Canvas Lms MCP

MCP server for Canvas LMS. Read courses, assignments, submissions, rubrics, quizzes; grade, comment, manage course content, and handle Canvas admin workflows from any AI agent. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

People who work with canvas lms, education and instructure and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-17 · ★ 6 · #16 OF 85 MAINTAINED DESIGN · VERIFIED 2026-09-18

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Canvas Lms MCP

before you install - you'll need

Set CANVAS_ENABLE_ASSIGNMENT_SUBMISSION, CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS before connecting. CANVAS_DESTRUCTIVE_TOOLS, CANVAS_PROVENANCE_FENCING, CANVAS_ROLE are optional or environment-specific per the README.

Claude Code

claude mcp add bruchris-canvas-lms-mcp -- npx -y canvas-lms-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bruchris-canvas-lms-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "canvas-lms-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package canvas-lms-mcp - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.bruchris is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Canvas Lms MCP can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

An agent gets 2 documented tools across works, read & search, including Works, view_course_structure.

The 2 tools it gives your agent

Extracted from the project's README - what canvas-lms-mcp lets an agent do.

Works
- Field is absent
view_course_structure
- ui://canvas-lms-mcp/course-structure.html

Latest releases

canvas-lms-mcp-v1.29.3 · 2026-09-11

canvas-lms-mcp v1.29.3 - September 11, 2026 · This patch release keeps your integration on a clean security footing by resolving three moderate Hono dependency advisories. It also tightens up the design spec…

canvas-lms-mcp-v1.29.2 · 2026-09-10

canvas-lms-mcp v1.29.2 - September 10, 2026 · This patch release closes a security gap in the shared HTTP transport and brings tool schemas into alignment with JSON Schema 2020-12. If you're building integrations that…

canvas-lms-mcp-v1.29.1 · 2026-09-08

canvas-lms-mcp v1.29.1 - September 8, 2026 · This patch release keeps the canvas-lms-mcp toolchain up to date with a batch dev-dependency bump. Staying current with development dependencies reduces security exposure…

04 · Who maintains Canvas Lms MCP

canvas-lms-mcp is maintained by bruchris. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to Apr 2026.

05 · Facts

category
design - ranked #16 of 85 actively-maintained design servers as of 2026-09-18.
release cadence
10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-09-11)
registry
io.github.bruchris/canvas-lms-mcp (active, first published 2026-05-21 · 31 versions)
packages
npm:canvas-lms-mcp

06 · Canvas Lms MCP FAQ

What is Canvas Lms MCP?

MCP server for Canvas LMS. Read courses, assignments, submissions, rubrics, quizzes; grade, comment, manage course content, and handle Canvas admin workflows from any AI agent. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is Canvas Lms MCP still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-18, its last commit was 2026-09-17 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Canvas Lms MCP?

Run `npx -y canvas-lms-mcp`. The README documents 5 environment variables (CANVAS_DESTRUCTIVE_TOOLS, CANVAS_PROVENANCE_FENCING, CANVAS_ENABLE_ASSIGNMENT_SUBMISSION…) to set first. Set CANVAS_ENABLE_ASSIGNMENT_SUBMISSION, CANVAS_PSEUDONYMIZE_STUDENTS before connecting. CANVAS_DESTRUCTIVE_TOOLS, CANVAS_PROVENANCE_FENCING, CANVAS_ROLE are optional or environment-specific per the README. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Canvas Lms MCP run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Canvas Lms MCP