Canvas Live API /doc/api/live, what else have you forgotten to share with us?

[glparker]

Hi Canvas,

How is it that this wonderful tool has apparently existed for years and no one at Canvas told us about it. It was discovered recently by amberh while reviewing InstructureCon 2012!!! recordings.   3 years you've been holding out on us. 

Append this to your Canvas host URL /doc/api/live

Example:

https://usflearn.instructure.com/doc/api/live

It shows you all the available API endpoints currently available.   But that's not all.   Expand any API, and you can plug in parameters and run the APi call live.   View the JSON right there in your browser.   Tweak the parameters until you get the call just right.

All you need is an API Access Token, which you probably already have.  If not, How do I obtain an API access token?

Instructure!   How many other wonderful tools have you forgotten to share with us?

Thanks for all you do

[John_Lowe]

I learned about that feature here in the community just this week, and it is awesome!!  We've already used it to troubleshoot a problem with the max number of records being returned by the APIs in one of our internal tools. 

But really, Canvas, why keep this hidden?  This is a HUGE benefit to Canvas developers!

[SethBattis]

Huh. I was just grumping about API documentation and support directed me to the Live API docs, which I too had never seen before.

I'm almost paranoid about what other great tools there might be that I don't know about!

[BKINNEY]

OMG. I can't believe that has been sitting there this entire time. Thank you so much for mentioning it. I've been hitting Canvas LMS REST API Documentation every day for what feels like 2 years, and bitching when it gets out of date. I wonder why Instructure doesn't tell us about /doc/api/live on that page. Then again, now that I know to look for it...no. It's not there. Maybe they only sorta kinda want us to know? Whatever, thank-you.

[ordwaye]

The api docs are used to generate the live api via pandarus.  So they are pretty synced together.

[SethBattis]

 @jivedocs_unfede ​, communityteam​… any thoughts, updates to documentation?

[Robbie_Grant]

 @glparker ,

We are giving the Canvas Admins area a little bit of love (especially questions that are really, really old) and just want to check in with you.  This will also bring this question new attention. 

Were you able to find an answer to your question? I am going to go ahead and mark this question as answered because there hasn't been any more activity in a while so I assume that you have the information that you need. If you still have a question about this or if you have information that you would like to share with the community, by all means, please do come back and leave a comment.  Also, if this question has been answered by one of the previous replies, please feel free to mark that answer as correct.

Robbie