How do I get authorized to connect Canvas Data 2 via an API Client (Postman)?

Once you have authenticated through Postman or your API Client, you can set up Canvas Data 2.

Notes:

  • First you need to generate a Client ID and Secret.
  • You need to know how to use an API client. This article uses Postman.
  • You can also use a CURL script to retrieve a token.

Generate Client Credentials via Identity Services

Open Canvas Data 2 Identity Services

Before using a Postman, you need to generate a Client ID and Secret for Canvas Data 2.

Add New Authorization Request

In Postman, to add a new request, click the Add tab [1] and then click the Authorization tab [2].

Select Authorization Type

In the Authentication Type drop-down menu [1], select the Basic Auth option [2].

Note: You can also use a CURL script to retrieve a token.

Enter User Credentials

Enter the user credentials:

  • Username (Client ID) [1]: enter the developer key generated in Identity Services
  • Password (Client Secret) [2]: enter the secret generated in Identity Services

Select POST method as the request type [3], and set the following URL [4]:

https://api-gateway.instructure.com/ids/auth/login

Generate Access Token

In the Body tab [1], select the x-www-form-urlencoded option [2]. In the KEY field, enter “grant_type”[3] and in the VALUE field, enter “client_credentials” [4].

Click the Send button [5].

In case of successful authorization, you will receive the access token in the API response. You can use this short-lived token to send request to the CD2 API.

For all available requests, check the Canvas Data 2 API Documentation.

You can also use the preconfigured requests from the Postman collection described in the set up Canvas Data 2 in Postman document.