Provides tools to interact with Canvas LMS, including courses, modules, files, pages, assignments, submissions, grades, announcements, upcoming deadlines, and syllabus.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Canvas MCP show my upcoming deadlines for this week"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
MCP server that exposes Canvas LMS as tools — courses, modules, files, pages, assignments, submissions/grades, announcements, upcoming deadlines, and syllabus.
Designed to be consumed by Ada (chat tool loop / edge functions) and any other MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.).
cd mcps/canvas
npm install
npm run buildCreate .env (or pass through your MCP client config):
CANVAS_BASE_URL=https://canvas.asu.edu/api/v1
CANVAS_TOKEN=your_canvas_personal_access_tokenGenerate the token in Canvas: Account → Settings → New Access Token.
Related MCP server: Canvas LMS MCP Server
Stdio transport (default for MCP clients):
CANVAS_BASE_URL=... CANVAS_TOKEN=... node dist/index.jsTool | Purpose |
| Active enrollments with term + dates |
| Single course incl. syllabus body |
| Modules with items inlined |
| Items in one module |
| File info + download URL |
| Download file body as UTF-8 text (truncated) |
| Wiki pages |
| Assignments by due date |
| Current student's grades + late/missing |
| Announcements across courses |
| Upcoming events for the user |
| Syllabus HTML |
{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/ada/mcps/canvas/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"CANVAS_BASE_URL": "https://canvas.asu.edu/api/v1",
"CANVAS_TOKEN": "..."
}
}
}
}src/worker.ts exposes the same toolset over HTTP for hosting on Cloudflare
Workers. Deploy with:
npx wrangler deploySet the secrets once via wrangler secret put:
echo "https://canvas.asu.edu/api/v1" | npx wrangler secret put CANVAS_BASE_URL
echo "your_canvas_token" | npx wrangler secret put CANVAS_TOKENThe Worker accepts JSON-RPC tools/list and tools/call POSTs.
Multi-tenant headers (override env per request — Ada uses these):
Authorization: Bearer <user's canvas PAT>
X-Canvas-Base-Url https://canvas.<institution>.edu/api/v1
X-Ada-Service-Key <ADA_SERVICE_KEY> # required when env.ADA_SERVICE_KEY is setWhen no headers are present, the worker falls back to the CANVAS_BASE_URL /
CANVAS_TOKEN secrets (single-tenant mode). Set ADA_SERVICE_KEY to gate
header-based requests behind a shared secret:
echo "$(openssl rand -hex 32)" | npx wrangler secret put ADA_SERVICE_KEYCanvas pagination is followed automatically via the Link header up to per-call caps.
get_file_text decodes as UTF-8; binary formats (PDF, DOCX) need upstream extraction.
Single-tenant by env var. For multi-user (Ada), spawn one process per user or swap stdio for an HTTP transport that accepts a per-request token.
Get full details for a single assignment, including HTML description.
Inputs: course_id (required), assignment_id (required).
Get a single course by id, including syllabus body if available.
Inputs: course_id (required).
Get Canvas file metadata (display_name, content-type, size, download URL).
Inputs: file_id (required).
Download a Canvas file and return up to max_bytes of its body decoded as UTF-8 text. Best for plaintext/markdown/code/HTML; binary formats (PDF, DOCX) return raw bytes — extract text upstream.
Inputs: file_id (required), max_bytes.
Get a wiki page's full body (HTML) by its url slug.
Inputs: course_id (required), page_url (required).
Get the syllabus body (HTML) for a course.
Inputs: course_id (required).
List announcements across one or more courses.
Inputs: course_ids (required), limit.
List assignments for a course ordered by due date. Returns due_at, points_possible, description, submission types.
Inputs: course_id (required), limit.
List the authenticated student's courses. Defaults to active enrollments. Returns id, name, course_code, term, and dates.
Inputs: enrollment_state, limit.
List items in a specific module (files, pages, assignments, quizzes, links).
Inputs: course_id (required), module_id (required), limit.
List modules for a course, with their items inlined. Use to see the structure of a course's content.
Inputs: course_id (required), limit.
List the current student's submissions for a course, including grade, score, late/missing flags, and the linked assignment. Use to detect grade drops and missing work.
Inputs: course_id (required), limit.
List wiki pages for a course.
Inputs: course_id (required), limit.
List the current user's upcoming events (assignments + calendar items) across all courses. Use for deadline-aware planning.
Inputs: no named parameters.
Return the authenticated Canvas user (id, name, email). Useful for validating a PAT.
Inputs: no named parameters.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
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Scored across 15 tools
Each tool targets a distinct resource (course, assignment, page, file, etc.) or operation (list vs. get), with clear boundaries. No two tools have overlapping purposes.
Most tools follow a consistent verb_noun pattern (get_*, list_*), but 'whoami' breaks the pattern. However, this is a common convention and does not cause confusion.
15 tools is well within the ideal range (3-15). Each tool serves a clear purpose for student interaction with Canvas, neither too many nor too few.
The tool set covers all essential student-facing operations: viewing courses, assignments, submissions, pages, modules, files, announcements, syllabus, and upcoming events. No obvious gaps given the read-only student role.
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