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vishalsachdev

Canvas MCP Server

by vishalsachdev
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Python
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Get Page Details

get_page_details
Read-only

Retrieve a Canvas course page's metadata and a plain-text preview capped at 500 characters, including status, timestamps, editor roles, and separate media listings.

Instructions

Get a specific page's metadata plus a short text preview.

Returns settings (status, timestamps, editor, editing roles) and a PLAIN-TEXT preview capped at 500 characters. The preview drops all markup, so embedded media is listed separately rather than silently disappearing. For the full body, including media markup, use get_page_content.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
page_url_or_idYesPage URL slug or page ID
course_identifierYesCourse code or Canvas ID

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv1.10.0
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -{
-  "properties": {
-    "result": {
-      "type": "string"
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "result"
-  ],
-  "type": "object",
-  "x-fastmcp-wrap-result": true
-}New value: +null
  2. Changed9 schema fields changedv1.8.0
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • addedInput schema / properties / course_identifier / description
      Added value: +"Course code or Canvas ID"
    • removedInput schema / properties / course_identifier / title
      Removed value: -"Course Identifier"
    • addedInput schema / properties / page_url_or_id / description
      Added value: +"Page URL slug or page ID"
    • removedInput schema / properties / page_url_or_id / title
      Removed value: -"Page Url Or Id"
    • removedInput schema / title
      Removed value: -"get_page_detailsArguments"
    • removedOutput schema / properties / result / title
      Removed value: -"Result"
    • removedOutput schema / title
      Removed value: -"get_page_detailsOutput"
    • addedOutput schema / x-fastmcp-wrap-result
      Added value: +true
  3. Changed1 schema field changedv1.0.0
    • addedInput schema / title
      Added value: +"get_page_detailsArguments"
  4. First observed

TDQS

A5/5.0
Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, so the safety profile is covered, yet the description still adds substantial behavioral detail: the 500-character truncation cap, that markup is stripped from the preview, and that embedded media is surfaced separately rather than silently dropped. Lossiness, a common surprise in preview-style tools, is disclosed rather than hidden.

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?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the primary purpose, then the return contract, then the alternative-tool routing. No sentence is filler; each one carries either scope, return semantics, or a routing decision.

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?

There is no output schema, so the description carries the return-value burden, and it does so adequately: settings fields, preview length cap, markup stripping, and separate media listing. Nothing an agent needs to call this correctly or interpret the result is missing.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, so both parameters (page_url_or_id, course_identifier) are already fully documented in the schema; the description rightly does not duplicate that. Baseline 3 would be defensible, but the description adds the meaningful semantic that page identity is accepted either as a URL slug or an ID, which is the one ambiguity an agent would otherwise hit.

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?

States a specific verb and resource ('Get a specific page's metadata plus a short text preview') with explicit scope on what metadata means (status, timestamps, editor, editing roles). It explicitly contrasts with the sibling get_page_content, so an agent can route between them without opening either schema.

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?

Names the alternative tool and the exact condition that selects it: 'For the full body, including media markup, use get_page_content.' This is a clear when-to-use-this / when-to-use-the-other split rather than implied guidance.

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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