Canvas · August 13, 2026

How to connect Canvas and use it in Noggin

By Ayaan @ Noggin

If your school runs Canvas, Noggin can pull your assignments into the notch. You do this once with a personal API token from Canvas. The token is stored in the Keychain on this MacOS. Noggin sends it only to the HTTPS Canvas URL you entered.

Get a Canvas token

Sign in to your school’s Canvas in a browser, then:

  1. Click Account in the left sidebar: your photo, or the circle with your initials.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. Scroll to Approved Integrations, then + New Access Token.
  4. Purpose can be “Noggin”. Leave expiration blank unless you want it to expire, then Generate Token.
  5. Copy the token now. Canvas only shows it once.

Your school URL looks like https://yourschool.instructure.com. That’s the same site you already use for homework.

Paste it into Noggin

  1. Open Noggin Settings: the gear in the notch, or Noggin → Settings in the menu bar.
  2. Go to Canvas.
  3. Paste the school URL and the token, then Save token.

If the token saved, you’re connected. Double-click the notch to check.

Using the Canvas module

Double-click the notch. That’s Canvas. You can also click the graduation-cap icon on home.

Work lands in three piles:

  1. Needs you — overdue, still waiting.
  2. Due today — including quizzes, with points when Canvas has them.
  3. Coming up — the next few assignments.

Click a row and it opens in your browser, on that assignment. Esc or click away to close the island. Nothing extra to leave running. Noggin lives in the menu bar, not the Dock.

If the board is empty after you connect, you’re actually clear. If it still says to connect Canvas, the token didn’t save. Generate a new one and paste it again.

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