Determine LTI Content Addresses

Determine LTI Content Addresses#

Tags: educator how-to

To include Open edX course content in another system, you construct an LTI URL that identifies the specific content. This URL combines a course ID and a usage ID that you find in your Open edX instance.

You might find using a spreadsheet helpful to organize the course ID and usage IDs for the content you want to include.

Find the Course ID#

The course ID has the format {key type}:{org}+{course}+{run}, for example, course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+2024.

To find the course ID:

  1. In your Open edX instance, open your course.

  2. In the URL shown by your browser, find the course ID.

    For example, the URL https://openedx.io/learning/course/course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse/home contains the course ID course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse.

The same course ID applies to every item of content in the course.

Note

Courses created before Fall 2014 may use an older format: {org}/{course}/{run}, for example, OpenedX/DemoX/2014.

Find Usage ID for Content#

The usage ID identifies a specific component, unit, or subsection. It has the format

{key type}:{course ID}+type@{type}+block@{block ID}

For example, block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@html+block@d4e2624ae8b3479db698413bd8947b6f

You must have the Staff or Admin role in a course to find usage IDs.

These terms in the usage ID indicate the level of the content:

Studio term

Usage ID term

subsection

sequential

unit

vertical

component

problem, html, or video

Note

Courses created before Fall 2014 may use an older usage ID format: i4x:;_;_{org};_{course};_{type};_{display name}.

Find Usage ID of Unit or Component#

  1. In your Open edX instance, open the course.

  2. Go to the page that contains the unit or component.

  3. Click on STAFF DEBUG INFO.

    STAFF DEBUG INFO button on the unit page.

    Staff Debug Info button is located at the end of every component on the unit page.#

  4. Usage ID of a component is the value of the location field.

  5. Usage ID of a unit is the value of the parent field.

    Screenshot of STAFF DEBUG INFO modal.

    Staff Debug Info modal showing the location and parent fields.#

The usage ID begins with block-v1.

Note

For courses created before Fall 2014, the usage ID begins with i4x://.

Find Usage ID of Subsection#

While you are on a unit of the relevant subsection, copy the url. Here’s an example:

https://openedx.io/learning/course/course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse/block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@sequential+block@f5c59ce5928f42f4af485e187a93963e/block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@vertical+block@619390d971ba4e6e8b150417e3730d7e

Here’s what the format of this example URL is:

https://openedx.io/learning/course/{course ID}/{usage ID of subsection}/{usage ID of unit}

So the usage ID of the subsection is in the URL.

Construct the LTI URL#

The LTI URL has the following format:

https://{host}/lti_provider/courses/{course_id}/{usage_id}

Examples:

Subsection (sequential):

https://openedx.io/lti_provider/courses/course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse/block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@sequential+block@f5c59ce5928f42f4af485e187a93963e

Unit (vertical):

https://openedx.io/lti_provider/courses/course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse/block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@vertical+block@619390d971ba4e6e8b150417e3730d7e

Text component (html):

https://openedx.io/lti_provider/courses/course-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse/block-v1:OpenedX+DemoX+DemoCourse+type@html+block@d4e2624ae8b3479db698413bd8947b6f

See also

Your instance as an LTI Tool Provider (concept)

Content Compatibility for LTI (reference)

Configuring your Open edX instance as an LTI Tool Provider (concept)

Maintenance chart

Review Date

Reviewer

Release

Test situation

2026-05-06

Aamir Ayub

Verawood

Pass

2025-06-04

MITx

Teak

Pass