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Canvas MCP is a FastMCP server paired with a command-line interface that exposes Canvas LMS data to AI agents and MCP clients. It authenticates by reading your existing Chrome browser session, so you never need to generate or manage Canvas API tokens.

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Why Canvas MCP

Canvas LMS exposes a rich REST API, but wiring AI agents to it requires token provisioning, session management, and CSRF handling — plumbing that most teams would rather skip. Canvas MCP handles all of that automatically. Your agent connects to the MCP server; the server reads live cookies straight from Chrome on every request, so session and CSRF rotation are picked up without any extra work.

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Key features

Zero-token auth

Reads Canvas session cookies directly from Chrome. No API token generation, no .env secrets to rotate.

FastMCP server

Exposes 25+ Canvas tools over stdio, SSE, or HTTP transport so any MCP-compatible client can connect.

Typed CLI

The canvas command lets you list courses, inspect assignments, read discussions, and check auth status from the terminal.

Auto domain detection

If CANVAS_BASE_URL is unset, the CLI infers your Canvas domain from Chrome cookies automatically.

Multiple transports

Supports stdio (desktop clients), HTTP (networked agents), and SSE (legacy clients) out of the box.

Chrome profile support

Select which Chrome profile to read cookies from when you have multiple accounts.

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How Chrome-based auth works

Canvas MCP uses the browser-cookie3 library to read your Canvas session cookies directly from Chrome’s local profile storage. It does not store credentials, does not proxy through a third party, and does not require you to export anything. On every request the server fetches fresh cookies, so if Canvas rotates your session the server stays in sync automatically.
On macOS, Chrome protects its cookie database with the system Keychain. The first time you run a Canvas MCP command, macOS will prompt you to allow access. Click Allow or Always Allow to proceed.

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Next steps

Quickstart

Install the package and make your first Canvas query in under five minutes.

Installation

Full installation options, including the uv tool install path and both CLI entrypoints.

Auth overview

Learn how Chrome cookie auth works and how to configure your Canvas base URL.

MCP server overview

Understand transports, client configuration, and how to connect your AI agent.

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