What’s LTI and why?
LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) is the standard for connecting external tools like TimelyGrader securely into an LMS. Maintained by 1EdTech, it's supported across every major LMS, including Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Moodle, and Blackboard. Moving to LTI alongside our API integration brings a few clear benefits:
1) Access control and scalability. With LTI, LMS admins control which schools within an institution get access to TimelyGrader by installing it in specific sub-accounts. Any course that needs access is simply added to that sub-account. This makes it easy to control who gets access initially, and to track, manage, and expand usage from there.
2) Smaller authentication footprint. Given recent security incidents, LTI also carries a security benefit. Launch tokens are short-lived and single-use, which makes the authentication path less exposed and any captured token far less impactful.
3) Future opportunity to iframe within Canvas. This also paves the way for TimelyGrader to live inside features like SpeedGrader, or for Hugo Bot to be summoned straight from Canvas like below.
What will happen to the scoped API integration option?
We recommend that all institutional partners move to the hybrid integration for the benefits described above.
If you manage your institution's LMS, your Customer Success contact will reach out to help you make the switch. We'll continue supporting institutions on the scoped API–only integration as well but note that some future features will require the LTI integration.
How will this impact your experience as an instructor?
If you're already using TimelyGrader this summer, nothing changes. If you're planning for Fall 2026, you'll be able to install TimelyGrader from the External Tools section, which makes it easy to enable in any course.
When is it coming?
TimelyGrader LTI will be available on July 15th to all institutional partners with the LMS integration. We will be coordinating with our institutional IT partners to update and enable the hybrid integration.
