Canvas

aid: canvas
url: >-
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/canvas/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
name: Canvas
description: >-
  Canvas is Instructure's open-source learning management system (LMS)
  used by K-12, higher education, and corporate training organizations
  to deliver courses, assessments, and learner communication. Canvas
  exposes a comprehensive REST API and a GraphQL endpoint for reading
  and modifying courses, assignments, quizzes, grades, users,
  enrollments, content, and account administration, and it integrates
  with external tools through LTI, Caliper, and live event streams.
type: Index
kind: company
position: Consumer
access: 3rd-Party
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
tags:
- Education
- EdTech
- GraphQL
- Learning Management System
- LMS
- LTI
- Open Source
- REST
created: '2025-01-14'
modified: '2026-04-23'
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: canvas:canvas-lms-rest-api
  name: Canvas LMS REST API
  description: >-
    The Canvas LMS REST API provides programmatic access to courses,
    assignments, quizzes, grades, users, enrollments, accounts,
    discussions, files, modules, rubrics, submissions, SIS imports,
    and account administration. It uses OAuth 2.0 access tokens and
    returns JSON with ISO 8601 timestamps, supporting pagination,
    request throttling, masquerading, and compound documents.
  humanURL: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/
  tags:
  - Education
  - LMS
  - REST
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/
  - type: Authentication
    url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.oauth.html
  - type: Pagination
    url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.pagination.html
  - type: GitHubRepository
    url: https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms
  x-features:
  - OAuth 2.0 authentication with access tokens
  - JSON responses with ISO 8601 timestamps
  - 64-bit integer IDs and string ID support
  - Form-encoded and JSON request bodies
  - Pagination for large result sets
  - Request throttling and quota controls
  - Masquerading for acting on behalf of users
  - Compound documents for linked resources
  - File upload workflows
  - SIS imports and roster sync
  - Live event streams via Canvas Data services
  - Caliper event format compatibility
  - xAPI statement support
  x-use-cases:
  - Building custom student dashboards or mobile apps
  - Automating course provisioning and enrollment via SIS imports
  - Syncing grades and assignments to external gradebooks
  - Analytics and learning-event data pipelines
  - Integrating third-party tools through LTI
  - Bulk content migration between courses or institutions
  - Institutional reporting and audit-log extraction
- aid: canvas:canvas-lms-graphql-api
  name: Canvas LMS GraphQL API
  description: >-
    The Canvas LMS GraphQL API is an alternative to the REST API
    that lets clients request exactly the fields they need across
    Canvas resources in a single request. It is well suited for
    dashboards and aggregated views that otherwise require many
    REST round-trips.
  humanURL: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.graphql.html
  tags:
  - Education
  - GraphQL
  - LMS
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.graphql.html
  - url: graphql/canvas-graphql.md
    type: GraphQL
  x-features:
  - Typed GraphQL schema over Canvas resources
  - Single-request fetches across courses, users, and assignments
  - Reduced over-fetching for dashboards
  - OAuth 2.0 bearer-token authentication
  x-use-cases:
  - Building performant student or instructor dashboards
  - Aggregating course, assignment, and grade data in one request
  - Mobile apps with limited bandwidth
- aid: canvas:canvas-lti-integrations
  name: Canvas LTI Integrations
  description: >-
    Canvas supports Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI 1.1 and
    LTI 1.3 / Advantage) for embedding external tools, assignments,
    and content into courses with deep linking, grade passback, and
    names-and-roles service.
  humanURL: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.tools_intro.html
  tags:
  - Education
  - LMS
  - LTI
  properties:
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/file.tools_intro.html
  x-features:
  - LTI 1.1 and LTI 1.3 / Advantage support
  - Deep linking for tool placements
  - Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) for grade passback
  - Names and Roles Provisioning Service (NRPS)
  - Configurable tool placements across Canvas UI
  x-use-cases:
  - Embedding third-party learning tools in Canvas courses
  - Passing grades from external graders back to Canvas
  - Provisioning course rosters into external tools
common:
- type: LinkedIn
  url: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/canvaslms
- type: Website
  url: https://www.instructure.com/canvas
- type: Documentation
  url: https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/
- type: GitHubOrganization
  url: https://github.com/instructure
- type: GitHubRepository
  url: https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms
- type: StatusPage
  url: https://status.instructure.com/
- type: Community
  url: https://community.canvaslms.com/
- type: PrivacyPolicy
  url: https://www.instructure.com/policies/privacy
- type: TermsOfService
  url: https://www.instructure.com/policies/product-acceptable-use
- type: Integrations
  url: https://www.instructure.com/partners
integrations:
- name: Become a partner
- name: Scale with us
- name: Expand your reach
- name: Make an impact
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: [email protected]