Connect Canvas

Afterbell needs two things from Canvas: your school's Canvas address and an access token. It takes about 3 minutes. You'll do the same steps when a token runs out and you need a new one.

  1. Sign in to Canvas in a web browser

    Use your parent account, the one you use to check your child's grades, not your child's login. A computer is easiest. The Canvas Parent phone app can't create tokens.

  2. Copy your school's Canvas address

    Once you're signed in, copy the whole address from the browser's address bar, for example https://yourdistrict.instructure.com/profile/settings. Afterbell only uses the site's name, yourdistrict.instructure.com. Some districts use their own, like canvas.yourdistrict.org.

    Not sure? Search for your district on Instructure's Find My Canvas URL page. If it lists a separate "Parents" address, use that one.

  3. Open your Canvas settings

    In the menu on the left, click Account (your profile picture), then Settings.

  4. Create a new access token

    Scroll down to Approved Integrations and click + New Access Token. In the window that opens:

    • Purpose: type Afterbell.
    • Expiration: set it as far out as Canvas allows. We'll email you a few days before it runs out. If Canvas lets you leave it blank, the token won't expire.

    Then click Generate Token.

  5. Copy the token now

    Canvas shows a long string of letters and numbers next to Token. Copy all of it. Once you close that window, Canvas won't show it again. If you lose it, just make a new one.

  6. Paste it into Afterbell

    On your Afterbell dashboard, paste your Canvas address and the token and click Test connection. You'll see which students we found before anything is saved.

If something doesn't work

There's no + New Access Token button
Your district has turned off access tokens for parents. Ask your school's Canvas help desk whether parents can create one.
Afterbell says no students are linked
You're probably signed in with your child's account. Sign out of Canvas, sign in with your parent account, and make the token there.
Afterbell says Canvas didn't accept the token
Part of it may be missing, or it was copied with a space. Make a new token and copy the whole thing.
Afterbell can't reach the Canvas address
Copy the address again from the address bar while you're signed in to Canvas, and paste the whole thing. Check it's your school's Canvas site, not the district's main website.

About the token: it works like your Canvas sign-in, so treat it like a password. Afterbell only uses it to read what your parent account can already see, and encrypts it before saving it. To stop Afterbell using it, click Remove token on your dashboard. To cancel it everywhere, delete it in Canvas under Approved Integrations.