Blackboard (now Anthology) uses the same API + LTI model as Canvas, with one critical difference: Raison is registered once globally on the Anthology Developer Portal, not per institution. The Application ID is the same for every Blackboard instance. Admins never generate their own credentials. They enter Raison's fixed Application ID into their Blackboard instance, and Blackboard generates a Deployment ID in return.
Configuration is minimal on both sides: the Blackboard URL for the API, and the Deployment ID for LTI. No URLs, tokens, or keys to look up.
Official Anthology documentation:
What the integration does
Course and content import via REST API. Raison reads your Blackboard course structure and content (modules, files, pages) and makes it available as source material for assistants.
Learner identification and placement via LTI. When a learner or instructor opens Raison from inside a Blackboard course, Blackboard authenticates them via LTI 1.3 and passes their identity and course context to Raison.
Register the LTI tool in Blackboard
In Blackboard, go to Admin → Integrations → LTI Tool Providers → Register LTI 1.3/Advantage Tool.
Enter Raison's Application ID and select Submit.
Raison's LTI Application ID (production): 3c3399d2-714c-4d42-9dbd-fb79baf6a160
Blackboard displays the pre-populated tool configuration (name, placements, institution policies) pulled from the Anthology Developer Portal. Review and select Submit again to confirm.
Once confirmed, a Deployment ID is generated. This is specific to your Blackboard instance.
There is no manual URL configuration. Because Raison is registered centrally on the Anthology Developer Portal, all LTI endpoints (redirect URIs, JWKS URL, OIDC login URL, placements) are pre-configured. Blackboard fetches them when you enter the Application ID.
Register the REST API integration in Blackboard
In Blackboard, go to Admin → Integrations → REST API Integrations → Create Integration.
Field | What to enter |
Application ID |
|
Learn User | A Blackboard user with sufficient privileges to read course content (a dedicated service account or admin user) |
End User Access | Yes |
Authorized To Act As User | No (Service Default) |
Select Submit.
The Learn User you assign here determines what courses and data Raison can access via the API. Use a dedicated service account rather than a personal admin account.
Enter the Deployment ID in Raison
In Raison, go to Organization → Integrations → Blackboard → Manage → LTI.
Field | What to enter | Fixed or specific? |
Deployment ID | The Deployment ID generated by Blackboard | Specific to your Blackboard instance |
Select Save LTI settings.
Blackboard's global endpoints are handled internally, so there are no Issuer URL, Authorization URL, Token URL, or JWKS URL fields to fill in here.
Enter the Blackboard URL in Raison
In Raison, go to Organization → Integrations → Blackboard → Manage → API.
Field | What to enter | Fixed or specific? |
Blackboard URL | The base URL of your Blackboard instance (e.g. | Specific to your institution |
Select Save changes.
Raison authenticates to Blackboard's REST API using the Application ID and secret registered on the Anthology Developer Portal. No personal token needs to be generated.
Add Blackboard users as Raison members
Instructors and admins who need to create or manage assistants in Raison must be added as members of your Raison organisation. This step links their Blackboard identity to their Raison account.
In Raison, go to Organization → Members and select Add Member → Invite Blackboard user.
Raison offers two ways to find a user:
By username (recommended). Enter the user's Blackboard username. This confirms immediately that the account exists in your Blackboard instance. Use this whenever you know the username.
By email. If the username is not known, search by email address. Raison looks up the corresponding Blackboard username. This works but takes longer, because the lookup has to cross-reference the account in Blackboard.
Once the user is found, confirm the invitation. The user appears in the Members list and can start creating assistants tied to their Blackboard courses.
Both methods work. Username is simply faster. If instructors can share their Blackboard username upfront, onboarding is quicker.
What is fixed vs. what is specific
Element | Fixed or specific? |
Application ID (LTI + REST) | Always the same. Provided by Raison, registered once on the Anthology Developer Portal. |
Deployment ID | Specific to your Blackboard instance. Generated by Blackboard after you enter the Application ID. |
Blackboard URL | Specific to your institution |
All LTI endpoints | Always the same. Pre-configured centrally, no manual entry. |
REST API token | Not required. Authentication uses the Application ID/secret pair. |
Related
Need help? Write to [email protected].