My child's school uses Canvas. How do I get updates as a parent?
With a Canvas observer account, manage notifications under Account, Notifications on the website, or set alerts in the Canvas Parent app.
If your school gave you a Canvas observer account, you have two places to set. In Canvas on the web, click Account in Global Navigation, then Notifications, to manage how you receive notifications. Canvas notifications are sent as one of four delivery types: notify immediately, daily summary, weekly summary, or notifications off. In the Canvas Parent app on iOS, you tap Menu, then Manage Students, then a student's name to set alerts, including an alert when an assignment is above or below a percentage. Canvas says some notifications may not apply to the observer role. Ask the school what it uses.
For a Canvas email, connect Gmail or forward it to your Daywell address. For anything else, take a screenshot and share it to Daywell from your phone, or add it in Daywell on the web.
What to do
- Set the website notifications. In Canvas on the web, click Account in Global Navigation, then Notifications, to manage how you receive notifications. Canvas notifications are sent as one of four delivery types: notify immediately, daily summary, weekly summary, or notifications off. Daily and weekly summaries cut the email down.
- Confirm your contact method. Canvas sends notifications using your confirmed contact methods, and you can't receive them if your contact methods are unconfirmed. If nothing arrives, check that your email is confirmed.
- Set alerts in the Canvas Parent app. In the Canvas Parent app on iOS, you tap Menu, then Manage Students, then a student's name to set alerts, including an alert when an assignment is above or below a percentage.
- Know what may not reach you. Canvas says some notifications may not apply to the observer role. Instructure says that, depending on your institution, you may need to log in to additional apps to view certain course content. Ask the office or the teacher.
- Reply from the email, maybe. You may be able to reply directly to a Canvas email notification, and the reply is updated in the Canvas Inbox.
- Label what arrives. In Gmail, make a filter for your school, daycare and activity senders and have it label them "School". Add the sender of your first Canvas email to it. Choose Skip the Inbox (Archive it) only if you'll open that label every day.
How Daywell helps
Daywell (getdaywell.com) is the family prep assistant. Connect Gmail once, read-only. Daywell looks at email and picks out the messages from school, daycare and activities. Take a screenshot of the message, then share it to Daywell from your phone, or add it in Daywell on the web. With any email service, forward school emails to your Daywell address and Daywell reads them. One list of what's coming up, which child it's for, and what to bring, sign or pay. On the iPhone and Android apps, one quiet reminder comes each morning, at a time you pick.
Questions parents ask
I don't see a Notifications page, or I'm not getting Canvas emails.
Check your email is confirmed, then ask the school.
Canvas sends notifications using your confirmed contact methods, and you can't receive them if your contact methods are unconfirmed. Canvas says some notifications may not apply to the observer role. Anything past that is a question for your school.
How do I turn on alerts for my child's grades in Canvas?
In the Canvas Parent app.
The Canvas Parent app is for any Canvas user with an observer account; parents can set alerts for specific assignment and grade activity, shown on the Alerts page in the app, and reminders that are sent to the phone as push notifications. On iOS, tap Menu, then Manage Students, then your child's name to set them.
How do I get Canvas updates into Daywell?
Connect Gmail, or forward the email.
For a Canvas email, connect Gmail or forward it to your Daywell address. For anything else, take a screenshot and share it to Daywell from your phone, or add it in Daywell on the web.
I use Outlook or another email, not Gmail. Can I still use Daywell?
Yes, just forward them.
Yes. From any inbox, forward school emails to your own Daywell address, one at a time or automatically. The first time you forward from a new address, Daywell asks you to confirm it's yours; after that, forward again and Daywell reads it.
A form or flyer came home. What do I do?
Share it as a PDF or a picture.
Share a PDF or a picture to Daywell and it reads it, on every device.
Does Daywell read all of my email?
No. It starts with who it's from and the subject.
No. It looks only at who each email is from and its subject, and skips what Gmail files under Promotions, Social and Forums. It opens the ones it judges to be from school, daycare or activities. If it can't tell from the sender and subject, it opens that one too rather than risk missing it. The privacy policy explains what is kept and for how long.
How do I get Daywell?
Start on the web.
Daywell is on the web. Start at getdaywell.com. It reads your school and activity email and tells you what your kids need ready.
Sources
- Canvas Guides: How do I manage my Canvas notification settings?
- Canvas Guides: What is the Canvas Parent app?
- Canvas Guides: How do I set alerts for a student in the Canvas Parent app on my iOS device?
- Gmail Help: Create rules to filter your emails
- Daywell privacy policy
Checked by James Boone, Daywell, 5 Nov 2026