Canvas LMS MCP Server

Set Student Assignment Dates

set_student_assignment_dates

Destructive

Instructions

Fan a due-date / availability override for a specific student across all (or a filtered subset of) assignments in a course. Creates one student-set override per assignment via the Canvas assignment overrides API. Partial failures are tolerated — a failure on one assignment does not abort the rest. Note: for courses with many assignments this makes one Canvas API call per assignment. V1 is create-only: if an override for this student already exists on an assignment, Canvas returns a 422 and that assignment appears in the failed[] list. Use list_assignment_overrides to audit first. Dates must be ISO 8601 strings. To shift dates by a relative amount, first call list_assignments with include=overrides to retrieve current dates, compute absolute timestamps, then call this tool. Returns the standard fan-out envelope: separated applied[], skipped[] (unused in this create-only version, always empty), and failed[] (each with an error) arrays, a not_found list, and a summary of counts. Any assignment_ids that do not exist in the course are reported in not_found (they are neither applied nor failed). Provide user_id as the real Canvas user ID. If CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS is enabled, call resolve_pseudonym first to obtain the real user_id from a pseudonym.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`title`	No	Label for each override (e.g. "Disability accommodation"). Defaults to "Student accommodation".
`due_at`	No	New due date in ISO 8601 format. Pass null to remove the due date.
`lock_at`	No	Availability close date in ISO 8601 format. Pass null to remove.
`user_id`	Yes	Real Canvas user ID of the student to accommodate
`course_id`	Yes	Canvas course ID
`unlock_at`	No	Availability open date in ISO 8601 format. Pass null to remove.
`assignment_ids`	No	Limit the fan-out to these specific assignment IDs (provide at least one). Omit entirely to target all assignments in the course. IDs not present in the course are returned in not_found, not applied/failed.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed12 schema fields changedv1.18.15Oct 14, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / assignment_ids / items / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+    "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "pattern": "^[1-9][0-9]{0,18}$",
+    "type": "string"
+  }
+]

removedInput schema / properties / assignment_ids / items / exclusiveMinimum
```
Removed value: -0
```
removedInput schema / properties / assignment_ids / items / maximum
```
Removed value: -9007199254740991
```
removedInput schema / properties / assignment_ids / items / type
```
Removed value: -"integer"
```

addedInput schema / properties / course_id / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+    "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "pattern": "^[1-9][0-9]{0,18}$",
+    "type": "string"
+  }
+]

removedInput schema / properties / course_id / exclusiveMinimum
```
Removed value: -0
```
removedInput schema / properties / course_id / maximum
```
Removed value: -9007199254740991
```
removedInput schema / properties / course_id / type
```
Removed value: -"integer"
```

addedInput schema / properties / user_id / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
+    "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "pattern": "^[1-9][0-9]{0,18}$",
+    "type": "string"
+  }
+]

removedInput schema / properties / user_id / exclusiveMinimum
```
Removed value: -0
```
removedInput schema / properties / user_id / maximum
```
Removed value: -9007199254740991
```
removedInput schema / properties / user_id / type
```
Removed value: -"integer"
```

Changed1 schema field changedv1.18.11Sep 10, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed6 schema fields changedv1.18.8Sep 2, 2026

removedInput schema / properties / due_at / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedInput schema / properties / due_at / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedInput schema / properties / lock_at / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedInput schema / properties / lock_at / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedInput schema / properties / unlock_at / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedInput schema / properties / unlock_at / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

Addedv1.18.3Jul 24, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations declare destructiveHint=true and openWorldHint=true, but the description goes well beyond: it discloses per-assignment API call cost, tolerated partial failures, create-only V1 semantics with 422 handling, and the exact return envelope (applied/skipped/failed/not_found). This is rich operational context an agent needs.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

It is long, but front-loads the core action and each subsequent sentence carries distinct operational information (cost, failure semantics, audit-first, relative-shift workflow). Slight density cost but nothing is wasted.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a mutation tool with no output schema, the description supplies the return envelope, failure taxonomy, and prerequisite workflow, so an agent can call it and interpret results without additional sources.

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 100% so the baseline is 3, but the description adds real meaning: user_id must be the real Canvas ID (with pseudonym caveat), assignment_ids omission targets all assignments, and dates must be ISO 8601. It doesn't restate the null-removal behavior that the schema covers.

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

Purpose5/5

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

The opening sentence states a specific verb (fan a due-date/availability override) and resource (per-student overrides across course assignments) with clear scope. It distinguishes itself from the sibling create_assignment_override by emphasizing the multi-assignment fan-out.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Explicitly routes to list_assignment_overrides for auditing first, to list_assignments with include=overrides to compute absolute timestamps for relative shifts, and to resolve_pseudonym when CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS is on. It also states the create-only constraint and the 422-when-existing condition.

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

Deploy Server

Set Student Assignment Dates

Instructions

Input Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Other Tools