mcp-canvas-lms

Overview

This is a full-featured MCP server that provides extensive access to Canvas LMS functionality. It implements proper Model Context Protocol support with both stdio and HTTP transport options. The server covers complete workflow automation for students (assignment submission, grade checking), instructors (course creation, grading), and administrators (user management, reporting). It includes robust error handling, automatic pagination, and maintains type safety with TypeScript implementation.

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 5 things you can ask your AI assistant:

• canvas_health_check

  Check API connectivity to Canvas

  Try:Is the Canvas API working?Try:Check Canvas connection status
• canvas_list_courses

  List all available courses

  Try:Show me my coursesTry:List all courses I'm enrolled in
• canvas_get_assignment

  Get detailed information about a specific assignment

  Try:Get details for assignment 5Try:Tell me about the Biology essay assignment
• canvas_submit_assignment

  Submit assignment work (text/URL/files)

  Try:Submit my English essayTry:Turn in my Math homework
• canvas_get_user_grades

  Get your overall grades across courses

  Try:Show me my current gradesTry:What's my GPA this term?
• canvas_create_course

  Create a new course in an account

  Try:Create a new course called Advanced BiologyTry:Set up a Computer Science 101 course
• canvas_enroll_user

  Enroll a student in a course

  Try:Enroll John Smith in Physics 101Try:Add student to my course roster
• canvas_get_account

  Get details of a Canvas account

  Try:Get information about my main accountTry:Show account details for Engineering
• canvas_list_account_courses

  List all courses in an account

  Try:Show all courses in the Science accountTry:List Computer Science courses
• canvas_create_user

  Create a new user in an account

  Try:Create a new student user Jane DoeTry:Add instructor account for Dr. Smith
• canvas_create_account_report

  Generate a report for an account

  Try:Generate enrollment report for Spring termTry:Create grade analytics report
• canvas_post_to_discussion

  Post a response to a discussion topic

  Try:Post to the Philosophy discussion about ethicsTry:Reply to the assignment question

Comparable tools

Installation

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "canvas-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "canvas-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "your_token_here",
        "CANVAS_DOMAIN": "your_school.instructure.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

npm install -g canvas-mcp-server
export CANVAS_API_TOKEN="your_token_here"
export CANVAS_DOMAIN="your_school.instructure.com"
canvas-mcp-server

docker run -d \
  --name canvas-mcp \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -e CANVAS_API_TOKEN="your_token" \
  -e CANVAS_DOMAIN="school.instructure.com" \
  -e MCP_TRANSPORT="streamable-http" \
  ghcr.io/dmontgomery40/mcp-canvas-lms:latest

FAQ

How do I get my Canvas API token?

Log into Canvas → Account → Settings → Scroll to 'Approved Integrations' → Click '+ New Access Token' → Enter description and copy the generated token.

What permissions do I need for administrative functions?

For account-level operations, your Canvas API token must have administrative privileges granted by your institution's Canvas administrator.

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