Canvas LMS icon

Canvas LMS

Work with Canvas LMS API and receive events

Actions57

Overview

This node integrates with the Canvas LMS API to manage and monitor courses and related resources. It supports various operations such as retrieving course details, creating new courses, updating existing ones, and deleting courses. Additionally, it can trigger workflows based on events like the creation of a new course or updates to an existing course.

Common scenarios where this node is beneficial include:

  • Automating course management tasks in Canvas LMS.
  • Synchronizing course data between Canvas and other systems.
  • Triggering notifications or downstream processes when courses are created or updated.

Practical example:

  • Automatically fetch all available courses every 15 minutes to keep an external database up-to-date.
  • Trigger a workflow whenever a new course is created in Canvas to send welcome emails or provision resources.

Properties

Name Meaning
Trigger Event that triggers the node:
- New Course: Trigger when a new course is created.
- Course Updated: Trigger when a course is updated.
Polling Interval How often to poll the Canvas API for changes:
- Every 5 Minutes
- Every 10 Minutes
- Every 15 Minutes (default)
- Every 30 Minutes
- Every Hour

Output

The node outputs JSON data representing the course information retrieved or affected by the operation. The output structure includes a data field containing either a single course object or an array of course objects depending on the operation:

{
  "data": {
    // Single course object or array of course objects
  }
}

For trigger operations, the output contains the newly created or updated course data as received from the Canvas API.

No binary data output is produced by this node.

Dependencies

  • Requires an API key credential for authenticating with the Canvas LMS API.
  • The node uses the Canvas API base URL and access token configured in the credentials.
  • Polling operations depend on periodic HTTP GET requests to Canvas endpoints.

Troubleshooting

  • Authentication errors: Ensure the API key credential is valid and has sufficient permissions to access course data.
  • Rate limiting: Canvas API may limit request rates; adjust polling intervals accordingly.
  • Invalid parameters: Missing or incorrect Course ID or other required fields will cause errors; verify input parameters.
  • Network issues: Connectivity problems to the Canvas API endpoint will result in request failures.
  • Error messages: Errors from the Canvas API are wrapped and reported with context about the resource and operation, e.g., Error in "course" operation "get": .... Check the message for specific API error details.

To resolve common errors:

  • Double-check all required input fields.
  • Verify API credentials and permissions.
  • Increase polling interval if hitting rate limits.
  • Review Canvas API documentation for error codes.

Links and References

Discussion