API Setup

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Overview

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Prerequisites

• Canvas Admin access at the account level (to create Developer Keys)
• Nectir AI Workspace Owner role

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Before You Begin

• Nectir AI with the Workspace you want to integrate
• Canvas with admin access at the account level

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Part 1: Start the API Integration in Nectir AI

1

Open LMS Integration Settings

In Nectir AI, click the gear icon next to your Workspace name, then select LMS integration in the settings sidebar.

2

Add Canvas Integration

Click + Add integration, then click Connect under Canvas.

3

Choose API Integration

Select API integration. This opens the credential form with three fields: Canvas instance URL, API key Client ID, and API key Client Secret.

Leave this tab open on the credential form, then switch to your Canvas tab to create the API key.

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Part 2: Create an API Key in Canvas

1

Navigate to Developer Keys

In Canvas, click Admin in the left sidebar, select your account, then click Developer Keys in the account navigation.

2

Create a New API Key

Click the + Developer Key button in the top right, then select + API Key from the dropdown.

3

Configure Key Settings

In the Key Settings form, fill in the following:

• Key Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Nectir AI API Key)
• Redirect URIs: Enter the following URI exactly:

https://ai.nectir.io/api/canvas/oauth/callback

All other fields (Owner Email, Icon URL, Notes, etc.) can be left blank.

4

Configure API Scopes

Keep the Enforce Scopes toggle turned ON (it’s on by default).Check the Allow Include Parameters checkbox. This lets Nectir AI surface additional course details (such as sub-account and instructor) in the course selector, making it easier to identify the right course when adding materials.Check the Read only checkbox at the top of the scopes list. This grants read-only access to Canvas data, which is all Nectir AI needs.

The Read only option is the quickest way to configure scopes. Nectir AI only reads course data. It never modifies or deletes anything in Canvas.

Advanced: Select Only the Required Scopes

If your institution’s security policy requires least-privilege access, you can select only the specific scopes Nectir AI needs instead of checking Read only. Enable each of the following scopes:

Canvas Category	Scope	What Nectir Uses It For
Accounts	GET /api/v1/accounts	Fetch Canvas accounts during Workspace setup
Accounts	GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/sub_accounts	Discover account hierarchy during setup
Accounts	GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/courses	List courses under a specific account
Courses	GET /api/v1/courses	List the user’s courses for the course selector
Courses - Modules	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules	Fetch course module structure for import
Courses - Modules	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/modules/:module_id/items	Fetch items within a module for import
Courses - Files	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/files	List course files for import
Courses - Pages	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages	List wiki pages for import
Courses - Pages	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/pages/:url_or_id	Fetch a page’s full content for import
Courses - Assignments	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments	List assignments for import
Courses - Assignments	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/assignments/:id	Fetch an assignment’s full content for import
Courses - Discussion Topics	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics	List discussion topics for import
Courses - Discussion Topics	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/discussion_topics/:topic_id	Fetch a discussion topic’s full content for import
Courses - Quizzes	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes	List quizzes for import
Courses - Quizzes	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:id	Fetch a quiz’s details for import
Courses - Quizzes	GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/quizzes/:quiz_id/questions	Fetch quiz questions for import
Files	GET /api/v1/files/:id	Fetch file metadata and download URL for import
Files	GET /api/v1/files/:id/public_url	Refresh expiring download URLs for ongoing sync

All scopes are read-only (GET). Nectir AI never creates, modifies, or deletes any data in Canvas.

5

Save the Key

Click Save at the bottom right of the Key Settings form. Canvas creates the key and reveals the Client Secret one time only.

6

Copy the Client Secret into Nectir AI

Copy the Client Secret that Canvas displays after saving, switch to your Nectir AI tab, and paste it into the API key Client Secret field right away.

Don’t close the Developer Key Created dialog before copying the secret. Canvas shows the full secret only once, and the only way to recover from a lost secret is to rotate the credentials.

7

Copy the Client ID into Nectir AI

Back in Canvas, find the Client ID, the number shown under the Details column in the Developer Keys listing. Copy it, switch to your Nectir AI tab, and paste it into the API key Client ID field.

8

Enable the Key

Back on the Developer Keys listing, find your new key and click the toggle in the State column to turn it ON (green). The key must be enabled for the connection to succeed.

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Part 3: Complete the Connection in Nectir AI

1

Enter Your Canvas URL

Switch back to your Nectir AI tab, where the Client ID and Client Secret are already filled in. In the Canvas instance URL field, enter your Canvas URL (e.g., https://yourschool.instructure.com).

2

Save and Test Connection

Click Save and test connection. Nectir AI redirects you to a Canvas OAuth authorization screen.

Click Authorize to grant Nectir AI read-only access to your Canvas data. Canvas returns you to Nectir AI automatically.

Your Canvas API integration is now active. Users can now import their Canvas course into their Assistant’s knowledge base automatically.

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Verify the Integration

1

Open an Assistant in a Canvas Course

Launch Nectir AI from a Canvas course that already has the Nectir AI LTI integration enabled. If you don’t have one handy, use a test course: go to the course’s Settings > Navigation tab, enable Nectir AI, save, then click Nectir AI in the course navigation to create or link a Group. See Canvas Workspace Setup for the full linking flow.

You can also open an Assistant directly in Nectir AI without launching from Canvas. The LTI launch simply mirrors the instructor’s real workflow.

2

Open the Knowledge Tab

Hover over your Assistant, click the three dots, select Settings, then navigate to the Knowledge tab.

3

Confirm Add from Canvas Is Available

Click + Add knowledge and confirm that Add from Canvas appears as an option.

If Add from Canvas is listed, your API integration is live. See Add from Canvas for the full import workflow.

If the option is missing, see the troubleshooting note below.

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Troubleshooting

https://ai.nectir.io/api/canvas/oauth/callback

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Next Steps