| name | openedx-mcp-connector |
| description | MCP connector for Open edX – enables AI-powered online course creation, XBlock development, and learner engagement management through Claude |
| license | AGPL |
| tags | ["education","lms","mcp","openedx","mooc"] |
| difficulty | advanced |
| time_to_master | 4-8 weeks |
| version | 1.0.0 |
Openedx MCP Connector
Overview
This skill enables Claude to interact with Openedx through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It provides a bridge between Claude's AI capabilities and Openedx's REST API, allowing natural language control of Openedx operations, intelligent automation, and AI-powered assistance for Openedx workflows.
When to Use This Skill
- Course outline and section creation
- XBlock content generation and configuration
- Learner engagement analytics and reporting
- Grading policy configuration
- Certificate and credential management
Architecture
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Claude │────▶│ MCP Server │────▶│ Openedx │
│ (Client) │◀────│ (TypeScript) │◀────│ (REST API )│
└─────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
Core Concepts
MCP Server Setup
The connector implements an MCP server that exposes Openedx operations as tools Claude can invoke. The server translates natural language intentions into REST API calls.
Key Endpoints/Interfaces
/api/courses/v1/courses, /api/enrollment/v1/enrollment, /api/grades/v1/grades, /api/user/v1/accounts
Implementation
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js";
import { z } from "zod";
const server = new McpServer({
name: "openedx-mcp-connector",
version: "1.0.0",
});
server.tool(
"list_resources",
"List and query Openedx resources with optional filters",
{
query: z.string().optional().describe("Search query or filter"),
limit: z.number().optional().describe("Max results to return"),
},
async ({ query, limit }) => {
const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/courses/v1/courses`, {
headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${API_KEY}` },
});
const data = await response.json();
return {
: [{ : , : .(data, , ) }],
};
}
);
server.(
,
,
{
: z.().(),
: z.({}).().().(),
},
({ name, config }) => {
response = (, {
: ,
: {
: ,
: ,
},
: .({ name, ...config }),
});
data = response.();
{
: [{ : , : }],
};
}
);
server.(
,
,
{
: z.().(),
: z.().().(),
},
({ , timeframe }) => {
response = (, {
: { : },
});
data = response.();
{
: [{ : , : .(data, , ) }],
};
}
);
transport = ();
server.(transport);
Claude Desktop Configuration
{
"mcpServers": {
"openedx-mcp-connector": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["path/to/openedx-mcp-connector/index.js"],
"env": {
"OPENEDX_API_KEY": "your-api-key",
"OPENEDX_BASE_URL": "https://your-instance-url"
}
}
}
}
Best Practices
- Authentication: Store API keys securely using environment variables; never hardcode credentials
- Rate Limiting: Implement request throttling to respect Openedx API rate limits
- Error Handling: Provide clear, actionable error messages for common failure scenarios
- Pagination: Handle paginated responses for large datasets efficiently
- Caching: Cache frequently accessed read-only data to reduce API calls
- Security: Validate all inputs before passing to the Openedx API; sanitize outputs
- Logging: Log all API interactions for debugging and audit purposes
Example Prompts
"Design a 6-week course outline on Python programming with weekly assessments and a final project"
Security Considerations
- All API credentials must be stored as environment variables
- Implement input validation and sanitization for all tool parameters
- Use HTTPS for all API communications
- Follow the principle of least privilege for API token permissions
- Audit log all write operations for compliance tracking
Resources
Changelog
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2026-04-01 | Initial MCP connector skill |
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