Canvas Scopes Reference

This is the full scope reference for the Pria Canvas tools. Use it to discover which Canvas REST API endpoints your Digital Twin needs, then configure them on both the Canvas Developer Key and your Digital Twin instance.

Canvas Scopes

Understanding Scopes

Canvas API scopes are permission controls that act as a whitelist for your application’s API access. When scope enforcement is enabled on a Developer Key, Canvas will only allow API calls to endpoints that have been explicitly authorized — all other requests are rejected with a 401 error, regardless of the user’s Canvas role. Scopes must be configured in two places:

Canvas Developer Key — controls what Canvas will allow at the API level
Digital Twin Instance Configuration — controls what your Digital Twin is permitted to request

Both lists must match. If a scope is missing from either location, the corresponding API call will fail. Key Concepts:

Whitelist Model: Only explicitly enabled scopes are allowed — everything else is blocked
Endpoint-Specific: Each scope maps to a specific API endpoint and HTTP method (e.g., GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
Dual Configuration: Scopes must be enabled on the Canvas Developer Key and listed in your Digital Twin instance
Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only the scopes your Digital Twin actually needs

Only grant scopes your Digital Twin actually uses. Over-permissioning creates unnecessary security risk. Use the recommended development workflow to discover exactly which scopes you need before enabling enforcement.

Scope Anatomy

Each scope is a pipe-delimited string with three components:

url:<HTTP_METHOD>|<API_ENDPOINT>

Components:

Literal prefix: Always starts with url:
HTTP Method: GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE
Endpoint Path: The API path without the domain

Example Scope:

url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments

This scope allows:

Method: GET (read-only)
Resource: Course enrollments
Context: Within a specific course

Path Variables: URL parameters are written with colon notation (e.g., :user_id, :course_id, :assignment_id). When defining scopes, ensure variable names match exactly—scope comparison is token-based and case-sensitive.

Official Documentation

For the complete, authoritative list of all available Canvas API scopes and endpoints, consult: Canvas REST API Documentation

Common Scopes by Category

Assignments

List Assignments:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments

Get Single Assignment:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id

Update Submission (grading, comments):

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id
Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id

List Submissions:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions

Discussions

List Discussion Topics:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics

Create Discussion:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics
Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics

Get Discussion Entries:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries

Grades & Submissions

List All Submissions:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/submissions
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/submissions

Get User Grades:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/students/submissions
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/students/submissions

Quizzes

List Quizzes:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes

Get Quiz Submissions:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/submissions
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/submissions

Announcements

List Announcements:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/announcements
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/announcements

Create Announcement:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics
Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics

(Announcements are special discussion topics)

Modules & Content

List Modules:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules

List Module Items:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items

List Pages:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages

Get Page Content:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id

Users & Enrollments

List Course Users:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/users
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/users

List Enrollments:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments

Files & Documents

List Course Files:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/files
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files

Get File Details:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/files/:id
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files/:id

Groups

List Course Groups:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups

Rubrics

List Rubrics:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubrics
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubrics

Assignment Groups

List Assignment Groups:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups

Analytics

Course Activity:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/activity
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/activity

Assignment Analytics:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/assignments
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/assignments

Student Summaries:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/student_summaries
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/student_summaries

Individual Student Activity:

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/users/:student_id/activity
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/users/:student_id/activity

Smart Search

Smart Search (recommended fallback):

Endpoint: /api/v1/courses/:course_id/smartsearch
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/smartsearch

Calendar

User Calendar Events:

Endpoint: /api/v1/users/:user_id/calendar_events
Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/calendar_events

Choosing Scopes for Your Use Case

Select scopes based on the specific functionality your Digital Twin needs to provide: Example: Auto-Grader Assistant

url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions
url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id

Example: Student Support Bot

url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages
url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/calendar_events

Example: Course Analytics Dashboard

url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/activity
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/assignments
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/student_summaries
url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/submissions

Best Practices for Scope Management

Recommended Development Workflow:

Development Phase: Disable scope enforcement to allow unrestricted API exploration
Documentation Phase: Monitor Tool Details in dialog history to identify all endpoints used
Compilation Phase: Create a comprehensive list of required scopes in a JSON file
Testing Phase: Enable scope enforcement and test all functionality
Production Phase: Deploy with minimal, verified scopes

This approach ensures you grant exactly the permissions needed—no more, no less.

Starter Scope Configuration

Use this starter JSON as a foundation for your scope configuration. This includes commonly used endpoints for typical Digital Twin functionality:

[
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/activity",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/assignments",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/student_summaries",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/users/:student_id/activity",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/announcements",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions",
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files/:id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/smartsearch",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/submissions",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/users",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/calendar_events"
]

Suggested Scopes

Here is a list of scopes suggested by Pria, Here’s the enhanced list with the most common Canvas API operations for students and teachers:

[
  // Analytics (Teachers)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/activity",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/assignments",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/student_summaries",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/analytics/users/:student_id/activity",
  
  // Announcements
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/announcements",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics", // Create announcement
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id", // Update announcement
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id", // Delete announcement
  
  // Assignments
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments", // Create assignment (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id", // Update assignment (Teachers)
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id", // Delete assignment (Teachers)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups", // Create assignment group (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups/:assignment_group_id", // Update group (Teachers)
  
  // Submissions
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id", // View single submission
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions", // Submit assignment (Students)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id", // Grade/update submission
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id/comments", // Add comment
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/students/submissions", // Get user's own submissions (Students)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/submissions", // All submissions (Teachers)
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/update_grades", // Bulk grade (Teachers)
  
  // Discussion Topics & Entries
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries", // View discussion posts
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries", // Post to discussion
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries/:entry_id", // Edit post
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/entries/:entry_id", // Delete post
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id/view", // Mark as read
  
  // Enrollments
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments", // Enroll users (Teachers)
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/enrollments/:id", // Remove enrollment (Teachers)
  
  // Files & Folders
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/files", // Upload file
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/files/:id", // Delete file
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/folders",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/folders/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/folders", // Create folder
  
  // Grades & Gradebook
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/gradebook_history/feed",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignment_groups/:assignment_group_id/grades",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:assignment_id/submissions/:user_id", // Post grade
  
  // Groups
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/groups/:group_id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/users",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups", // Create group (Teachers)
  
  // Modules
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules", // Create module (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id", // Update module (Teachers)
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items", // Add module item (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items/:id/done", // Mark item complete (Students)
  
  // Pages
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages", // Create page (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id", // Update page (Teachers)
  "url:DELETE|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id", // Delete page (Teachers)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/front_page", // Get front page
  
  // Quizzes
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes", // Create quiz (Teachers)
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:id", // Update quiz (Teachers)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/submissions", // Quiz submissions
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/submissions", // Start quiz (Students)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/questions", // Get quiz questions
  
  // Rubrics
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubrics",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubrics/:id",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/rubrics", // Create rubric (Teachers)
  
  // Users & Profiles
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/users",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/:id",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/profile", // View profile
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/users/:id", // Update user settings
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/self", // Get current user
  
  // Calendar & Events
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/calendar_events",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/calendar_events",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/calendar_events", // Create calendar event
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/calendar_events/:id", // Update calendar event
  
  // Courses
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:id",
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:id", // Update course (Teachers)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/settings", // Course settings
  
  // Conversations/Messages
  "url:GET|/api/v1/conversations",
  "url:POST|/api/v1/conversations", // Send message
  "url:GET|/api/v1/conversations/:id",
  "url:PUT|/api/v1/conversations/:id", // Update conversation (mark as read)
  "url:POST|/api/v1/conversations/:id/add_message", // Reply to conversation
  
  // External Tools (LTI)
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/external_tools",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/external_tools/:external_tool_id",
  
  // Search & Navigation
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/smartsearch",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/tabs",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/search/recipients", // Search for users to message
  
  // Additional Common Operations
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/activity_stream",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/todo",
  "url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/courses", // Get user's courses
  "url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/recent_students", // Recently accessed students (Teachers)
]

Key Additions by User Type:

Students:

POST submissions (submit assignments)
POST discussion entries (participate in discussions)
GET own submissions
Mark module items as complete
Take quizzes
Send messages
View their own profile

Teachers:

Create/update/delete assignments, pages, modules
Grade submissions and add comments
Bulk grading operations
Create announcements and discussions
Manage enrollments and groups
Create quizzes and rubrics
Access analytics
Update course settings
Manage course files and folders

This comprehensive list covers ~95% of typical Canvas LMS interactions for both students and instructors.

Latest Version: The most current version of this starter configuration is maintained in the Praxis AI Community Repository - please contribute:Canvas Scopes Configuration

Scope Troubleshooting

Insufficient Scopes Error:

Access to Canvas LMS API function at https://institution.instructure.com/api/v1/courses/53493/assignments 
is Unauthorized (401). 
{"errors":[{"message":"Insufficient scopes on access token."}],"error_report_id":"1288266"}

Resolution Steps:

Identify the missing scope from the error message endpoint
Add the scope to your Canvas Developer Key
Ensure the scope is also listed in your Digital Twin configuration
Have users re-authorize to receive updated tokens

Critical Scope Requirement: When scopes are enforced, they must be defined in both locations:

Canvas Developer Key (authorizes the application to use these scopes)
Digital Twin Configuration (declares which scopes to request during OAuth)

Modifying scopes requires generating new access tokens, as scope permissions are embedded in the token at creation time and cannot be changed retroactively.

Pria Canvas Tools — overview, setup, and testing for call_canvas and search_canvas
Digital Twin Configuration — where to add these scopes in your instance
Canvas Configuration (Admin) — instance-level Canvas settings

Overview

Getting Started

Authentication

REST API

Runtime API

Administrator API

JavaScript SDK

Web & Chat Integrations

LMS Integrations

Voice & Avatars

MCP Server

Other Services

Canvas Scopes Reference

Canvas Scopes

Understanding Scopes

Scope Anatomy

Official Documentation

Common Scopes by Category

Choosing Scopes for Your Use Case

Best Practices for Scope Management

Starter Scope Configuration

Suggested Scopes

Key Additions by User Type:

Scope Troubleshooting

​Canvas Scopes

​Understanding Scopes

​Scope Anatomy

​Official Documentation

​Common Scopes by Category

​Choosing Scopes for Your Use Case

​Best Practices for Scope Management

​Starter Scope Configuration

​Suggested Scopes

​Key Additions by User Type:

​Scope Troubleshooting

​Related

Canvas Scopes

Understanding Scopes

Scope Anatomy

Official Documentation

Common Scopes by Category

Choosing Scopes for Your Use Case

Best Practices for Scope Management

Starter Scope Configuration

Suggested Scopes

Key Additions by User Type:

Scope Troubleshooting

Related