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AnonymousOnyx22

Canvas MCP for students

by AnonymousOnyx22
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
TypeScript
Remote

Announcements

get_announcements
Read-only

Fetch recent Canvas announcements for specific courses or all active courses, with limit and pagination controls to review instructor updates.

Instructions

Recent Canvas announcements, either for the course_ids you pass or for all your active courses. Each course id can be the Canvas course ID or the course name. Pass limit to show fewer or more than 20 announcements, and page to see the next ones. Example: "What did my instructors announce in Canvas lately?"

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pageNoOptional, which page of items to show, starting at 1. Defaults to 1.
limitNoOptional, how many items to show per list. Defaults to 20.
course_idsNo

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changedv0.1.9
    • addedInput schema / properties / limit
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional, how many items to show per list. Defaults to 20.",
+  "maximum": 100,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / page
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional, which page of items to show, starting at 1. Defaults to 1.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}
  2. First observedv0.1.5

TDQS

A4.1/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The annotations already establish read-only and open-world behavior. The description adds useful behavioral context: default page size, pagination behavior, and that course identifiers may be either Canvas IDs or names, with a pointer to get_my_courses for discovery.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded with scope and then covers pagination, parameters, and an example in a compact set of sentences. There is no redundant or wasted text.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a simple read-only announcement listing tool with three optional parameters and no output schema, the description covers scope, pagination, defaults, and identifier formats. It does not describe the shape of returned announcement data, but that is a minor omission given the tool's simplicity.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 67%, so page and limit are already documented. The description adds meaningful semantics for omitting course_ids, the default of 20 announcements, and cross-tool guidance for obtaining valid course IDs and names.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the resource (Canvas announcements) and scope (specified courses or all active courses). It is specific enough for an agent to identify the operation, though it does not explicitly differentiate the tool from sibling retrieval tools like get_discussions.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It explains when to pass course_ids versus omitting them to retrieve announcements across all active courses. It also describes how limit and page affect results and gives a natural-language example, but it does not name alternatives or when-not-to-use conditions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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