Canvas LMS MCP Server

A minimal, student-focused, strictly read-only MCP server for Canvas LMS.

It gives MCP clients access to courses, assignments, grades, submissions, syllabi, announcements, modules, pages, and files without exposing any Canvas write operation.

Requirements

• Node.js 20.19 or newer. Check with node --version.
• A Canvas personal access token. In Canvas, go to Account -> Settings -> Approved Integrations -> + New Access Token.
• Your institution's Canvas base URL, such as https://canvas.example.edu. Do not include /api/v1.

[!WARNING] A Canvas token has your Canvas permissions. Never commit it, share it, paste it into an issue, or place it in a project configuration that may be shared.

Some institutions disable personal access tokens. If the New Access Token option is unavailable, ask your Canvas administrator whether personal tokens are permitted.

Quick start

The server is launched by an MCP client over standard input/output. Its primary command is:

npx -y mcp-server-canvas-lms

Configure these two environment variables in your MCP client:

• CANVAS_BASE_URL=https://canvas.example.edu
• CANVAS_API_TOKEN=replace-with-your-personal-token

Then restart or reconnect the client and try this first connection check:

List my active Canvas courses.

See the exact setup for Codex, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, or a generic stdio client.

Tools

The server exposes exactly eleven tools:

Tool	Reads
canvas_list_courses	Active courses, terms, and current scores
canvas_list_assignments	Assignments for one or all active courses
canvas_get_assignment	Requirements, rubric, and submission summary
canvas_get_grades	Course totals or assignment-level grades
canvas_get_submission	The current user's submission, comments, and rubric assessment
canvas_get_syllabus	A course syllabus as cleaned text
canvas_list_announcements	Recent course announcements
canvas_list_modules	Modules and their items
canvas_get_page	A course page by its Canvas URL slug
canvas_list_files	Course files and folders
canvas_read_file	Text from a supported course file

Every Canvas API request is structurally restricted to HTTP GET. There are no mutation methods, so this server cannot submit assignments, send messages, change grades, edit course content, or perform administrative actions.

Troubleshooting

• node or npx is missing: Install Node.js 20.19 or newer, reopen the client, and confirm node --version and npx --version in a terminal.
• Personal tokens are disabled: If Canvas does not show + New Access Token, contact your institution's Canvas administrator. This server cannot bypass institutional policy restrictions.
• Invalid or expired token: Create a new personal access token, replace the configured value, and restart the client. Never post the token in an issue.
• Base URL error: Use only the institution origin, for example https://canvas.example.edu; remove /api/v1, course paths, and trailing account pages.
• Tools do not appear: Fully restart the client after editing its MCP configuration, then check the client's MCP server list or logs.
• 403 response: Canvas authenticated the request but the user or institution denied that resource. Check enrollment and institutional policy; a more privileged token is not recommended.
• 429 response: Canvas is rate-limiting requests. Wait and try again; use narrower course queries or lower result limits where available.
• Institutional restrictions: Administrators may restrict personal tokens, API access, file downloads, or individual courses. Ask the institution's Canvas support team when browser access works but API access does not.

Project links

• Source repository
• npm package
• Issue tracker
• Security policy
• MIT license
• Contributing guide