Groups API

Groups serve as the data for a few different ideas in Canvas. The first is that they can be a community in the canvas network. The second is that they can be organized by students in a course, for study or communication (but not grading). The third is that they can be organized by teachers or account administrators for the purpose of projects, assignments, and grading. This last kind of group is always part of a group category, which adds the restriction that a user may only be a member of one group per category.

All of these types of groups function similarly, and can be the parent context for many other types of functionality and interaction, such as collections, discussions, wikis, and shared files.

Group memberships are the objects that tie users and groups together.

A Group object looks like:

{
  // The ID of the group.
  "id": 17,
  // The display name of the group.
  "name": "Math Group 1",
  // A description of the group. This is plain text.
  "description": null,
  // Whether or not the group is public.  Currently only community groups can be made
  // public.  Also, once a group has been set to public, it cannot be changed back to
  // private.
  "is_public": false,
  // Whether or not the current user is following this group.
  "followed_by_user": false,
  // How people are allowed to join the group.  For all groups except for community
  // groups, the user must share the group's parent course or account.  For student
  // organized or community groups, where a user can be a member of as many or few as
  // they want, the applicable levels are 'parent_context_auto_join',
  // 'parent_context_request', and 'invitation_only'.  For class groups, where
  // students are divided up and should only be part of one group of the category,
  // this value will always be 'invitation_only', and is not relevant. * If
  // 'parent_context_auto_join', anyone can join and will be automatically accepted.
  // * If 'parent_context_request', anyone  can request to join, which must be
  // approved by a group moderator. * If 'invitation_only', only those how have
  // received an invitation my join the group, by accepting that invitation.
  "join_level": "invitation_only",
  // The number of members currently in the group
  "members_count": 0,
  // The url of the group's avatar
  "avatar_url": "https://<canvas>/files/avatar_image.png",
  // The course or account that the group belongs to. The pattern here is that
  // whatever the context_type is, there will be an _id field named after that type.
  // So if instead context_type was 'account', the course_id field would be replaced
  // by an account_id field.
  "context_type": "Course",
  "course_id": 3,
  // Certain types of groups have special role designations. Currently, these
  // include: 'communities', 'student_organized', and 'imported'. Regular
  // course/account groups have a role of null.
  "role": null,
  // The ID of the group's category.
  "group_category_id": 4,
  // The SIS ID of the group. Only included if the user has permission to view SIS
  // information.
  "sis_group_id": "group4a",
  // The id of the SIS import if created through SIS. Only included if the user has
  // permission to manage SIS information.
  "sis_import_id": 14,
  // the storage quota for the group, in megabytes
  "storage_quota_mb": 50,
  // optional: the permissions the user has for the group. returned only for a single
  // group and include[]=permissions
  "permissions": {"create_discussion_topic":true,"create_announcement":true}
}

A GroupMembership object looks like:

{
  // The id of the membership object
  "id": 92,
  // The id of the group object to which the membership belongs
  "group_id": 17,
  // The id of the user object to which the membership belongs
  "user_id": 3,
  // The current state of the membership. Current possible values are 'accepted',
  // 'invited', and 'requested'
  "workflow_state": "accepted",
  // Whether or not the user is a moderator of the group (the must also be an active
  // member of the group to moderate)
  "moderator": true,
  // optional: whether or not the record was just created on a create call (POST),
  // i.e. was the user just added to the group, or was the user already a member
  "just_created": true,
  // The id of the SIS import if created through SIS. Only included if the user has
  // permission to manage SIS information.
  "sis_import_id": 4
}

List your groups GroupsController#index

GET /api/v1/users/self/groups

Returns a list of active groups for the current user.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

context_type

string

Parameter		Type	Description
context_type		string	Only include groups that are in this type of context. Allowed values: `Account`, `Course`
include[]		string	“tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information. Allowed values: `tabs`

Only include groups that are in this type of context.

Allowed values: Account, Course

include[]

string

“tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information.

Allowed values: tabs

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/self/groups?context_type=Account \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of Groups

List the groups available in a context. GroupsController#context_index

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/groups

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/groups

Returns the list of active groups in the given context that are visible to user.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

only_own_groups

boolean

Parameter		Type	Description
only_own_groups		boolean	Will only include groups that the user belongs to if this is set
include[]		string	“tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information. Allowed values: `tabs`

Will only include groups that the user belongs to if this is set

include[]

string

“tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information.

Allowed values: tabs

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/courses/1/groups \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of Groups

Get a single group GroupsController#show

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id

Returns the data for a single group, or a 401 if the caller doesn't have the rights to see it.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

include[]

string

Parameter		Type	Description
include[]		string	“permissions”: Include permissions the current user has for the group. “tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information. Allowed values: `permissions`, `tabs`

“permissions”: Include permissions the current user has for the group.
“tabs”: Include the list of tabs configured for each group. See the List available tabs API for more information.

Allowed values: permissions, tabs

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id> \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a Group

Create a group GroupsController#create

POST /api/v1/groups

POST /api/v1/group_categories/:group_category_id/groups

Creates a new group. Groups created using the “/api/v1/groups/” endpoint will be community groups.

Request Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
name	string	The name of the group
description	string	A description of the group
is_public	boolean	whether the group is public (applies only to community groups)
join_level	string	no description Allowed values: `parent_context_auto_join`, `parent_context_request`, `invitation_only`
storage_quota_mb	integer	The allowed file storage for the group, in megabytes. This parameter is ignored if the caller does not have the manage_storage_quotas permission.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups \
     -F 'name=Math Teachers' \
     -F 'description=A place to gather resources for our classes.' \
     -F 'is_public=true' \
     -F 'join_level=parent_context_auto_join' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a Group

Edit a group GroupsController#update

PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id

Modifies an existing group. Note that to set an avatar image for the group, you must first upload the image file to the group, and the use the id in the response as the argument to this function. See the File Upload Documentation for details on the file upload workflow.

Request Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
name	string	The name of the group
description	string	A description of the group
is_public	boolean	Whether the group is public (applies only to community groups). Currently you cannot set a group back to private once it has been made public.
join_level	string	no description Allowed values: `parent_context_auto_join`, `parent_context_request`, `invitation_only`
avatar_id	integer	The id of the attachment previously uploaded to the group that you would like to use as the avatar image for this group.
storage_quota_mb	integer	The allowed file storage for the group, in megabytes. This parameter is ignored if the caller does not have the manage_storage_quotas permission.
members[]	string	An array of user ids for users you would like in the group. Users not in the group will be sent invitations. Existing group members who aren't in the list will be removed from the group.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id> \
     -X PUT \
     -F 'name=Algebra Teachers' \
     -F 'join_level=parent_context_request' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a Group

Delete a group GroupsController#destroy

DELETE /api/v1/groups/:group_id

Deletes a group and removes all members.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id> \
     -X DELETE \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a Group

Invite others to a group GroupsController#invite

POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/invite

Sends an invitation to all supplied email addresses which will allow the receivers to join the group.

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
invitees[]	Required	string	An array of email addresses to be sent invitations.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/invite \
     -F 'invitees[]=leonard@example.com' \
     -F 'invitees[]=sheldon@example.com' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

List group's users GroupsController#users

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/users

Returns a list of users in the group.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

search_term

string

Parameter		Type	Description
search_term		string	The partial name or full ID of the users to match and return in the results list. Must be at least 3 characters.
include[]		string	“avatar_url”: Include users' avatar_urls. Allowed values: `avatar_url`

The partial name or full ID of the users to match and return in the results list. Must be at least 3 characters.

include[]

string

“avatar_url”: Include users' avatar_urls.

Allowed values: avatar_url

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/1/users \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of Users

Upload a file GroupsController#create_file

POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/files

Upload a file to the group.

This API endpoint is the first step in uploading a file to a group. See the File Upload Documentation for details on the file upload workflow.

Only those with the “Manage Files” permission on a group can upload files to the group. By default, this is anybody participating in the group, or any admin over the group.

Preview processed html GroupsController#preview_html

POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/preview_html

Preview html content processed for this group

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
html		string	The html content to process

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/preview_html \
     -F 'html=<p><badhtml></badhtml>processed html</p>' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Example Response:

{
  "html": "<p>processed html</p>"
}

Group activity stream GroupsController#activity_stream

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/activity_stream

Returns the current user's group-specific activity stream, paginated.

For full documentation, see the API documentation for the user activity stream, in the user api.

Group activity stream summary GroupsController#activity_stream_summary

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/activity_stream/summary

Returns a summary of the current user's group-specific activity stream.

For full documentation, see the API documentation for the user activity stream summary, in the user api.

List group memberships GroupMembershipsController#index

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/memberships

List the members of a group.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

filter_states[]

string

Parameter		Type	Description
filter_states[]		string	Only list memberships with the given workflow_states. By default it will return all memberships. Allowed values: `accepted`, `invited`, `requested`

Only list memberships with the given workflow_states. By default it will return all memberships.

Allowed values: accepted, invited, requested

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/memberships \
     -F 'filter_states[]=invited&filter_states[]=requested' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of GroupMemberships

Get a single group membership GroupMembershipsController#show

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/memberships/:membership_id

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/users/:user_id

Returns the group membership with the given membership id or user id.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/memberships/<membership_id> \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/users/<user_id> \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a GroupMembership

Create a membership GroupMembershipsController#create

POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/memberships

Join, or request to join, a group, depending on the join_level of the group. If the membership or join request already exists, then it is simply returned

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
user_id		string	no description

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/memberships \
     -F 'user_id=self'
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a GroupMembership

Update a membership GroupMembershipsController#update

PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/memberships/:membership_id

PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/users/:user_id

Accept a membership request, or add/remove moderator rights.

Request Parameters:

Parameter Type Description

workflow_state

string

Parameter		Type	Description
workflow_state		string	Currently, the only allowed value is “accepted” Allowed values: `accepted`
moderator		string	no description

Currently, the only allowed value is “accepted”

Allowed values: accepted

moderator

string

no description

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/memberships/<membership_id> \
     -F 'moderator=true'
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/users/<user_id> \
     -F 'moderator=true'
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a GroupMembership

Leave a group GroupMembershipsController#destroy

DELETE /api/v1/groups/:group_id/memberships/:membership_id

DELETE /api/v1/groups/:group_id/users/:user_id

Leave a group if you are allowed to leave (some groups, such as sets of course groups created by teachers, cannot be left). You may also use 'self' in place of a membership_id.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/memberships/<membership_id> \
     -X DELETE \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/groups/<group_id>/users/<user_id> \
     -X DELETE \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'