Open-source Model Context Protocol server that integrates Claude with Canvas LMS, enabling students to access assignments, grades, deadlines, and feedback directly within Claude conversations.
Canvas MCP
Bring your Canvas LMS into Claude — assignments, grades, deadlines, and feedback, all in one place.
Canvas MCP is an open-source Model Context Protocol server that connects Claude to Canvas LMS. Students can ask Claude about their courses, track deadlines, review professor feedback, and plan their academic week — powered by live Canvas data.
What you can do
Ask Claude things like:
- "Plan my week — I have 3 assignments due and a midterm Friday"
- "Help me respond to the feedback on my essay in HIST 201"
- "What's my workload looking like for the next two weeks?"
- "Which assignments will impact my grade the most right now?"
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| get_courses | Active enrollments, syllabus, instructor info |
| get_assignments | Due dates, submission status, per-course filtering |
| get_grades | Current scores, submission feedback, grade breakdowns |
| get_announcements | Unread course announcements and discussion posts |
| get_discussions | Course discussion topics and posts |
| get_submissions | Submission details for a specific assignment |
| get_syllabus | Course syllabus as plain text |
| get_files | Files uploaded to a course |
| get_calendar_events | Deadlines, exam dates, and course events in one feed |
Getting started
1. Install dependencies
npm install
2. Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
Option A — Mock mode (no Canvas account needed):
Set USE_MOCK_DATA=true in your .env. The server will use built-in sample data for a fictional student so you can explore all tools immediately.
USE_MOCK_DATA=true
PORT=3000
Option B — Real Canvas data:
Get your API token from Canvas: Account → Settings → Approved Integrations → New Access Token
USE_MOCK_DATA=false
CANVAS_BASE_URL=https://youruni.instructure.com
CANVAS_API_TOKEN=your_token_here
PORT=3000
Note: Some institutions disable student token generation. If you see "Your Canvas administrators have chosen to limit your ability to generate your own access token", use mock mode or contact your admin.
3. Start the server
npm run dev
The MCP endpoint is available at http://localhost:3000/mcp.
4. Connect to Claude
Claude Code (CLI) — no HTTPS required:
claude mcp add --transport http canvas-mcp http://localhost:3000/mcp
Claude.ai (web) — requires a public HTTPS URL:
Install and run cloudflared to create a free tunnel:
# Windows
winget install Cloudflare.cloudflared
# Run the tunnel (in a separate terminal while the server is running)
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000
Cloudflared will print a URL like https://something.trycloudflare.com. Go to Claude.ai → Settings → Integrations → Add custom connector and paste https://something.trycloudflare.com/mcp.
The tunnel URL changes every time you restart cloudflared.
Self-hosting
Deploy for free on Railway, Fly.io, or Vercel to get a permanent HTTPS URL for Claude.ai.
Development
npm run dev # watch mode
npm run build # compile TypeScript
npm run check # type-check only
Stack: Node.js · TypeScript · @modelcontextprotocol/sdk · Axios · Zod
Privacy & security
- API tokens are never stored server-side — passed per-request only
- No Canvas data is persisted beyond the current session
- Designed with FERPA considerations in mind
Contributing
Contributions welcome. Open an issue or PR — whether you're a student, developer, or university ambassador.
License
MIT