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Overview

The way you add Nectir AI to a Canvas course depends on whether your institution has the Canvas LTI integration set up:

If you have the Canvas LTI integration

Use one of the four LTI methods below: add Nectir to the course sidebar, or embed an Assistant inside a page, assignment, or module.

If you don't have Canvas LTI

Share your Group’s invite link, invite students by email, or add a redirect link in your course sidebar. No admin setup required.

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With the Canvas LTI Integration

If your institution has the Canvas LTI integration installed, there are four ways to add Nectir AI to a course:
  • Course navigation sidebar: whole-course AI hub linked to a Nectir Group
  • Inside a page: embed a specific Assistant on a syllabus, intro, or instructions page
  • Inside an assignment: embed a specific Assistant tied to a task or problem set
  • Inside a module: add an Assistant as a standalone module item
Want to link a Canvas placement to a specific Assistant? Unlike D2L, Moodle, and Blackboard (which use an assistantId custom parameter), Canvas uses deep linking: you pick the Assistant interactively when you embed it. Use Method 2, 3, or 4 below; each ends with an Embed an Assistant modal where you choose which Assistant the placement points to. There’s no custom parameter to configure on the Canvas side.
Want students to see only one Assistant? The course navigation sidebar (Method 1) opens the full linked Group, so students see every Assistant in that Group alongside any other Groups they belong to in the left sidebar. Methods 2, 3, and 4 embed a single Assistant directly in the Canvas page, assignment, or module. Students land on just that Assistant and don’t see the rest of the Group or the Workspace sidebar. Use the embedded methods when you want a focused, distraction-free experience for a specific activity.

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Before You Begin

Your institution’s Canvas administrator must have already completed the one-time LTI setup. Specifically:
  • Your institution must have installed the Canvas LTI. If you don’t see Nectir AI anywhere in Canvas, your admin hasn’t installed the integration yet. See the Canvas LTI Guided Setup for admin instructions, or skip ahead to Without the Canvas LTI Integration.
  • For Methods 2, 3, and 4: the deep linking placements must be in place. New Canvas installs include them automatically. If the Apps button doesn’t show Nectir AI in the Rich Content Editor, or Nectir AI doesn’t appear when you add an External Tool to a module, your institution likely set up Nectir AI before these placements existed. Ask your Canvas admin to apply the Deep Linking Placements update.
If you’re not sure whether your institution has completed setup, contact your Canvas administrator or support@nectir.io.

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Four Ways to Add Nectir

Expand any method below for the full walkthrough.
Canvas course navigation sidebar showing the Nectir AI link, with the Connections Explorer Assistant open in the main course area

Nectir AI in the Canvas course navigation sidebar, opened to the linked Assistant

Use this method when you want students to access a course-wide Assistant from anywhere in the course.When you add Nectir AI to the course sidebar, you’re linking the whole Canvas course to a Nectir Group. Anyone enrolled in the course gets access to the Assistants in that Group.
Automatic access. Once your Canvas course is linked, everyone enrolled in that course (students, instructors, and TAs) gets access to the linked Group automatically. No separate invitations are required. Roles in Nectir are assigned based on Canvas roles via LMS Role Mapping.
Access Nectir AI from Canvas
1

Navigate to Your Course

Go to the Canvas course you want to link with Nectir AI.
2

Open Navigation Settings

Navigate to Settings > Navigation tab.
3

Enable Nectir AI

Find Nectir AI in the disabled items section. You can either:
  • Click the three-dot menu next to Nectir AI and select Enable
  • Drag the Nectir AI item up to the active navigation items section
Save your changes after enabling.
4

Launch Nectir AI

Click on Nectir AI in your course navigation menu to begin the linking process.
Choose Your Linking OptionWhen accessing Nectir AI from Canvas for the first time, you’ll see linking options:
Canvas course linking options

Choose how to link your Canvas course to a Nectir AI Group

For first-time users: you only see the Start From Scratch option, which creates a brand new Nectir AI Group specifically for this Canvas course.For existing Nectir users: you see three options:
  • Duplicate From Another Course: Copy a previous Group, with its Assistants and settings, into a new Group for this Canvas course. The original Group keeps its members and conversations (useful for reusing a Group from previous semesters)
  • Start From Scratch: Start fresh with a new Group specifically for this Canvas course
  • Link to an Existing Course: Connect this Canvas course to a Group you’ve already been working on. Both courses use the same Assistants, and changes show up in both (useful for cross-listed or multi-section courses)
Most instructors use Duplicate From Another Course at the start of each semester to copy last semester’s Group while keeping each semester’s students separate. Duplicating copies only the Assistants in that Group, so add an Assistant to a Group to reuse it this way.
Roster SyncAfter linking your course, Nectir opens the Group’s settings. To sync your course roster, go to Group Settings > LMS Integration, and click Sync Roster next to the course. You can do this now or later after you’ve finished setting up your Assistants.
Important: Roster sync doesn’t control access. Once your course is linked, users can access Nectir AI through the LMS regardless of whether they’ve been roster synced. Roster sync imports user names into your member list and optionally sends invitation emails.
For complete information on roster sync, including when to use it and how to send invitation emails, see Roster Sync.
Canvas course page showing a Common Questions section above an embedded Bio Mentor Assistant that students can chat with directly inside the page

A Canvas page with an Assistant embedded inline below the page content (student view)

Use this method when you want a specific Assistant to appear directly inside a Canvas page, like a syllabus, course introduction, or instructions page.
1

Open the Page in the Editor

Go to Pages in your Canvas course, open the page you want to embed an Assistant in, and click Edit.If you’re creating a new page, click + Page instead.
2

Open the Apps Menu

In the Rich Content Editor toolbar, click the Apps button (plug icon).
3

Select Nectir AI

From the Apps dropdown, select Nectir AI.
4

Choose Your Assistant

In the Embed an Assistant modal, choose the Assistant you want to embed from the list.
5

Embed the Assistant

Click Embed Assistant. The Assistant placeholder appears inside the page editor.
6

Save the Page

Click Save (or Save & Publish) at the bottom of the page.
Nectir AI opened from a Canvas assignment, showing the linked Bio Mentor Assistant under the College Biology Group

An Assistant launched from inside a Canvas assignment via the Nectir AI embed

Use this method when an Assistant is tied to a specific task, problem set, or activity. Students see the Assistant inline with the assignment instructions. The flow is identical to Method 2 because Canvas assignments use the same Rich Content Editor.
1

Open the Assignment in the Editor

Go to Assignments in your Canvas course, open the assignment you want to embed an Assistant in, and click Edit.If you’re creating a new assignment, click + Assignment instead.
2

Open the Apps Menu

In the Rich Content Editor toolbar, click the Apps button (plug icon).
3

Select Nectir AI

From the Apps dropdown, select Nectir AI.
4

Choose Your Assistant

In the Embed an Assistant modal, choose the Assistant you want to embed from the list.
5

Embed the Assistant

Click Embed Assistant. The Assistant placeholder appears inside the assignment editor.
6

Save the Assignment

Configure the rest of the assignment (points, due date, submission type) and click Save (or Save & Publish).
Canvas Modules page with a Nectir AI Assistant added as a module item that students can click to launch the Assistant in full view

Nectir AI added to a Canvas module as an External Tool item

Use this method when the Assistant should appear as its own item in a module, sequenced alongside other course content. Students click the module item to open the Assistant in full view.
Modules use a different flow than pages and assignments. Instead of the Apps button in the Rich Content Editor, you add the Assistant as an External Tool module item.
1

Open the Modules Page

Go to Modules in your Canvas course.
2

Add an Item to a Module

Click the + button on the module where you want to add the Assistant.
3

Choose External Tool

In the Add Item dialog, change the Add dropdown to External Tool.
4

Select Nectir AI

From the list of external tools, select Nectir AI.
5

Choose Your Assistant

In the Embed an Assistant modal, choose the Assistant you want and click Embed Assistant.
6

Add the Item

Click Add Item to place the Assistant in the module.

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Without the Canvas LTI Integration

If your institution hasn’t set up the Canvas LTI integration, you can still get Nectir AI in front of your students through one of three options below.
Send students a direct email invitation from Nectir. They’ll click the link in the email, sign in to Nectir AI, and land in your Group with access to your Assistants.
1

Open Your Group in Nectir AI

Go to ai.nectir.io and open the Group that contains the Assistant you want to share.
2

Open the Members Page

Hover over the Group on the left sidebar, click the three-dot menu, and select Members. Then click Invite members at the top right.
3

Paste Student Emails

Copy and paste your students’ school-provided emails. You can paste directly from your roster: emails will be automatically extracted from the surrounding text. Click Continue.
4

Customize the Email (Optional)

Use Add a Message to provide context for your students. Under Send To, choose Everyone in the list or only New Members.
5

Send Invitations

Click Send Email. Students receive an email with a sign-in link.
For full details on email invitations, including the Members tab and managing access, see Inviting Users to Groups.

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Managing Courses Across Terms

Nectir’s flexible setup framework allows you to link and unlink LMS courses as needed:
You can link as many LMS courses to Nectir as you need. Each course can be linked to its own Group or share a Group with other courses (useful for cross-listed sections).How to link a course:
  1. Open your new Canvas course
  2. Access Nectir AI from the course navigation
  3. You’ll be prompted to choose how to link the course to a Group
When a term ends, you can unlink the LMS course from the Nectir Group. This removes the course connection while preserving the Group and all Assistants for future use.How to unlink a course:
  1. Go to Group Settings
  2. Navigate to LMS Integration
  3. Click Unlink next to the course you want to unlink (on a narrow screen, it’s in the three dots menu)
  4. Confirm with Unlink
If you unlink while using Nectir AI inside your LMS, Nectir then opens the course setup screen so you can link the course to a different Group.
Unlinking stops the LMS course from opening the Group. Course members stay in the Group unless you check Remove Course Members in the confirmation dialog, which also removes them from the Workspace if they aren’t in any other Group (Workspace Owners aren’t affected). The Group and Assistants will remain intact for future use.
When setting up the same course for a new term, you have two approaches:Link to an Existing Course (Iterate and Improve):
  • Connect your new course to the same Group you used previously
  • Keep using and improving the same Assistants term over term
  • Build on previous refinements and knowledge base updates
  • Best for: Instructors who want to continuously improve their Assistants based on student interactions
Duplicate From Another Course (Preserve Past Versions):
  • Create a copy of your previous Group with all Assistants
  • Maintain separate versions for each term
  • Preserve historical Assistant configurations
  • Best for: Instructors who want to keep distinct versions per term or experiment with different approaches
Most instructors who teach the same course repeatedly prefer to link back to existing Groups, allowing them to refine and improve their Assistants over time rather than starting fresh each term.

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Troubleshooting

Canvas page editor toolbar showing the Apps button (plug icon) opened to a dropdown containing the Nectir AI option

The Apps button (plug icon) in the Rich Content Editor toolbar, with Nectir AI in the dropdown

The Apps button (plug icon) appears in the editor toolbar for pages and assignments.If the Apps button is there but Nectir AI isn’t in the dropdown, your Canvas admin needs to enable the Editor Button deep linking placement. Share the Deep Linking Placements update with them.
Your Canvas admin needs to enable the Link Selection deep linking placement. Share the Deep Linking Placements update with them.
The list shows only Assistants you can edit that students in the course can open:
  • Assistants in Groups where you are an owner.
  • If you’re a Workspace Owner, every Assistant in a Group you can access, plus Shared with Everyone Assistants that don’t belong to a Group.
The list doesn’t show:
  • Private Assistants that don’t belong to a Group, including your own. Only their creator can open them, so add the Assistant to a Group or share it with everyone before embedding it.
  • Assistants in Groups where you are a member or facilitator (you can chat with them, but you’re not an owner).
  • Shared with Everyone Assistants that don’t belong to a Group, unless you’re a Workspace Owner.
  • Assistants in Groups you don’t belong to.
If the Assistant you’re looking for isn’t listed, it’s most likely a Private Assistant outside a Group, in a Group you don’t own, or a Shared with Everyone Assistant. Ask the Group owner or a Workspace Owner to embed it, or to make you an owner of the Group. Also confirm you’re in the right Workspace, then contact support@nectir.io.
Nectir AI shows this page instead of opening a different Assistant when the embedded Assistant was deleted or is a Private Assistant outside a Group (only its creator can open it), so add it to a Group or embed another Assistant.
The Assistant picker works, but the dialog never finishes loading the embed. Canvas shows “Retrieving Content” while it waits for the external tool to respond.Try these in order:
  1. Allow third-party cookies for Canvas and Nectir AI, then reload the Canvas page. See Allow Third-Party Cookies.
  2. Disable extensions that block cross-site requests (ad blockers, privacy or tracker blockers) for Canvas, or try the embed in a private/incognito window with extensions disabled.
  3. Try a different browser to rule out a browser-specific cookie or cache issue.
If the embed still gets stuck after those steps, contact support@nectir.io with:
  • The browser and version you’re using
  • A screenshot of the stuck dialog
  • Whether Nectir AI works when accessed directly at ai.nectir.io
Check that:
  • The page, assignment, or module item is published (not in draft state).
  • The student is enrolled in the Canvas course and has access to the Canvas resource (page, assignment, or module item) where the embed lives.
  • Third-party cookies are allowed in the student’s browser. See Browser & Display Issues.
For other issues, see the Canvas troubleshooting guide or contact support@nectir.io.

Canvas Workspace Setup

Admin checklist for the institution-level Canvas LTI setup

Create an Assistant

Build the Assistant you want to embed in your course

Group Settings

Manage the Group your Assistants live in

Canvas LTI Guided Setup

For Canvas admins: install and configure the Nectir AI LTI app