Help getting an access token for an outside app

[StartSOLE]

Hi there!  Hoping someone can help me with getting authenticated for creating a Canvas course via the API.

We're working on a project that allows educators to export course content to Canvas from an outside app.  We've been using a manually generated token on a test account, and have our code in working order.  The API has been very easy to use so far, but I can't figure out how OAuth flow is supposed to work if you're not associated with an institution.

Looking at this page it looks like we need to register our application, but I can't even find where to do that!  I know this may be overly broad but could someone please direct me to a general guide for creating a third party app?

Essentially what we want to do is allow users to link their accounts on our app to an existing canvas account, create a course on our app, then export this course to canvas.

[matthew_buckett · Accepted solution]

You need to create a API developer key and that functionality is only available to account admins on the main Canvas account.

Instructure has a partner programme and they may provide some resources to help integrations (although they may charge).

The other option is to run the open source version of Canvas locally and then setup a developer key there. Although be aware that last time I checked you must setup Redis to have Developer Keys work, although Canvas will start up and allow logins with just MySQL (no Redis).

[StartSOLE]

Thank you!  Regarding the third option - this would just give a local developer key right?  I'm assuming that even if we did this the key we generated locally wouldn't work on production?

We're currently not associated with any institution so I don't have the option to create an API developer key at the moment.  In the meantime we will try contacting Instructure re: their partner program and see if that's a possible path forward.

I really appreciate your helpful (and fast) response.  If I could give you more than 1 kudos I would.

[matthew_buckett]

Yep, it would just be a developer key for your Canvas instance running on localhost (or wherever you run it) so it wouldn't work against any other host.

[StartSOLE]

Thanks, that's what I figured.  I guess we will get in touch with Instructure re: partner program and see how things go there.  Appreciate your help!