Open edX platform as an LTI Provider to Canvas

Tags: educator how-to

To use Open edX course content in the Canvas LMS, you add a new app to the course and then add external tool module items.

Note

This example relies on the use of a third-party tool. Because this tool is subject to change by its owner, the steps and illustrations provided here are intended as guidelines and not as exact procedures.

This guide assumes:

• You have been provided with LTI Consumer Key and Consumer Secret by your site operator (see Configuring LTI Consumers)

• You have constructed URLs for content you want to show in Canvas (see Determine LTI Content Addresses)

Configuring an LTI tool in Canvas has two steps:

1. Tool Configuration: Establishes the connection between Canvas and your Open edX instance using the consumer key, secret, and domain. This is typically done once, at the account or course level.

2. Tool Placement: How learners reach a specific piece of Open edX content, such as a module item or an assignment. A single tool configuration can be reused in multiple locations. Instructors can override launch URLs during placement.

Canvas has two roles relevant to these steps:

1. Account Admin: Has access to Account Settings and can configure an External Tool at the account level which will then be available across all courses in the account. Instructors can place this tool anywhere in the course and also override the launch URL.

2. Instructor: Has access to Course Settings and can configure an External Tool at the course level which will then be available in that course only.

Step 1: Configuring your Open edX instance as an External Tool

The Open edX platform supports LTI 1.1 only as a tool provider. You can configure it as an External Tool in Canvas.

1. Navigate to the External Apps page:

   1. Account Nav → Settings → Apps if you have an Admin role.

      

      In account navigation, select Settings and then the Apps tab to access configuration page for External Apps.

   2. Course Nav → Settings → Apps if you have an Instructor role.

      

      In course navigation, select Settings and then the Apps tab to access configuration page for External Apps.

   Note

   Canvas displays an Apps item in the account navigation sidebar by default for all account admins. This leads to the Apps Hub which supports LTI 1.3 only. This is not the place where you can configure your Open edX instance.

2. On the External Apps page, click + App. This will open a modal where you can add an LTI tool configuration.

   

   The add app modal opens when you click + App on the External Apps page. Fill in the fields as described in the steps below.

3. Select Configuration Type as Manual Entry which is the only option that supports LTI 1.1.

   

   The Configuration Type dropdown. Select Manual Entry to configure an LTI 1.1 tool. The other options do not support LTI 1.1.

4. Enter a Name, e.g. My Open edX instance.

5. Enter Consumer Key and Shared Secret provided by your site operator.

6. Optionally, enter a Launch URL. If left blank, you can enter a URL during placement instead. If set here, it can still be overridden during placement.

7. In Domain, enter your Open edX instance domain, e.g. openedx.io.

8. Set Privacy Level based on the authentication mode your site operator has configured for your Open edX instance.

   1. Select Anonymous if your instance is configured to use Anonymous mode.

   2. Select Email Only if your instance is configured to use Require Existing Account mode.

   3. Select Email Only or Public if your instance is configured to use Auto-Create with Personal Information mode.

   

   The Privacy dropdown controls what learner information Canvas sends to your Open edX instance at launch. Select the option that matches the authentication mode your site operator has configured.

9. Click Submit.

Step 2: Add Open edX Content to your Course

As an instructor, you can add content from your Open edX instance you configured in step 1, to your course. Follow these steps to add content to a module.

1. In your Canvas course, go to Modules.

2. Click + on the module where you want to add content.

3. Select External Tool from the item type dropdown.

4. Select the Open edX tool configured in Step 1.

5. In the URL field, paste the LTI content URL for this specific piece of content (see Determine LTI Content Addresses).

6. Check Load in a new tab.

   Note

   Interactive problem components cannot run inside a Canvas iframe. Enabling this setting opens content in a new browser tab, which is required for learners to interact with problems. Text and video components work either way.

7. Enter the content page name and click Add Item.

Step 3: Verify

1. In your Canvas course, click Student View (top right corner).

2. Open the module item you added.

3. Confirm the Open edX content loads in the same or a new tab (depending on your configuration).

4. If the content includes graded problems:

   • Submit a response as the student.

   • Check the Canvas gradebook. Scores may sync after a 15-minute delay (see Grade Passback).

See also

Your instance as an LTI Tool Provider (concept)

Determine LTI Content Addresses (how-to)

Content Compatibility for LTI (reference)

Configuring your Open edX instance as an LTI Tool Provider (site-operator)

Open edX platform as an LTI Provider to Blackboard (how-to)

Maintenance chart

Review Date	Reviewer	Release	Test situation
2026-05-12	Aamir Ayub	Verawood	Pass
2025-06-04	MITx	Teak	Pass

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