Give each new discussion a ready channel
When a Canvas course gets a new discussion topic, have Notis initialize an Ably channel for coordination.
Trigger
New Canvas Discussion Topic
Polls a Canvas course for new discussion topics.
Action
Create Ably Channel
Creates a new channel or retrieves an existing channel in ably. this tool allows you to programmatically create and initialize channels for real-time messaging. since ably creates channels implicitly when first used, this action publishes an empty initialization message to create/activate the channel.
Why this helps
Teams can lose time deciding where to coordinate around a newly opened course discussion.
- Create or retrieve a channel when a new topic appears.
- Give course coordination a predictable place to begin.
- Use topic information returned by the Canvas trigger to describe the channel.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Canvas and Ably once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation in Automations, then New Automation.
- 3Describe the channel Notis should initialize for a new discussion topic.
- 4Pick New Canvas Discussion Topic as the trigger and choose where run reports go.
- 5Test with one real discussion topic.
Questions about this workflow
Does this create a separate channel for every topic?
The action creates a new channel or retrieves an existing one. Describe the channel naming approach in your instruction; channel creation is implicit in Ably when used.
Does the action announce the discussion to channel members?
This action initializes or retrieves a channel. It does not publish a discussion announcement.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Canvas to Ably. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Canvas triggers
Ably actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Query Batch Presence
This tool enables querying the presence states of multiple channels in a single api request. the api retrieves the member presence details of the specified channels in parallel.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Query Batch Presence History
This tool enables querying presence history for multiple channels in a single api request. it uses the get endpoint at https://rest.ably.io/presence to retrieve the member presence history details of the specified channels in parallel.
Canvas Assignment Graded
Polls Canvas for newly graded submissions for a specific assignment.
Create Ably Channel
Creates a new channel or retrieves an existing channel in ably. this tool allows you to programmatically create and initialize channels for real-time messaging. since ably creates channels implicitly when first used, this action publishes an empty initialization message to create/activate the channel.
New Canvas Assignment Submission
Polls Canvas for new submissions to a specific assignment.
Delete Channel Subscription
This tool allows you to unsubscribe devices or clients from push notifications for specific channels. the operation is asynchronous, so immediate requests after deletion may briefly still return the subscription.
New Canvas Discussion Message
Polls Canvas discussion topics for new messages.
Get Channel Details
This tool retrieves metadata and details for a specific channel in ably. it returns a channeldetails object containing information about the channel's status, occupancy, and other metadata. the endpoint provides visibility into channel activity, including metrics such as connections, presence, publishers, and subscribers, and requires appropriate permissions.
New Canvas Discussion Topic
Polls a Canvas course for new discussion topics.
Get Channel History
This tool retrieves the message history for a specified ably channel. it uses the get /channels/{channelid}/messages endpoint to return a paginated list of messages in chronological order, subject to parameters such as 'channelid', 'limit', 'direction', 'start', and 'end'. the tool is useful for auditing, recovering missed messages, analyzing channel activity, and debugging message flows. authentication is required via basic or token authentication.
New Course Created for User
Polls Canvas for newly created courses for a specific user.
Get Channel Presence History
This tool retrieves the history of presence messages for a specified channel in ably. it allows you to query presence events on a channel within a given time period.
New Canvas File Upload
Polls a Canvas course for new file uploads.
Get Ably Service Time
This tool retrieves the current server time from ably's service in milliseconds since the epoch. it is particularly useful for time synchronization and generating valid tokenrequest timestamps to prevent replay attacks. the endpoint supports multiple content types, handles http errors, network issues, and is a fundamental tool for ensuring accurate timing in ably applications.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Canvas and Ably, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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