Handle course email follow-ups in Canvas
Bring an incoming course email into a Canvas conversation so the next reply is easier to manage.
Trigger
New Gmail Message Received Trigger
Triggers when a new message is received in Gmail.
Action
Create conversation
Use to send messages in canvas by creating a new conversation or adding to an existing one; an existing conversation with the same recipients (and matching scope/filter, if specified) may be reused unless `force new` is true.
Why this helps
Course questions can get buried in an inbox, leaving students waiting and follow-ups scattered.
- Keep course follow-ups in Canvas conversations
- Reduce inbox triage and repeated context switching
- Use the email as context for a relevant response
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Gmail and Canvas once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation from Automations, New Automation, and name it.
- 3Tell Notis to review incoming course emails and respond in Canvas conversations when a reply is appropriate.
- 4Pick New Gmail Message Received as the trigger and choose where run reports go.
- 5Test with one real course email and review the resulting conversation.
Questions about this workflow
Will every incoming email create a Canvas reply?
Describe the situations that need a response in your instruction. Notis can use the email content to decide whether a Canvas conversation is appropriate.
Can Notis tell which Canvas course the email refers to?
Include a rule to use course details stated in the email. If the course is unclear, instruct Notis to ask for clarification or report that it cannot determine the course.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Gmail to Canvas. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Gmail triggers
Canvas actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Create account notification
Creates a global notification within a canvas account, ensuring `end at` is after `start at` and any specified `notification roles` are valid.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Create appointment group
Creates a new appointment group in canvas for schedulable time slots within specified course or group contexts.
Email Sent
Triggers when a Gmail message is sent by the authenticated user. It polls the 'SENT' label and emits metadata including sender, recipients, subject, timestamp, and thread ID.
Create an assignment
Creates a new assignment within a specified course in canvas lms.
New Gmail Message Received Trigger
Triggers when a new message is received in Gmail.
Create assignment override
Creates an assignment override to adjust due/unlock/lock dates for an assignment in a course, targeting specific students (requires `title`), a group, or a course section; at least one target (`student ids`, `group id`, or `course section id`) is required.
Create Calendar Event
Creates a calendar event with options for recurrence (finite `rrule` series only), section-specific timings, and blackout dates within a specified context.
Create communication channel
Creates a new communication channel (e.g., email, sms, push) for an existing canvas user to receive notifications.
Create content share
Shares a canvas content item to specified users, if the sender has necessary permissions and receiver ids are valid.
Create conversation
Use to send messages in canvas by creating a new conversation or adding to an existing one; an existing conversation with the same recipients (and matching scope/filter, if specified) may be reused unless `force new` is true.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Gmail and Canvas, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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