# Canvas LMS MCP for students

[![tests](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/canvas-lms-student-mcp/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/canvas-lms-student-mcp/actions/workflows/ci.yml)

Ask your AI what's actually left to do in Canvas.

Canvas LMS MCP is a free, open source [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server for Claude, Cursor and other AI apps that run a local MCP server. It reads your Canvas courses, quizzes, files, due dates, grades and announcements, and it is **read only** in Canvas: it never submits, edits or deletes anything there. The one thing it writes is an .ics calendar file on your own computer, and only when you ask it to.

Install and run it with npx, no install step needed:

```bash
npx -y canvas-lms-student-mcp
```

It reads two environment variables: `CANVAS_BASE_URL`, your school's Canvas address, and `CANVAS_API_TOKEN`, a token you create in Canvas.

Works with any school that uses Canvas. Not affiliated with Instructure. Free forever, no sign up and no subscription. Your login details only ever go to your own school.

## Quick start

1. In Canvas, go to **Account > Settings**, scroll to **Approved Integrations** and click **New Access Token**. Copy it.
2. Add this to your AI app's MCP config (for Claude Desktop that's `claude_desktop_config.json`):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canvas": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "canvas-lms-student-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CANVAS_BASE_URL": "https://yourschool.instructure.com",
        "CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "paste-your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

3. Restart your AI app and ask something like "what's due this week?"

To check your setup first, run `npx canvas-lms-student-mcp doctor` with the two environment variables set.

> Some schools turn off student access tokens. If you don't see the New Access Token button, your school has disabled it and this server can't connect to your account.

## What you can ask

- "What's due this week?"
- "Do I have anything missing or overdue?"
- "What's my grade in each class, and which assignments make it up?"
- "What did my instructors announce lately?"
- "What's new in Canvas since last week?"
- "Show me what's in the Week 3 module for Networking."
- "Which assignments are still due in my Networking 1 course?"
- "Put my Canvas due dates in Google Calendar."

## Tools

All 21 tools read from Canvas LMS and none of them can submit, edit or delete anything there. Every tool description includes an example prompt your AI can copy, and the Ask like column repeats those prompts here. The last one, `export_due_dates_calendar`, writes an .ics file to a folder you name.

Where a tool works on one course, you can name the course instead of looking up its number. Give the Canvas course ID or the course name, for example "Networking 1", and the name is matched against the list `get_my_courses` shows. A name that fits no course says so and points back at `get_my_courses`.

| Tool | What it does | Ask like |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `get_my_courses` | Your active courses and their IDs | "What are my Canvas courses this term?" |
| `get_todo` | Your Canvas to-do list | "What does Canvas say I still need to do?" |
| `get_upcoming_due_dates` | Upcoming assignments and events, soonest first, with an optional days_ahead window | "What is due in the next 3 days?" |
| `get_quizzes` | Quizzes and exams with open, due and close times, time limit, attempts used and score | "Which Canvas quizzes and exams are coming up and how long do I get?" |
| `get_missing_assignments` | Past due work you haven't submitted | "What am I missing in Canvas?" |
| `get_assignments` | Assignments for a course by ID or name, with due dates and submission status | "Which Canvas assignments in Networking 1 are overdue?" |
| `get_my_grades` | Current grade for each course, plus the assignment scores and submission status behind it | "What is my grade in each Canvas course and which assignments make it up?" |
| `get_course_content` | Modules and items for a course by ID or name | "Show me the Week 3 module in my Canvas Networking course." |
| `get_course_modules` | Module progress for a course: each module's state and what each item needs from you, done or not | "Which modules do I still have to finish in my Canvas Networking course?" |
| `get_syllabus` | A course's syllabus text, by ID or name | "What does the Canvas syllabus say about grading in Scripting?" |
| `get_course_people` | Teachers and TAs of a course by ID or name, with role and email, and an optional role filter | "Who teaches my Canvas Networking course and how do I email them?" |
| `get_announcements` | Recent announcements, for the courses you name or for all of them | "What did my instructors announce in Canvas lately?" |
| `get_whats_new` | One catch up: recent announcements, newly graded work and unread discussion replies | "What's new in Canvas since last week?" |
| `get_inbox` | Unread Canvas inbox conversations with who they are with, the date and a preview | "Did any instructor message me in Canvas?" |
| `get_discussions` | Discussion topics for a course by ID or name | "What discussions are open in my Canvas Networking course?" |
| `get_calendar_events` | Calendar events between two dates | "What is on my Canvas calendar between 2026-10-01 and 2026-10-31?" |
| `get_target_grade` | What score is needed on remaining work to reach a target percent | "What do I need on the rest of my work in Networking 1 to get an 85 percent?" |
| `get_assignment_files` | The files linked in one assignment's instructions, with name, type, size and a link | "What files come with the Lab 4 assignment in Networking 1?" |
| `get_submission_feedback` | The instructor's comments on your graded submission, with the score and grade | "What did the teacher say about my Lab 4 submission in Networking 1?" |
| `get_file` | One Canvas file by ID. Text, CSV, JSON and HTML files come back as text, other types give the name, type and size | "Open Canvas file 501 and summarize it." |
| `export_due_dates_calendar` | An .ics file with your due dates, ready to import into Google Calendar or Apple Calendar | "Put my Canvas due dates in Google Calendar." |

## Calendar export

`export_due_dates_calendar` turns your Canvas due dates and your Canvas calendar events into an iCalendar file. Name a folder and the file is saved there, for example "Save my Canvas due dates to my Documents folder as an .ics file". Open the file or import it in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.

The file holds the next 30 days and only the work you still owe. Use `days_ahead` for a longer window, `course_id` for one course by ID or name, and `include_submitted` to add the work you already handed in. Each event carries the course name, the points, the submission status, a link back to Canvas and a reminder the day before. Leave the folder out and the calendar text comes back instead, so you can save it under any name you like.

## Privacy and security

- Your token stays on your computer. It is only sent to your own school's Canvas address.
- Nothing is sent to any other server by this project.
- Twenty tools are marked read only. The calendar export writes one .ics file in a folder you name, and nothing else.
- Revoke the token any time in Canvas settings.

## Troubleshooting

Errors from Canvas and from the connection say what went wrong and what to fix. The most common ones:

| Message | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| Not signed in | Your token is missing, expired or was revoked. Make a new one in Canvas (Account > Settings > New Access Token), then run `npx canvas-lms-student-mcp doctor`. |
| Access denied | Your school turned that feature off for students, or the token belongs to a different Canvas account. |
| Not found | Check the course name or ID with `get_my_courses`. If every request says not found, `CANVAS_BASE_URL` is wrong. |
| Rate limited | Wait the number of seconds the message says, then try again. |
| Could not reach | The host in `CANVAS_BASE_URL` does not exist. Check the spelling, for example `https://myschool.instructure.com`. |
| did not return Canvas API JSON | The address in `CANVAS_BASE_URL` is not a Canvas site. Use your school's Canvas address with no extra path. |

## Development

```bash
npm install
npm run build
npm test
```

Tests run against a fake Canvas server, so they need no account or network. The doctor command, the error messages for a bad token, access denied, a rate limit and a reply that is not Canvas, the .ics calendar export and the lookup of a course by name are part of that suite. A metadata test keeps package.json, server.json, glama.json, llms.txt and the server code on one version number, checks that the tool list in the docs still matches the tools the server registers, counts the read only tools from the code so the number in the docs follows the tools, and checks that the registry entry lists the same environment variables the code reads. Pushing to main and opening a pull request run the same build and test, so the badge at the top of this page shows the current result.

The npm package ships two registry files: `server.json` for the Model Context Protocol registry and `glama.json` for the Glama directory. Both carry the name, the description, the version, the license, the keywords, the repository and the homepage, so a listing shows what the server does and where the code lives. The `server.json` entry also names npx as the runtime and lists the two environment variables a listing site should ask for, with `CANVAS_API_TOKEN` marked as a secret value. It carries the GitHub repository id as well, and that id stays the same when a repository is renamed.

## Why Canvas MCP

If you searched for a Canvas MCP server, this is the one for Canvas. It is free, open source and read only: it can look at your courses, due dates, grades and announcements, and it cannot submit, edit or delete anything in Canvas. You sign in with a token you create in your own Canvas account, and you start it with one npx command.

Canvas (Instructure) and Brightspace (D2L) are separate products, so a server for one cannot sign in to the other or read its courses. If your school runs Brightspace instead, use [Brightspace MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/brightspace-d2l-mcp) (`brightspace-d2l-mcp` on npm), our Brightspace server, which is also read only. Neither one moves work or grades between the two systems.

Here is what the 21 tools cover on Canvas, so you can check that your question has a tool before you install it.

| Canvas feature | Tool | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your courses | `get_my_courses` | Active courses with their course code and Canvas course ID |
| To do list | `get_todo` | Assignments and discussions Canvas still lists as to do, with due dates |
| Upcoming work | `get_upcoming_due_dates` | Assignments and events across all courses, soonest first, with an optional `days_ahead` window |
| Missing work | `get_missing_assignments` | Past due assignments you have not submitted, with the course and the day each was due |
| Assignments | `get_assignments` | Due dates, points and submission status for one course, with an optional `bucket` filter |
| Grades | `get_my_grades` | Current percent and letter grade for each course, plus the scored work behind it |
| Modules | `get_course_content` | Modules and their items for one course |
| Module progress | `get_course_modules` | Module state, and for each item what Canvas requires and whether you have done it, with `only_open` |
| Syllabus | `get_syllabus` | Syllabus text with the HTML removed |
| Instructors and TAs | `get_course_people` | Teachers and teaching assistants for one course with their email when Canvas shows it, filtered by `role` |
| Announcements | `get_announcements` | Recent announcements for all courses or the ones you name |
| What changed | `get_whats_new` | Announcements, newly graded work and unread discussion replies in one window |
| Inbox | `get_inbox` | Unread inbox conversations with who they are with and a preview, with `unread_only`, `limit` and `page` |
| Discussions | `get_discussions` | Discussion topics for one course, with unread counts, with `limit` and `page` |
| Quizzes and exams | `get_quizzes` | Open, due and close times, time limit, attempts used and score, for upcoming or past quizzes |
| Calendar | `get_calendar_events` | Canvas events and assignment due dates between two dates, with `limit` and `page` |
| Target grade | `get_target_grade` | The score needed on remaining work to reach a target percent, with the best and worst finish |
| Assignment files | `get_assignment_files` | Files linked in one assignment's instructions, with type, size and a Canvas link. It does not download them. |
| Submission feedback | `get_submission_feedback` | Your score and the instructor's comments on one graded submission |
| Read a file | `get_file` | One file by its Canvas file ID. Text, CSV, JSON and HTML files come back as text. PDF, Word, slide deck and image files return only the name, type and size. Files over 5 MB are not downloaded. |
| Calendar export | `export_due_dates_calendar` | An .ics file of due dates and events, or the text to save yourself. It writes the file on your computer. |

## More free student MCP servers

All free, open source and read only where they touch your accounts. Browse the full list at [brightspacemcp.com/more-mcps](https://brightspacemcp.com/more-mcps/).

| Server | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| [Brightspace MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/brightspace-d2l-mcp) | D2L Brightspace for AI. Due dates with real submission status, grades, a target grade calculator and course files. |
| [Moodle MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/moodle-student-mcp) | Moodle for AI, read only. Due dates, overdue work, grades and announcements. |
| [Google Classroom MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/google-classroom-student-mcp) | Google Classroom for AI, read only. Todos, due dates, missing work and grades. |
| [GPA Calculator MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/gpa-calculator-mcp) | GPA, grade conversion and the grade you need on the final, for AI. Works offline, no account. |
| [Citations MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/student-citations-mcp) | APA, MLA and Chicago citations from a DOI, an ISBN or typed details. No account. |
| [Study Planner MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/study-planner-mcp) | Exam study schedules, spaced repetition dates, pomodoro plans and assignment milestones. Works offline. |
| [Paper Finder MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/paper-finder-student-mcp) | Search scholarly papers, find open access copies and related work through OpenAlex. No key needed. |
| [BibTeX Reference Manager MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/bibtex-reference-manager-mcp) | Clean, convert, dedupe and lint BibTeX, RIS and CSL JSON reference lists, and make cite keys. Works offline. |
| [Open Textbook Finder MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/open-textbook-finder-mcp) | Find free legal copies of textbooks on OpenStax, DOAB and Open Library, look up editions by ISBN and suggest cheaper older ones. |
| [STEM Calculator MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/stem-calc-student-mcp) | Chemistry and physics homework math: molar mass, balancing equations, grams to moles, unit conversion and significant figures. Works offline. |
| [Essay Stats MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/essay-stats-mcp) | Offline writing metrics for essays. Word and page counts, readability scores, passive voice, repeated openers, filler words, long sentences and word limit checks, so students can check their work against assignment requirements. No account, no network. |
| [Syllabus to Calendar MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/syllabus-calendar-mcp) | Syllabus to calendar MCP server. Extract dates from syllabus text, build an ics calendar, expand recurring classes and merge calendars. Works offline, no account. |
| [Job Application Tracker MCP](https://github.com/AnonymousOnyx22/job-tracker-student-mcp) | Job application tracker MCP server. Track internships, jobs, interviews and deadlines offline, see what is coming up, and export your list as CSV or Markdown. No account and no API keys. |

## License

MIT