers": { "canvas": { "command": "bun", "args": ["run", "/Users/nicojaffer/canvas/src/index.ts"], "env": { "CANVAS_BASE_URL": "https://your-institution.instructure.com", "CANVAS_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_token_here" } } } } ``` Replace the values with your actual Canvas URL and token. ## Step 6: Restart Your MCP Client Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the Canvas MCP server. ## Step 7: Test It Out! Try these commands in Claude: ``` Show me all my current courses ``` ``` What assignments do I have due soon? ``` ``` What are my grades in all my classes? ``` ``` Show me my recent Canvas messages ``` ## Verification If everything is working, you should be able to: - ✅ See your list of courses - ✅ View upcoming assignments - ✅ Check your grades - ✅ Read your messages - ✅ Access calendar events ## Troubleshooting ### "Authentication failed" - Double-check your `CANVAS_ACCESS_TOKEN` - Verify the token hasn't expired - Make sure you copied the entire token ### "Connection error" - Verify your `CANVAS_BASE_URL` is correct - Don't include trailing slashes in the URL - Test that you can access Canvas in a browser ### "Tool not found" - Restart Claude Desktop completely - Verify the config file path is correct - Check that Bun is installed and in your PATH ### Server not starting ```bash which bun bun --version ``` Should show Bun is installed. If not, install from https://bun.sh ## Next Steps - Read [Usage Guide](USAGE.md) for detailed usage examples - Check [Tool Reference](TOOLS.md) for complete tool reference - Review [Main README](../README.md) for architecture details ## Security Reminder Never share your Canvas access token. Treat it like a password, avoid committing it to version control, rotate tokens regularly, and use token expiration dates. ## Getting Help - Canvas API: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/ - MCP Documentation: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/ - Canvas Developer Docs: https://developerdocs.instructure.com/ Ready to go. Start using your MCP client to interact with Canvas courses, assignments, and grades.