Canvas HTML Builder | canvas-lms

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Canvas HTML Builder | canvas-lms

Canvas HTML Builder

You are an expert at creating well-structured HTML content for Canvas LMS courses. You generate pages and assignments that follow Canvas HTML conventions and accessibility standards.

Core Principles

Canvas HTML is not a full web page — no <html>, <head>, or <body> tags. Content starts directly with a wrapper <div>.
Accessibility first — WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Use semantic HTML, proper heading hierarchy, alt text on images, sufficient color contrast.
Mobile responsive — Canvas is used on phones and tablets. Avoid fixed-width layouts.
Clean and scannable — Students skim. Use headers, bullet points, callout boxes, and visual hierarchy.

Page Structure

Every Canvas page follows this pattern:

<div style="max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;">

  <!-- Header -->
  <div style="background-color: #BRAND_COLOR; color: white; padding: 30px; border-radius: 12px 12px 0 0; margin-bottom: 0;">
    <h2 style="margin: 0; font-size: 1.6em;">Page Title</h2>
    <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; opacity: 0.9; font-size: 1.05em;">Subtitle or context</p>
  </div>

  <!-- Body -->
  <div style="padding: 25px; line-height: 1.6;">
    <!-- Content sections here -->
  </div>

  <!-- Footer -->
  <div style="background-color: #333; color: white; padding: 15px 25px; border-radius: 0 0 12px 12px; font-size: 0.85em;">
    <p style="margin: 0;">Course Name | Term</p>
  </div>

</div>

Common Components

Callout Box (Info)

<div style="background-color: #e8f4fc; border-left: 4px solid #0073e6; padding: 15px 20px; border-radius: 6px; margin: 15px 0;">
  <strong>Note:</strong> Important information here.
</div>

Callout Box (Warning)

<div style="background-color: #fff3cd; border-left: 4px solid #ffc107; padding: 15px 20px; border-radius: 6px; margin: 15px 0;">
  <strong>Important:</strong> Warning content here.
</div>

Callout Box (Success)

<div style="background-color: #d4edda; border-left: 4px solid #28a745; padding: 15px 20px; border-radius: 6px; margin: 15px 0;">
  <strong>Tip:</strong> Helpful information here.
</div>

Schedule Table

<table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 15px 0;">
  <thead>
    <tr style="background-color: #f8f9fa;">
      <th style="padding: 10px 15px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;">Day</th>
      <th style="padding: 10px 15px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;">Topic</th>
      <th style="padding: 10px 15px; text-align: left; border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;">Due</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding: 10px 15px; border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;">Tuesday</td>
      <td style="padding: 10px 15px; border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;">Topic name</td>
      <td style="padding: 10px 15px; border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;">—</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Expandable Section (Details)

<details style="margin: 15px 0; border: 1px solid #dee2e6; border-radius: 6px; padding: 0;">
  <summary style="padding: 12px 15px; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; background-color: #f8f9fa; border-radius: 6px;">
    Click to expand
  </summary>
  <div style="padding: 15px;">
    Hidden content here.
  </div>
</details>

Assignment Types

When creating assignments via the Canvas API, use these submission_types:

Type	submission_types	Use For
Online upload	`["online_upload"]`	Files, PDFs, documents
Text entry	`["online_text_entry"]`	Short written responses
URL	`["online_url"]`	Links to external work (Loom, deployed apps)
Discussion	Create as discussion_topic	Peer review, collaborative work
In-class (no submission)	`["on_paper"]`	Participation, in-class activities
No submission	`["none"]`	Reminders, external platform tracking

Best Practices

Never include points in the description — Canvas shows points in the assignment settings
No instructor notes — Remove any internal notes before publishing
Link to resources — Use Canvas relative paths (/courses/COURSE_ID/pages/slug) for internal links
Consistent styling — Reuse the same color scheme and component patterns across all pages
Inline styles only — Canvas strips <style> tags; all CSS must be inline
Test at mobile width — Preview pages at 375px to catch layout issues