Share Canvas resources from a Slack reaction
A deliberate reaction can be a lightweight signal that a resource is ready to share with a defined set of learners.
Trigger
Message Reaction Added
Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Action
Create content share
Shares a canvas content item to specified users, if the sender has necessary permissions and receiver ids are valid.
Why this helps
Sharing resources often requires remembering a separate Canvas step after the team has already agreed in Slack.
- Use a visible team signal to start a sharing action.
- Reduce the chance that an agreed resource stays unshared.
- Keep the handoff lightweight when a team already uses reactions.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Slack and Canvas to Notis once via the portal.
- 2Create an automation in Automations or ask Notis in plain language.
- 3Tell Notis in one instruction to share the intended Canvas content item when your chosen reaction is added to a qualifying Slack message, and to use only clearly identified recipients.
- 4Choose Slack Message Reaction Added, configure the trigger's supported channel or emoji filter if available, select a run-report channel, and test once.
Questions about this workflow
Can the reaction be limited to one emoji?
The Slack reaction trigger supports optional channel and emoji filtering. Choose the intended signal when setting up the trigger.
What if recipients are unclear?
Describe in the prompt that Notis should report unclear recipients rather than attempting an uncertain share.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Slack to Canvas. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Slack 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.
New Channel Created Trigger
Triggered when a new channel is created in Slack.
Create an assignment
Creates a new assignment within a specified course in canvas lms.
Channel Message Received
Triggered when a message is posted in a Slack channel (public, private, or multi-party IM). Does NOT match direct messages.
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.
Direct Message Received
Triggered when a new direct message (DM) is sent to a user in Slack. Catches all DMs across all DM channels.
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.
Message Reaction Added
Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Create communication channel
Creates a new communication channel (e.g., email, sms, push) for an existing canvas user to receive notifications.
Message Reaction Removed
Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Create content share
Shares a canvas content item to specified users, if the sender has necessary permissions and receiver ids are valid.
Reaction Added Trigger
DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_MESSAGE_REACTION_ADDED` instead. Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack.
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.
Slack and Canvas, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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