Canvas MCP
An MCP server for Canvas LMS: the agent handles assignments, grades and course modules for a student or an instructor
- 308 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- The token exposes grades, submissions and student correspondence, and educator tools change assignments, grades and pages
- The agent can send messages and announcements in Canvas in your name
- TypeScript execution runs code on your computer
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/canvas-mcpDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The token exposes grades, submissions and student correspondence, and educator tools change assignments, grades and pages
- The agent can send messages and announcements in Canvas in your name
- TypeScript execution runs code on your computer
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Canvas MCP connects an agent to the Canvas LMS learning platform through your own access token. The server runs locally and exposes up to 126 tools, grouped by role: student, educator, course designer and shared tools. The profile decides how many are available, and the default enables only part of them. A student asks what is due this week, what the grades are and which peer reviews are waiting. An educator creates and edits assignments, reads submissions and grades in bulk. The same role posts announcements and messages and manages modules and pages. A course designer gets the whole course tree in one call and an accessibility scanner with 20 checks, from headings and contrast to alt text and captions. For large jobs there is TypeScript execution: with thirty or more items, code processes them locally and returns only the needed result to the model's context. Eight skills with ready-made workflows install separately, among them a weekly plan, bulk grading and an accessibility audit.
Who it is for. For students, instructors and course designers at schools and universities that run on Canvas and can issue an API token.
Good fit when
- A student needs a weekly plan: what is due, what is submitted, what the grades are and which reviews are waiting
- An instructor has to grade dozens of submissions with comments without clicking through each one
- Before a term you need to check a course for structure, empty pages and unpublished modules
- You need a report of WCAG accessibility violations and guided fixes for course pages
- A course has to be built from a template or cloned from an existing one
Not a fit when
- Your institution runs another platform such as Moodle: the server knows only Canvas
- Your organization issues API tokens only by request and you do not have one yet
- Your institution's rules forbid sending student data to an external AI service: even with anonymization the answers reach the agent's client
- You need to run untrusted code: the TypeScript sandbox does not give full isolation
Example request
Build a plan for my week from my Canvas courses: what is due, what is not yet submitted, the grades and any pending peer reviewsMCP
- Transport
- stdio, http
- Authentication
- API key
Environment variables
CANVAS_API_TOKENrequired, secret- Canvas access token from account settings
CANVAS_API_URLrequired- Your Canvas API address including the /api/v1 path
ENABLE_DATA_ANONYMIZATION- Set to true to replace student identity fields with anonymous codes
ALLOWED_WRITE_TOOLS- List of write tools allowed in the HTTP mode
Limitations
You need Python 3.11 or newer, your Canvas API address with the /api/v1 path and an access token. Tools that change anything work within the permissions of your Canvas account.
The HTTP mode is read-only by default until the operator sets ALLOWED_WRITE_TOOLS. The author's public server has been retired, which leaves a local install or your own instance behind your own authentication. Three tools for planner notes and the personal calendar write immediately, with no preview.
How to disable. Remove the canvas-api entry from your client's MCP configuration and restart it. Remove the Claude Desktop extension in extension settings and delete the skills from your agent's skills folder. The token can be revoked in Canvas settings.
FAQ
How do I install Canvas MCP in Claude Desktop?
The shortest route is the extension: download canvas-mcp.mcpb from the latest release and double-click it. Claude Desktop asks for your Canvas address and a token and keeps the token in the system keychain. Other clients need a source install and an MCP config entry.
Where do I get a Canvas token?
In Canvas open Account, then Settings, and create a New Access Token. If the button is missing, your organization issues tokens through an IT request, and a token's lifetime may be limited.
How do I hide student names from the model?
Set ENABLE_DATA_ANONYMIZATION=true. The server replaces supported identity fields with stable codes like Student_xxxxxxxx and masks email addresses and recognized personal data in replies and messages. That alone does not make you FERPA compliant: configuration, institutional policy and the AI provider decide.
What do the canvas-week-plan and canvas-morning-check skills do?
The first builds a student's weekly plan from upcoming assignments, submission status, grades and reviews. The second gives an instructor a course summary: submission rates, students who may need support, upcoming deadlines. The skills call the server's tools, so they do nothing without it.
Can the agent delete things in a course?
All seven delete tools require a confirmation_token. Messaging shows a preview first and reaches at most five recipients.
Discussion
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README in short
The quick start takes three steps: install the server, check the connection and optionally add the skills. The tool tables by role include sample prompts, and separate sections cover privacy and security.