Canvas LMS MCP
Version 2.2 - 54 tools available - an MCP server for interacting with the Canvas LMS API. This server allows you to manage courses, assignments, enrollments, and grades within Canvas.
What is Canvas LMS MCP?
Canvas LMS MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to version 2.2 - 54 tools available - an mcp server for interacting with the canvas lms api. this server allows you to manage courses, assignments, enrollments, and grades within canvas.
Version 2.2 - 54 tools available - an MCP server for interacting with the Canvas LMS API. This server allows you to manage courses, assignments, enrollments, and grades within Canvas.
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Version 2.2 - 54 tools available - an MCP server for interac
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y canvas-mcp-serverManual Installation
npx -y canvas-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Canvas LMS MCP
The Canvas LMS MCP Server provides comprehensive AI assistant integration with the Canvas Learning Management System API, exposing over 54 tools that cover the full range of Canvas operations for students, instructors, and account administrators. Students can check assignments, submit work, view grades, and participate in discussions. Instructors can create courses, grade submissions, and manage enrollments. Account admins gain tools for user management, sub-account hierarchies, and report generation — all accessible through natural language.
Prerequisites
- A Canvas LMS account (student, instructor, or admin role)
- A Canvas API token (generated in Canvas Account Settings > Approved Integrations > New Access Token)
- Your institution's Canvas domain (e.g., yourschool.instructure.com)
- Node.js 18 or later
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Generate a Canvas API token
Log in to Canvas, go to Account > Settings, scroll to Approved Integrations, and click New Access Token. Give it a descriptive name and copy the token immediately — it will not be shown again.
Find your Canvas domain
Your Canvas domain is the hostname your institution uses, for example 'myschool.instructure.com'. This is the value you will set as CANVAS_DOMAIN.
Configure Claude Desktop
Add the server to your claude_desktop_config.json with your Canvas API token and domain as environment variables.
{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "canvas-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "your_canvas_api_token",
"CANVAS_DOMAIN": "yourschool.instructure.com"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Save the configuration file and restart Claude Desktop. All 54+ Canvas tools should be available to the AI assistant.
Verify with a simple query
Ask Claude to list your Canvas courses. A successful response confirms the API token and domain are correctly configured.
Canvas LMS MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for canvas-mcp-server with Canvas API credentials.
{
"mcpServers": {
"canvas-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "canvas-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"CANVAS_API_TOKEN": "your_canvas_api_token_here",
"CANVAS_DOMAIN": "yourschool.instructure.com"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Sample prompts for students, instructors, and admins using Canvas through AI.
- "What assignments do I have due this week?"
- "Show me my current grade in Biology 101"
- "List all discussion posts in my Philosophy class"
- "Submit my essay text for English 101 Assignment 3"
- "Create a new assignment called 'Midterm Essay' in course 456 due next Friday"
- "Generate an enrollment report for account 123 for the current term"Troubleshooting Canvas LMS MCP
401 Unauthorized errors on all tool calls
Verify that CANVAS_API_TOKEN is set to a valid, unexpired token. Tokens can expire if you set an expiry date when creating them. Regenerate the token in Canvas Account Settings > Approved Integrations and update the config.
404 errors when creating courses or accessing resources
Confirm CANVAS_DOMAIN is correct and does not include 'https://' or a trailing slash — it should be just the hostname like 'school.instructure.com'. For course creation, ensure you have the account_id parameter available (required since v2.3.0).
Tool context window issues with 54+ tools loaded
Some MCP clients struggle with large tool counts. If responses degrade, consider running the server in streamable-http mode (set MCP_TRANSPORT=streamable-http) or use a client that handles large tool lists efficiently like Claude Desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canvas LMS MCP
What is Canvas LMS MCP?
Canvas LMS MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that version 2.2 - 54 tools available - an mcp server for interacting with the canvas lms api. this server allows you to manage courses, assignments, enrollments, and grades within canvas. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Canvas LMS MCP?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y canvas-mcp-server. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Canvas LMS MCP?
Canvas LMS MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Canvas LMS MCP free to use?
Yes, Canvas LMS MCP is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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