Content Migrations

API for accessing content migrations and migration issues

A MigrationIssue object looks like:

{
  // the unique identifier for the issue
  "id": 370663,
  // API url to the content migration
  "content_migration_url": "https://example.com/api/v1/courses/1/content_migrations/1",
  // Description of the issue for the end-user
  "description": "Questions in this quiz couldn't be converted",
  // Current state of the issue: active, resolved
  "workflow_state": "active",
  // HTML Url to the Canvas page to investigate the issue
  "fix_issue_html_url": "https://example.com/courses/1/quizzes/2",
  // Severity of the issue: todo, warning, error
  "issue_type": "warning",
  // Link to a Canvas error report if present (If the requesting user has
  // permissions)
  "error_report_html_url": "https://example.com/error_reports/3",
  // Site administrator error message (If the requesting user has permissions)
  "error_message": "admin only message",
  // timestamp
  "created_at": "2012-06-01T00:00:00-06:00",
  // timestamp
  "updated_at": "2012-06-01T00:00:00-06:00"
}

A ContentMigration object looks like:

{
  // the unique identifier for the migration
  "id": 370663,
  // the type of content migration
  "migration_type": "common_cartridge_importer",
  // the name of the content migration type
  "migration_type_title": "Canvas Cartridge Importer",
  // API url to the content migration's issues
  "migration_issues_url": "https://example.com/api/v1/courses/1/content_migrations/1/migration_issues",
  // attachment api object for the uploaded file may not be present for all
  // migrations
  "attachment": "{"url"=>"https://example.com/api/v1/courses/1/content_migrations/1/download_archive"}",
  // The api endpoint for polling the current progress
  "progress_url": "https://example.com/api/v1/progress/4",
  // The user who started the migration
  "user_id": 4,
  // Current state of the content migration: pre_processing, pre_processed,
  // running, waiting_for_select, completed, failed
  "workflow_state": "running",
  // timestamp
  "started_at": "2012-06-01T00:00:00-06:00",
  // timestamp
  "finished_at": "2012-06-01T00:00:00-06:00",
  // file uploading data, see {file:file_uploads.html File Upload Documentation}
  // for file upload workflow This works a little differently in that all the file
  // data is in the pre_attachment hash if there is no upload_url then there was
  // an attachment pre-processing error, the error message will be in the message
  // key This data will only be here after a create or update call
  "pre_attachment": "{"upload_url"=>"", "message"=>"file exceeded quota", "upload_params"=>{}}"
}

A Migrator object looks like:

{
  // The value to pass to the create endpoint
  "type": "common_cartridge_importer",
  // Whether this endpoint requires a file upload
  "requires_file_upload": true,
  // Description of the package type expected
  "name": "Common Cartridge 1.0/1.1/1.2 Package",
  // A list of fields this system requires
  "required_settings": ["source_course_id"]
}

List content migrations

ContentMigrationsController#index

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations

Returns paginated content migrations

Example Request:

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

Returns a list ofContentMigration objects.

Create a content migration

ContentMigrationsController#create

`POST /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations

`POST /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations

`POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations

`POST /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations`

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations

Create a content migration. If the migration requires a file to be uploaded the actual processing of the file will start once the file upload process is completed. File uploading works as described in the File Upload Documentation except that the values are set on a pre_attachment sub-hash.

For migrations that don’t require a file to be uploaded, like course copy, the processing will begin as soon as the migration is created.

You can use the Progress API to track the progress of the migration. The migration’s progress is linked to with the progress_url value.

The two general workflows are:

If no file upload is needed:

POST to create
Use the Progress specified in progress_url to monitor progress

For file uploading:

POST to create with file info in pre_attachment
Do file upload processing using the data in the pre_attachment data
GET the ContentMigration
Use the Progress specified in progress_url to monitor progress

(required if doing .zip file upload)

Request Parameters:

Parameter

Type

Description

migration_type

Required string

The type of the migration. Use the Migrator endpoint to see all available migrators. Default allowed values: canvas_cartridge_importer, common_cartridge_importer, course_copy_importer, zip_file_importer, qti_converter, moodle_converter

pre_attachment[name]

string

Required if uploading a file. This is the first step in uploading a file to the content migration. See the File Upload Documentation for details on the file upload workflow.

pre_attachment[*]

string

Other file upload properties, See File Upload Documentation

settings[file_url]

string

A URL to download the file from. Must not require authentication.

settings[content_export_id]

string

The id of a ContentExport to import. This allows you to import content previously exported from Canvas without needing to download and re-upload it.

settings[source_course_id]

string

The course to copy from for a course copy migration. (required if doing course copy)

settings[folder_id]

string

The folder to unzip the .zip file into for a zip_file_import.

settings[overwrite_quizzes]

boolean

Whether to overwrite quizzes with the same identifiers between content packages.

settings[question_bank_id]

integer

The existing question bank ID to import questions into if not specified in the content package.

settings[question_bank_name]

string

The question bank to import questions into if not specified in the content package, if both bank id and name are set, id will take precedence.

settings[insert_into_module_id]

integer

The id of a module in the target course. This will add all imported items (that can be added to a module) to the given module.

settings[insert_into_module_type]

string

If provided (and insert_into_module_id is supplied), only add objects of the specified type to the module.

Allowed values: assignment, discussion_topic, file, page, quiz

settings[insert_into_module_position]

integer

The (1-based) position to insert the imported items into the course (if insert_into_module_id is supplied). If this parameter is omitted, items will be added to the end of the module.

settings[move_to_assignment_group_id]

integer

The id of an assignment group in the target course. If provided, all imported assignments will be moved to the given assignment group.

settings[importer_skips]

Array

Set of importers to skip, even if otherwise selected by migration settings.

Allowed values: all_course_settings, visibility_settings

settings[import_blueprint_settings]

boolean

Import the “use as blueprint course” setting as well as the list of locked items from the source course or package. The destination course must not be associated with an existing blueprint course and cannot have any student or observer enrollments.

date_shift_options[shift_dates]

boolean

Whether to shift dates in the copied course

date_shift_options[old_start_date]

Date

The original start date of the source content/course

date_shift_options[old_end_date]

Date

The original end date of the source content/course

date_shift_options[new_start_date]

Date

The new start date for the content/course

date_shift_options[new_end_date]

Date

The new end date for the source content/course

date_shift_options[day_substitutions][X]

integer

Move anything scheduled for day ‘X’ to the specified day. (0-Sunday, 1-Monday, 2-Tuesday, 3-Wednesday, 4-Thursday, 5-Friday, 6-Saturday)

date_shift_options[remove_dates]

boolean

Whether to remove dates in the copied course. Cannot be used in conjunction with shift_dates.

selective_import

boolean

If set, perform a selective import instead of importing all content. The migration will identify the contents of the package and then stop in the waiting_for_select workflow state. At this point, use the List items endpoint to enumerate the contents of the package, identifying the copy parameters for the desired content. Then call the Update endpoint and provide these copy parameters to start the import.

select

Hash

For course_copy_importer migrations, this parameter allows you to select the objects to copy without using the selective_import argument and waiting_for_select state as is required for uploaded imports (though that workflow is also supported for course copy migrations). The keys are object types like ‘files’, ‘folders’, ‘pages’, etc. The value for each key is a list of object ids. An id can be an integer or a string. Multiple object types can be selected in the same call.

Allowed values: folders, files, attachments, quizzes, assignments, announcements, calendar_events, discussion_topics, modules, module_items, pages, rubrics

Example Request:

curl 'https://<canvas>/api/v1/courses/<course_id>/content_migrations' \
     -F 'migration_type=common_cartridge_importer' \
     -F 'settings[question_bank_name]=importquestions' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[old_start_date]=1999-01-01' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[new_start_date]=2013-09-01' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[old_end_date]=1999-04-15' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[new_end_date]=2013-12-15' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[day_substitutions][1]=2' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[day_substitutions][2]=3' \
     -F 'date_shift_options[shift_dates]=true' \
     -F 'pre_attachment[name]=mycourse.imscc' \
     -F 'pre_attachment[size]=12345' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns aContentMigration object.

Update a content migration

ContentMigrationsController#update

`PUT /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id`

Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id

`PUT /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id`

Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id

`PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id`

Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id

`PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id`

Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id

Update a content migration. Takes same arguments as create except that you can’t change the migration type. However, changing most settings after the migration process has started will not do anything. Generally updating the content migration will be used when there is a file upload problem, or when importing content selectively. If the first upload has a problem you can supply new pre_attachment values to start the process again.

Returns aContentMigration object.

List Migration Systems

ContentMigrationsController#available_migrators

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/migrators`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/migrators

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/migrators`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/migrators

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/migrators`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/migrators

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/migrators`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/migrators

Lists the currently available migration types. These values may change.

Returns a list ofMigrator objects.

List items for selective import

ContentMigrationsController#content_list

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

Enumerates the content available for selective import in a tree structure. Each node provides a property copy argument that can be supplied to the Update endpoint to selectively copy the content associated with that tree node and its children. Each node may also provide a sub_items_url or an array of sub_items which you can use to obtain copy parameters for a subset of the resources in a given node.

If no type is sent you will get a list of the top-level sections in the content. It will look something like this:

[{
  "type": "course_settings",
  "property": "copy[all_course_settings]",
  "title": "Course Settings"
},
{
  "type": "context_modules",
  "property": "copy[all_context_modules]",
  "title": "Modules",
  "count": 5,
  "sub_items_url": "http://example.com/api/v1/courses/22/content_migrations/77/selective_data?type=context_modules"
},
{
  "type": "assignments",
  "property": "copy[all_assignments]",
  "title": "Assignments",
  "count": 2,
  "sub_items_url": "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/courses/22/content_migrations/77/selective_data?type=assignments"
}]

When a type is provided, nodes may be further divided via sub_items. For example, using type=assignments results in a node for each assignment group and a sub_item for each assignment, like this:

[{
  "type": "assignment_groups",
  "title": "An Assignment Group",
  "property": "copy[assignment_groups][id_i855cf145e5acc7435e1bf1c6e2126e5f]",
  "sub_items": [{
      "type": "assignments",
      "title": "Assignment 1",
      "property": "copy[assignments][id_i2102a7fa93b29226774949298626719d]"
  }, {
      "type": "assignments",
      "title": "Assignment 2",
      "property": "copy[assignments][id_i310cba275dc3f4aa8a3306bbbe380979]"
  }]
}]

To import the items corresponding to a particular tree node, use the property as a parameter to the Update endpoint and assign a value of 1, for example:

copy[assignments][id_i310cba275dc3f4aa8a3306bbbe380979]=1

You can include multiple copy parameters to selectively import multiple items or groups of items.

Request Parameters:

Parameter

Type

Description

type

string

The type of content to enumerate.

Allowed values: context_modules, assignments, quizzes, assessment_question_banks, discussion_topics, wiki_pages, context_external_tools, tool_profiles, announcements, calendar_events, rubrics, groups, learning_outcomes, attachments

Get asset id mapping

ContentMigrationsController#asset_id_mapping

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/asset_id_mapping`

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/asset_id_mapping

Given a complete course copy or blueprint import content migration, return a mapping of asset ids from the source course to the destination course that were copied in this migration or an earlier one with the same course pair and migration_type (course copy or blueprint).

The returned object’s keys are asset types as they appear in API URLs (announcements, assignments, discussion_topics, files, module_items, modules, pages, and quizzes). The values are a mapping from id in source course to id in destination course for objects of this type.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/courses/<course_id>/content_migrations/<id>/asset_id_mapping \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Example Response:

{
  "assignments": {"13": "740", "14": "741"},
  "discussion_topics": {"15": "743", "16": "744"}
}

This documentation is generated directly from the Canvas LMS source code, available on Github.

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A MigrationIssue object looks like:

A ContentMigration object looks like:

A Migrator object looks like:

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues

Example Request:

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

Example Request:

PUT /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

PUT /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id

Request Parameters:

Example Request:

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations

Example Request:

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id

Example Request:

POST /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations

POST /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations

POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations

POST /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations

Request Parameters:

Example Request:

PUT /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id

PUT /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id

PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id

PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/migrators

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/migrators

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/migrators

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/migrators

GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data

Request Parameters:

GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/asset_id_mapping

Example Request:

Example Response:

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues`

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:content_migration_id/migration_issues/:id`

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations`

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id`

`POST /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations`

`POST /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations`

`POST /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations`

`POST /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations`

`PUT /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id`

`PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id`

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/migrators`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/migrators`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/migrators`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/migrators`

`GET /api/v1/accounts/:account_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

`GET /api/v1/groups/:group_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

`GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/content_migrations/:id/selective_data`

`GET /api/v1/courses/:course_id/content_migrations/:id/asset_id_mapping`