API to Validate links in content

[RupertRussell]

Is there any way to use an API call to run the "Validate Links in Content" on a specific group of Courses?

If not is there a better method than writing an Auto Hot Key script to open the Course and then press the button for me?

I have about 300 Courses I want to run this on.

Rupert.

[RupertRussell · Accepted solution]

According to Chat GPT this is not possible.

I hope that this is just a hallucination and that there is a way.

Unfortunately, Canvas does not provide a direct API endpoint to run the "Validate Links in Content" feature on a specific group of courses. This feature is typically accessed through the Canvas user interface and is not exposed for programmatic access via the API.

If you need to validate links in the content of multiple courses programmatically, you may need to explore alternative approaches. One potential approach could involve writing a script that:

1. Retrieves the content (such as pages, assignments, discussions, etc.) of each course using the Canvas API.
2. Parses the content to identify links.
3. Validates each link to ensure it is active and points to a valid resource.
4. Generates a report of any broken or invalid links.

Keep in mind that such an approach would require significant development effort and may not be as comprehensive as the built-in Canvas feature. Additionally, it's important to consider rate limits and usage policies when interacting with the Canvas API to avoid overloading the system.

If link validation is a critical requirement for your use case, you might consider reaching out to Canvas support or exploring third-party tools or services that specialize in link checking and validation.