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BytesAgain β€Ί Skills β€Ί Canvas LMS Student Skill
πŸ¦€ ClawHub

Canvas LMS Student Skill

by @efan404

Use when the user needs to interact with Canvas LMS as a student. Trigger phrases include "check my homework", "what's due", "download my lecture PDFs", "lis...

Versionv0.1.1
Downloads294
#crypto-defi#security#legal#education#automation
TERMINAL
clawhub install canvas-lms-student

πŸ“– About This Skill

name: canvas-lms-student description: Use when the user needs to interact with Canvas LMS as a student. Trigger phrases include "check my homework", "what's due", "download my lecture PDFs", "list my Canvas courses", "when is my assignment due", "get my course materials". Provides read-only access to courses, assignments, files, and deadlines. Supports AI-assisted academic workflows including assignment research, deadline tracking, and material gathering. version: 0.1.1 metadata: {"openclaw":{"requires":{"env":["CANVAS_BASE_URL","CANVAS_API_TOKEN"],"anyBins":["python3","python"],"config":["~/.config/canvas-lms/config.json"]},"primaryEnv":"CANVAS_API_TOKEN","emoji":"πŸŽ“","homepage":"https://github.com/Efan404/canvas-lms-student-skill"}}

Canvas LMS Student Skill

This skill enables read-only access to Canvas LMS for student workflows.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks anything related to their Canvas courses, such as:

  • "Check my homework" / "what's due this week"
  • "List my Canvas courses" / "what classes am I taking"
  • "Download my lecture PDFs" / "get course materials"
  • "When is my assignment due" / "upcoming deadlines"
  • "Show my grades" / "how am I doing in CS101"
  • "Find the syllabus" / "search for project requirements"
  • "Export deadlines to my calendar"
  • "Help me write my essay" (will gather assignment requirements)

    • Key indicators: Canvas, course, assignment, homework, deadline, grade, syllabus, lecture notes, materials.

    Prerequisites

    Configuration (in order of precedence):

    1. Environment Variables (highest priority): - CANVAS_BASE_URL - Institution Canvas URL (e.g., https://canvas.university.edu) - CANVAS_API_TOKEN - Personal API token from Canvas Settings

    2. Config File (fallback if env vars not set): - Location: ~/.config/canvas-lms/config.json - Format: {"base_url": "...", "api_token": "..."} - Created automatically if you use the CLI tool (canvas-lms config)

    Setup Guide (if not configured): 1. Guide user to: Canvas β†’ Account β†’ Settings β†’ Approved Integrations 2. Click "+ New Access Token" 3. Configure using ONE of these methods: - Environment variables: 

         export CANVAS_BASE_URL="https://your-school.instructure.com"
     export CANVAS_API_TOKEN="copied-token"
    - CLI tool (easier for humans): 
         pip install canvas-lms-cli
     canvas-lms config  # Interactive setup
    4. Test with: python scripts/canvas_client.py --test

    Available Tools

    1. List Courses

    Script: python scripts/list_courses.py

    Purpose: Get course IDs and basic information for other operations.

    Key Options:

  • --active-only - Show only current enrollments
  • --with-grades - Include current scores
  • --json - Output structured JSON (recommended for AI parsing)
  • --resolve "Course Name" - Find course by name instead of ID

    • Output: Course ID, name, code, grade (optional)

    When to Use:

  • First step before any course-specific operation to get valid course IDs
  • Or use --resolve to find course ID from name (e.g., --resolve "CS101")

    • AI Tip: Use --json for reliable parsing, or --resolve to convert course names to IDs automatically.

    2. Get Assignments

    Script: python scripts/get_assignments.py --course

    Purpose: List assignments with deadlines and submission status.

    Key Options:

  • --course 12345 or --course "CS101" --resolve-name - Course ID or name
  • --upcoming - Only future assignments
  • --overdue - Only overdue assignments
  • --unsubmitted - Only pending work
  • --with-description - Include full descriptions
  • --json - Output structured JSON
  • --assignment-name "Project" - Find specific assignment by name

    • When to Use: Checking workload, finding deadlines, or getting assignment overview.

    AI Tip: Use --resolve-name to avoid manual ID lookup, or --assignment-name to find specific assignments by name.

    3. Get Assignment Detail (For AI Writing)

    Script: python scripts/get_assignment_detail.py --course --assignment

    Purpose: Retrieve complete assignment requirements for AI-assisted writing.

    Returns:

  • Full description/prompt (cleaned HTML)
  • Points possible and rubric criteria
  • Submission type requirements
  • Due date and submission status
  • Allowed file extensions

    • When to Use: Before AI-assisted essay/assignment writing to get full context and requirements.

    4. Download Course Files

    Script: python scripts/download_files.py --course --output

    Purpose: Download all course materials to local directory.

    Key Options:

  • --folder "Folder Name" - Download specific folder only
  • --type pdf - Filter by file extension
  • --dry-run - Preview without downloading
  • --flat - Flat structure (don't preserve Canvas folders)
  • --json - Output file list as JSON
  • --no-id-prefix - Don't add ID prefix to duplicate filenames

    • When to Use: Gathering reading materials, saving lecture notes, or collecting reference documents.

    File Organization: By default, preserves Canvas folder structure. Files with duplicate names get ID prefix (e.g., 12345_lecture.pdf). Use --flat for flat structure.

    5. Export Deadlines to Calendar

    Script: python scripts/export_calendar.py --course --output

    Purpose: Export assignment deadlines to iCalendar (.ics) format.

    Key Options:

  • --courses 123,456,789 - Multiple courses (comma-separated)
  • --unsubmitted-only - Only pending assignments

    • When to Use: Creating calendar reminders, syncing with Google/Apple Calendar.

    6. Search Canvas Content

    Script: python scripts/search_canvas.py --query ""

    Purpose: Find files, assignments, or announcements across courses.

    Key Options:

  • --course - Search specific course only
  • --type assignment|file|announcement - Limit search type
  • --full-content - Show content previews

    • When to Use: Finding specific resources, locating assignment requirements, checking announcements.

    Workflow Patterns

    Pattern 1: AI-Assisted Essay Writing

    1. List courses β†’ get course ID
2. Get assignments β†’ find target assignment ID
3. Get assignment detail β†’ retrieve full requirements and rubric
4. (Optional) Search for related materials
5. (Optional) Download reference files
6. AI generates essay based on gathered context

    Pattern 2: Deadline Management

    1. List courses β†’ get all course IDs
2. Export calendar β†’ generate .ics with all deadlines
3. Import to calendar app for reminders

    Pattern 3: Course Material Collection

    1. List courses β†’ get course ID
2. Download files β†’ get all course materials
3. Search for specific topics if needed

    Safety & Limitations

    Read-Only: This skill only reads data. It cannot:

  • Submit assignments
  • Modify grades
  • Post to discussions
  • Upload files to Canvas

    • Rate Limits: Canvas API has rate limiting. For bulk operations:

  • Use pagination (handled automatically)
  • Add delays between requests if needed
  • Handle 429 errors with exponential backoff

    • Data Privacy:

  • API tokens are password-equivalent
  • Never log or expose tokens
  • All data stays local (downloads only)

    • Error Handling

    Common errors and solutions:

    | Error | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | 401 Unauthorized | Invalid/expired token | Guide user to regenerate token | | 403 Forbidden | Insufficient permissions | Check enrollment status | | 404 Not Found | Wrong course/assignment ID | Verify IDs from list commands | | 429 Rate Limited | Too many requests | Add delay and retry |

    References

  • API Overview - Authentication and pagination
  • Courses - Course operations details
  • Assignments - Assignment handling
  • Files - File download details
  • Calendar Export - ICS format details
  • Search - Search techniques

    • OpenClaw Integration

    This repository can be installed from ClawHub/OpenClaw as a skill bundle. OpenClaw discovers the skill from SKILL.md. The added manifest.json and wrapper.py are supplemental helper files for wrapper-based environments; they do not auto-register seven native OpenClaw tools by themselves. If you want native tool exposure inside OpenClaw, package the wrapper as a plugin or MCP server separately.

    Installation

    # Preferred: install from ClawHub/OpenClaw
openclaw skills install canvas-lms-student
    Or install with clawhub
    
clawhub install canvas-lms-student
    Or clone the repository directly
    
git clone https://github.com/Efan404/canvas-lms-student-skill.git
    Run setup to install dependencies
    
cd canvas-lms-student-skill
./setup.sh
    Or manually install dependencies
    
pip3 install canvasapi requests

    Configuration

    Set up Canvas API access:

    # Method 1: Environment variables
export CANVAS_BASE_URL="https://your-school.instructure.com"
export CANVAS_API_TOKEN="your-api-token"
    Method 2: Config file
    
mkdir -p ~/.config/canvas-lms
echo '{"base_url": "https://...", "api_token": "..."}' > ~/.config/canvas-lms/config.json

    Get API token: Canvas β†’ Account β†’ Settings β†’ Approved Integrations β†’ + New Access Token

    Available Tools

    When used through the local wrapper, these commands are available:

    | Tool | Description | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | list_courses | List all courses | list_courses() | | resolve_course | Find course by name | resolve_course(name="CS5293") | | get_assignments | Get course assignments | get_assignments(course="CS5293") | | get_assignment_detail | Get assignment info | get_assignment_detail(course=67488, assignment=319756) | | search_canvas | Search content | search_canvas(query="project", type="assignment") | | download_files | Download course files | download_files(course=67488, type="pdf") | | export_calendar | Export deadlines | export_calendar(courses="67488,67524") |

    Wrapper Usage

    For programmatic access, use the wrapper:

    python3 wrapper.py list_courses '{"active_only": true}'
python3 wrapper.py get_assignments '{"course": "CS5293", "upcoming": true}'
python3 wrapper.py search_canvas '{"query": "deadline", "type": "announcement"}'

    Manifest

    See manifest.json for complete tool definitions and parameter schemas.

    ⚑ When to Use

    TriggerAction
    - "Check my homework" / "what's due this week"
    - "List my Canvas courses" / "what classes am I taking"
    - "Download my lecture PDFs" / "get course materials"
    - "When is my assignment due" / "upcoming deadlines"
    - "Show my grades" / "how am I doing in CS101"
    - "Find the syllabus" / "search for project requirements"
    - "Export deadlines to my calendar"
    - "Help me write my essay" (will gather assignment requirements)
    **Key indicators:** Canvas, course, assignment, homework, deadline, grade, syllabus, lecture notes, materials.

    βš™οΈ Configuration

    Set up Canvas API access:

    # Method 1: Environment variables
export CANVAS_BASE_URL="https://your-school.instructure.com"
export CANVAS_API_TOKEN="your-api-token"
    Method 2: Config file
    
mkdir -p ~/.config/canvas-lms
echo '{"base_url": "https://...", "api_token": "..."}' > ~/.config/canvas-lms/config.json

    Get API token: Canvas β†’ Account β†’ Settings β†’ Approved Integrations β†’ + New Access Token

    Available Tools

    When used through the local wrapper, these commands are available:

    | Tool | Description | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | list_courses | List all courses | list_courses() | | resolve_course | Find course by name | resolve_course(name="CS5293") | | get_assignments | Get course assignments | get_assignments(course="CS5293") | | get_assignment_detail | Get assignment info | get_assignment_detail(course=67488, assignment=319756) | | search_canvas | Search content | search_canvas(query="project", type="assignment") | | download_files | Download course files | download_files(course=67488, type="pdf") | | export_calendar | Export deadlines | export_calendar(courses="67488,67524") |

    Wrapper Usage

    For programmatic access, use the wrapper:

    python3 wrapper.py list_courses '{"active_only": true}'
python3 wrapper.py get_assignments '{"course": "CS5293", "upcoming": true}'
python3 wrapper.py search_canvas '{"query": "deadline", "type": "announcement"}'

    Manifest

    See manifest.json for complete tool definitions and parameter schemas.