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<span class="doc-badge student">👨🎓 Student Guide</span>
<h1>Canvas MCP for Students</h1>
<p>Your AI-powered study assistant that helps you track assignments, monitor grades, and stay organized throughout the semester.</p>
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<li><a href="#what-can-it-do">What Can It Do?</a></li>
<li><a href="#prerequisites">Prerequisites</a></li>
<li><a href="#installation">Installation</a></li>
<li><a href="#configuration">Configuration</a></li>
<li><a href="#how-to-use">How to Use</a></li>
<li><a href="#available-tools">Available Tools</a></li>
<li><a href="#privacy">Privacy & Security</a></li>
<li><a href="#workflows">Example Workflows</a></li>
<li><a href="#troubleshooting">Troubleshooting</a></li>
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<main class="doc-content">
<section id="what-can-it-do">
<h2>What Can Canvas MCP Do for You?</h2>
<p>Think of this as having an AI study buddy that knows everything about your Canvas courses:</p>
<div class="feature-grid">
<div class="feature-item">
<h4>🎯 Track Assignments</h4>
<p>"What's due this week?" - Get a complete view of deadlines across all courses.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-item">
<h4>📊 Monitor Grades</h4>
<p>"What's my current grade?" - Stay on top of your academic performance.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-item">
<h4>👥 Manage Peer Reviews</h4>
<p>"What peer reviews do I need?" - Never miss a review deadline.</p>
</div>
<div class="feature-item">
<h4>📖 Access Content</h4>
<p>"Show me the syllabus" - Quick access to pages and announcements.</p>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section id="prerequisites">
<h2>Prerequisites</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Python 3.10+</strong> installed on your computer</li>
<li><strong>Claude Desktop</strong> - Download from <a href="https://claude.ai/download">claude.ai</a></li>
<li><strong>Canvas Account</strong> at your university/institution</li>
</ul>
</section>
<section id="installation">
<h2>Installation</h2>
<h3>1. Clone the Repository</h3>
<pre><code>git clone https://github.com/vishalsachdev/canvas-mcp.git
cd canvas-mcp</code></pre>
<h3>2. Install Dependencies</h3>
<pre><code><span class="code-comment"># Create and activate virtual environment</span>
python3 -m venv .venv
. .venv/bin/activate
<span class="code-comment"># Install Canvas MCP</span>
pip install -e .</code></pre>
<h3>3. Get Your Canvas API Token</h3>
<ol>
<li>Log in to your Canvas account</li>
<li>Go to <strong>Account</strong> → <strong>Settings</strong></li>
<li>Scroll down to <strong>Approved Integrations</strong></li>
<li>Click <strong>+ New Access Token</strong></li>
<li>Give it a purpose (e.g., "Claude AI Assistant")</li>
<li>Click <strong>Generate Token</strong></li>
<li><strong>Copy the token immediately</strong> - you won't see it again!</li>
</ol>
<div class="info-box tip">
<div class="info-box-title">💡 Note</div>
<p>Some institutions restrict API token creation for students. If you can't create a token, contact your institution's Canvas administrator.</p>
</div>
</section>
<section id="configuration">
<h2>Configuration</h2>
<h3>4. Configure Canvas MCP</h3>
<pre><code><span class="code-comment"># Copy the template</span>
cp env.template .env
<span class="code-comment"># Edit the .env file</span></code></pre>
<p>Your <code>.env</code> file should look like this:</p>
<pre><code><span class="code-comment"># Canvas API Configuration</span>
CANVAS_API_TOKEN=your_token_here
CANVAS_API_URL=https://canvas.youruniversity.edu/api/v1
<span class="code-comment"># Privacy Settings (students don't need anonymization)</span>
ENABLE_DATA_ANONYMIZATION=false</code></pre>
<div class="info-box important">
<div class="info-box-title">⚠️ Important</div>
<p>Replace <code>https://canvas.youruniversity.edu/api/v1</code> with your actual Canvas URL (including the <code>/api/v1</code> suffix).</p>
</div>
<h3>5. Configure Claude Desktop</h3>
<p>Add Canvas MCP to your Claude Desktop config file:</p>
<p><strong>macOS:</strong> <code>~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json</code></p>
<pre><code>{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas-api": {
"command": "/path/to/canvas-mcp/.venv/bin/canvas-mcp-server"
}
}
}</code></pre>
<h3>6. Test Your Setup</h3>
<pre><code>canvas-mcp-server --test</code></pre>
<p>You should see: <code>✓ API connection successful!</code></p>
<h3>7. Restart Claude Desktop</h3>
<p>Close and reopen Claude Desktop. You should see the 🔨 hammer icon when you start a conversation.</p>
</section>
<section id="how-to-use">
<h2>How to Use Canvas MCP</h2>
<h3>Quick Start Prompts</h3>
<p>Try these with Claude:</p>
<h4>Assignment Tracking</h4>
<ul>
<li>"What assignments do I have due this week?"</li>
<li>"What's coming up in the next 3 days?"</li>
<li>"Show me my Canvas TODO list"</li>
</ul>
<h4>Grade Monitoring</h4>
<ul>
<li>"What are my current grades in all my courses?"</li>
<li>"Show me my grades"</li>
<li>"How am I doing in BADM 350?"</li>
</ul>
<h4>Submission Status</h4>
<ul>
<li>"Have I submitted all my assignments?"</li>
<li>"What haven't I turned in yet?"</li>
<li>"Show me my submission status for CSCI 101"</li>
</ul>
<h4>Peer Reviews</h4>
<ul>
<li>"What peer reviews do I need to complete?"</li>
<li>"Show me my pending peer reviews"</li>
</ul>
<h4>Course Content</h4>
<ul>
<li>"Show me the syllabus for BADM 350"</li>
<li>"What are the recent announcements?"</li>
<li>"What are the active discussions in HIST 202?"</li>
</ul>
</section>
<section id="available-tools">
<h2>Available Student Tools</h2>
<h3>Personal Organization</h3>
<ul class="tool-list">
<li><code>get_my_upcoming_assignments</code> - View assignments due soon</li>
<li><code>get_my_todo_items</code> - Your Canvas TODO list</li>
<li><code>get_my_submission_status</code> - Check what you've submitted</li>
</ul>
<h3>Academic Performance</h3>
<ul class="tool-list">
<li><code>get_my_course_grades</code> - Current grades across all courses</li>
</ul>
<h3>Peer Review Management</h3>
<ul class="tool-list">
<li><code>get_my_peer_reviews_todo</code> - Peer reviews you need to complete</li>
</ul>
<h3>Course Content (Shared Tools)</h3>
<ul class="tool-list">
<li><code>list_courses</code> - See all your enrolled courses</li>
<li><code>get_course_details</code> - View syllabus and course info</li>
<li><code>list_pages</code> - Access course pages</li>
<li><code>get_page_content</code> - Read page content</li>
<li><code>list_announcements</code> - See course announcements</li>
<li><code>list_discussion_topics</code> - View discussion forums</li>
</ul>
</section>
<section id="privacy">
<h2>Privacy & Security</h2>
<h3>Your Data Stays Private</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Local only:</strong> Everything runs on your computer</li>
<li><strong>Your data only:</strong> Tools access only YOUR Canvas data (not other students')</li>
<li><strong>No external servers:</strong> No data sent anywhere except Canvas (via official API)</li>
<li><strong>Canvas API security:</strong> Uses the same security as Canvas mobile app</li>
</ul>
<h3>Best Practices</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Keep your API token secret</strong> - Don't share it or commit it to version control</li>
<li><strong>Use a strong token purpose</strong> - Name it clearly so you can revoke it later if needed</li>
<li><strong>Revoke if compromised</strong> - If you accidentally share your token, revoke it in Canvas settings</li>
</ul>
</section>
<section id="workflows">
<h2>Example Workflows</h2>
<div class="workflow-box">
<h4>🌅 Morning Check-In</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 16px; color: var(--color-text-secondary);">Ask: "Good morning! What do I need to focus on today?"</p>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">1</span>
<span class="step-content">Check your upcoming assignments (next 24-48 hours)</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">2</span>
<span class="step-content">Show any incomplete peer reviews</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">3</span>
<span class="step-content">List recent announcements</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">4</span>
<span class="step-content">Highlight your TODO items</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="workflow-box">
<h4>📅 Weekly Planning</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 16px; color: var(--color-text-secondary);">Ask: "Help me plan my week"</p>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">1</span>
<span class="step-content">Show all assignments due in the next 7 days</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">2</span>
<span class="step-content">Identify which courses need attention</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">3</span>
<span class="step-content">Check peer review deadlines</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">4</span>
<span class="step-content">Summarize your current grade status</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="workflow-box">
<h4>📝 Before a Big Assignment</h4>
<p style="margin-bottom: 16px; color: var(--color-text-secondary);">Ask: "I have a paper due Friday in ENGL 101. What do I need to know?"</p>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">1</span>
<span class="step-content">Find the assignment details</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">2</span>
<span class="step-content">Check if you've submitted</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">3</span>
<span class="step-content">Show the rubric (if available)</span>
</div>
<div class="workflow-step">
<span class="step-num">4</span>
<span class="step-content">Review peer review requirements (if applicable)</span>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<section id="troubleshooting">
<h2>Troubleshooting</h2>
<h3>"Connection failed" or "Authentication error"</h3>
<ul>
<li>Check your Canvas API token is correct in <code>.env</code></li>
<li>Verify your Canvas URL is correct (should match your browser's Canvas URL)</li>
<li>Make sure your token hasn't expired</li>
</ul>
<h3>"No tools appearing in Claude"</h3>
<ul>
<li>Restart Claude Desktop completely (Quit → Reopen)</li>
<li>Check <code>canvas-mcp-server --test</code> runs successfully</li>
<li>Verify your <code>claude_desktop_config.json</code> is correct</li>
</ul>
<h3>"No assignments/courses showing up"</h3>
<ul>
<li>Make sure you're enrolled in courses for the current term</li>
<li>Check if assignments have due dates set</li>
<li>Verify your Canvas account has the appropriate permissions</li>
</ul>
<h3>Need More Help?</h3>
<p><a href="https://github.com/vishalsachdev/canvas-mcp/issues">Open an issue on GitHub</a> for additional support.</p>
</section>
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<h3 style="margin-bottom: 16px;">Ready to Get Started?</h3>
<p style="color: var(--color-text-secondary); margin-bottom: 24px;">Follow the installation guide above and start using Canvas MCP today!</p>
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