Get a quick preview of course files
Turn new course documents into first page thumbnails so you can scan uploads without opening each file.
Trigger
New Canvas File Upload
Polls a Canvas course for new file uploads.
Action
LibreOffice Thumbnail
Tool to generate a thumbnail image of a document using libreoffice. use when you need a quick visual preview of a pdf or office file's first page.
Why this helps
Opening every new course document to identify it interrupts the work already in progress.
- See a quick visual preview of supported documents.
- Triage new course uploads with fewer clicks.
- Use the same workflow for PDFs and office files supported by LibreOffice Thumbnail.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Canvas and Api2pdf once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation in the portal or tell Notis in plain language from any channel.
- 3Describe the outcome: generate a first page thumbnail for each newly uploaded PDF or office document.
- 4Pick the New Canvas File Upload trigger and choose where run reports go.
- 5Test with one real Canvas document upload.
Questions about this workflow
Which files can produce a thumbnail?
The action is described for PDFs and office files using LibreOffice.
Does the thumbnail include every page?
No. It is a quick visual preview of the document's first page.
Can this summarize the document?
The listed action generates a thumbnail, not a text summary.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Canvas to Api2pdf. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Canvas triggers
Api2pdf actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Add Header Footer
Tool to add headers and footers to a pdf document. use when you need consistent page numbering, titles, or custom branding on every page.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Delete PDF
Tool to delete a previously generated pdf. use when you need to immediately remove a pdf by its response id.
Canvas Assignment Graded
Polls Canvas for newly graded submissions for a specific assignment.
Extract PDF Pages
Tool to extract specific pages from a pdf document. use when you need only certain pages from a larger pdf file.
New Canvas Assignment Submission
Polls Canvas for new submissions to a specific assignment.
LibreOffice PDF to HTML
Tool to convert a pdf document to html using libreoffice. use when you need html output of a pdf file (experimental; images may be excluded).
New Canvas Discussion Message
Polls Canvas discussion topics for new messages.
LibreOffice Thumbnail
Tool to generate a thumbnail image of a document using libreoffice. use when you need a quick visual preview of a pdf or office file's first page.
New Canvas Discussion Topic
Polls a Canvas course for new discussion topics.
Merge PDFs
Tool to merge multiple pdf documents into a single pdf. use when you need to concatenate several pdfs on the server-side.
New Course Created for User
Polls Canvas for newly created courses for a specific user.
Optimize PDF
Tool to optimize a pdf document to reduce file size while maintaining quality. use when you need to minimize storage or bandwidth for an existing pdf.
New Canvas File Upload
Polls a Canvas course for new file uploads.
Reorder PDF Pages
Tool to reorder pages of a pdf document. use when you need to rearrange pages into a new order by specifying page indices.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Canvas and Api2pdf, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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No card. Works with personal or business Api2pdf.