Link for Creating New Canvas Message to Instructor

[danielostendorf]

Is there a way to use HTML code to make a link start a new Canvas message to me, as the instructor?  I could use "mailto", but that forces the students to contact me through email.  I'd rather have the link kick them right to a new message within Canvas that is already addressed to me.

Is this possible?

canvas messages‌ #links

[Stefanie]

 @pfau ‌, when the instructor clicks on one of the names that display on the People tab, it will launch the Student Context Card; the instructor can click on the envelope icon to send the student a message directly from the People page. The View Context Card section of https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-26343-how-do-i-use-the-people-page-in-a-course-as-an-instru... provides a screenshot.

[pfau]

Well, now I feel dumb! There's some other place in Canvas that I wished students could be contacted from--can't think of it now. That must have been what was on my mind! Thanks for setting me straight!

[Stefanie]

There are just so many things to know, Russell!  

[dlpickel]

If a course has 2 instructors, how can you create this link to send both of them the message in Canvas inbox?  

[d00386959]

When you copy the URL from the Send Message button, you will need to edit it slightly.  See below:

When I get the link to send a message it starts like this:

https://dixie.instructure.com/conversations?context_id=course_626303&user_id=1999400&user_name=Ethan... 

The URL has a context_id, user_id, and user_name value in it.  Here's how you would change it to message all the teachers in a course instead of just a single user (see bold):

https://dixie.instructure.com/conversations?context_id=course_626303&user_id=course_626303_teachers&user_name=All%20Teachers

Hope this helps!

[AKeiA2020]

I can't get the context card to pop up for instructors so tried to follow the instructions for messaging all teachers and posted this link:

https://indianriver.instructure.com/conversations?context_id=course_84443&user_id=course_84443_teach...

However, with each of the solutions presented in this thread I always get a "recipients invalid" error. Here's a screen shot...help?!

Thank you in advance!!

[d00386959]

Another idea we've tried with this is creating a Redirect app so that the link to message the instructor can be visible in the course menu at all times.  The only downside is that when you copy a course over, for whatever reason it doesn't update the Redirect app, so you would have to update that each time you import into a new course.