Know whether a new course has its expected index
Check for the course index as soon as Canvas creates the course and make missing setup visible.
Trigger
New Course Created for User
Polls Canvas for newly created courses for a specific user.
Action
Index Exists
Tool to check if an algolia index exists. use before performing index operations to prevent accidental index creation. example: indexexists(index name='products').
Why this helps
A course may be ready in Canvas while its expected Algolia index has not been created.
- Identify whether the expected index is present.
- Make search readiness gaps visible in the run report.
- Avoid attempting later operations against an unverified index.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Canvas and Algolia once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation with a clear name and prompt.
- 3In one instruction, describe how to determine the expected index name and report whether it exists.
- 4Choose New Course Created for User as the trigger.
- 5Choose a report channel, then test with one real course creation.
Questions about this workflow
Will this create an index if one is missing?
No. Index Exists only checks whether the specified index exists.
What if course details do not determine an index name?
Specify the naming rule in the automation instruction so the check has a clear index name.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Canvas to Algolia. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Canvas triggers
Algolia actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
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Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
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Tool to retrieve all records from an index. use when you need to export or iterate through an entire index dataset.
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Polls Canvas for newly graded submissions for a specific assignment.
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Tool to clear records of an index without affecting settings. use when you need to completely wipe all objects (e.g., after a bulk reindex) while preserving index configuration.
New Canvas Assignment Submission
Polls Canvas for new submissions to a specific assignment.
Clear Rules
Tool to delete all rules in an index. use when you need to wipe all rules before re-creating them. use after confirming no critical rules require retention.
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Polls Canvas discussion topics for new messages.
Clicked Object IDs
Tool to send a click event to algolia to capture clicked items. use immediately after a user click outside of search contexts to report click events.
New Canvas Discussion Topic
Polls a Canvas course for new discussion topics.
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Tool to send a click event after a search response. use when you want to report which items a user clicked in search results.
New Course Created for User
Polls Canvas for newly created courses for a specific user.
Converted Object IDs
Tool to send a conversion event for items outside of search context. use when tracking conversions on category pages or external flows unrelated to algolia search.
New Canvas File Upload
Polls a Canvas course for new file uploads.
Copy Index
Tool to copy the specified index to a new index. use when you need to duplicate an existing index including records, settings, synonyms, and rules after confirming source and destination names.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Canvas and Algolia, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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