🚀 Heads up: Our API Docs Have Moved!
We have relocated to Instructure Developer Documentation Portal. 🎉 Please update your bookmarks. This page will automatically redirect after July 1, 2026.

User Observees API

API for managing linked observers and observees

A PairingCode object looks like:

// A code used for linking a user to a student to observe them.
{
  // The ID of the user.
  "user_id": 2,
  // The actual code to be sent to other APIs
  "code": "abc123",
  // When the code expires
  "expires_at": "2012-05-30T17:45:25Z",
  // The current status of the code
  "workflow_state": "active"
}

List linked observees UserObserveesController#index

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/observees

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observees

A paginated list of users that the given user is observing. This endpoint returns users linked to the observer at the account level (such that the observer is automatically enrolled in observees' courses); it doesn't return one-off observer enrollments from individual courses. *Note:* all users are allowed to list their own observees. Administrators can list other users' observees. The returned observees will include an attribute "observation_link_root_account_ids", a list of ids for the root accounts the observer and observee are linked on. The observer will only be able to observe in courses associated with these root accounts.

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
include[]		string	- "avatar_url": Optionally include avatar_url. Allowed values: `avatar_url`

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observees \
     -X GET \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of User objects

List linked observers UserObserveesController#observers

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/observers

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observers

A paginated list of observers linked to a given user. *Note:* all users are allowed to list their own observers. Administrators can list other users' observers. The returned observers will include an attribute "observation_link_root_account_ids", a list of ids for the root accounts the observer and observee are linked on. The observer will only be able to observe in courses associated with these root accounts.

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
include[]		string	- "avatar_url": Optionally include avatar_url. Allowed values: `avatar_url`

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observers \
     -X GET \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns a list of User objects

Add an observee with credentials UserObserveesController#create

POST /api/v1/users/:user_id/observees

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observees

Register the given user to observe another user, given the observee's credentials. *Note:* all users are allowed to add their own observees, given the observee's credentials or access token are provided. Administrators can add observees given credentials, access token or the observee's id.

Request Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
observee[unique_id]	string	The login id for the user to observe. Required if access_token is omitted.
observee[password]	string	The password for the user to observe. Required if access_token is omitted.
access_token	string	The access token for the user to observe. Required if <tt>observee[unique_id]</tt> or <tt>observee[password]</tt> are omitted.
pairing_code	string	A generated pairing code for the user to observe. Required if the Observer pairing code feature flag is enabled
root_account_id	integer	The ID for the root account to associate with the observation link. Defaults to the current domain account. If 'all' is specified, a link will be created for each root account associated to both the observer and observee.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observees \
     -X POST \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
     -F 'observee[unique_id]=UNIQUE_ID' \
     -F 'observee[password]=PASSWORD'

Returns an User object

Show an observee UserObserveesController#show

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Gets information about an observed user. *Note:* all users are allowed to view their own observees.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observees/<observee_id> \
     -X GET \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns an User object

Show an observer UserObserveesController#show_observer

GET /api/v1/users/:user_id/observers/:observer_id

Scope: url:GET|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observers/:observer_id

Gets information about an observer. *Note:* all users are allowed to view their own observers.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observers/<observer_id> \
     -X GET \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns an User object

Add an observee UserObserveesController#update

PUT /api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Scope: url:PUT|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Registers a user as being observed by the given user.

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
root_account_id		integer	The ID for the root account to associate with the observation link. If not specified, a link will be created for each root account associated to both the observer and observee.

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observees/<observee_id> \
     -X PUT \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns an User object

Remove an observee UserObserveesController#destroy

DELETE /api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Scope: url:DELETE|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observees/:observee_id

Unregisters a user as being observed by the given user.

Request Parameters:

Parameter		Type	Description
root_account_id		integer	If specified, only removes the link for the given root account

Example Request:

curl https://<canvas>/api/v1/users/<user_id>/observees/<observee_id> \
     -X DELETE \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'

Returns an User object

Create observer pairing code ObserverPairingCodesApiController#create

POST /api/v1/users/:user_id/observer_pairing_codes

Scope: url:POST|/api/v1/users/:user_id/observer_pairing_codes

If the user is a student, will generate a code to be used with self registration or observees APIs to link another user to this student. Returns a PairingCode object