Canvas Discussion Post Word Count

WHAT IT DOES

Canvas Discussion Post Word Count automatically detects discussion posts and replies on Canvas LMS pages and adds compact word count badges to each post. The badge shows the number of words and optionally characters in the post, displayed in a discreet label next to or on top of the post content. A summary panel shows the total word count, total character count, and number of posts for the entire discussion. This helps students track their discussion participation, meet word count requirements, and quickly gauge the length of responses without manual counting.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension works exclusively on Canvas LMS at *.instructure.com. It functions on discussion pages, including main discussion threads, reply threads, and any page displaying discussion posts. The tool works across all Canvas instances and adapts to various discussion display formats.

HOW TO USE

Install the extension and navigate to any Canvas discussion page. Compact word count badges appear on each post showing the word count and optionally character count. The overlay panel shows a summary of total words, characters, and post count for the entire discussion. Use the overlay panel to customize the experience: toggle word count badges on or off, toggle character count display on or off, toggle the total count summary on or off, toggle counting replies on or off, and choose the badge position (Top-right of post or Inline with content). Click "Refresh Counts" to manually update the counts after new posts load. The status area shows how many posts were updated.

TECHNICAL SECTION — POST DETECTION AND WORD COUNT ENGINE

The extension uses a multi-strategy detection engine to find discussion posts and replies on Canvas pages. It queries common post selectors including .discussion-post, .discussion-entry, .reply, and .thread. For each detected post, the tool extracts the content by searching for content containers (.entry-content, .post-content, .message) or by cloning the post and removing metadata elements. Word count is calculated by splitting the text by whitespace and filtering empty strings. Character count is calculated as the length of the text string. Badges are inserted using DOM manipulation with inline CSS, positioned either at the top-right of the post or inline with the content. The summary panel aggregates counts across all visible posts and updates dynamically when new posts are loaded.

THE PANEL — DRAG / PER-SITE POSITION / SNAP / COLLAPSE / RESIZE / ESCAPE

The overlay panel is fully interactive and designed for seamless multitasking. Drag it anywhere on the screen using the handle at the top of the panel; the position is saved per site so it stays where you left it across sessions. The panel includes a snap-to-edge feature that gently anchors the overlay to the nearest screen edge when released. Click the collapse button to minimize the panel to a compact pill showing the current word count status; expand it again with a single click. Resize the panel vertically by dragging the bottom-right corner to view more controls. Press the Escape key at any time to instantly close the overlay; it reappears on the next page navigation or refresh.

PLEASE NOTE

This extension requires the free BotGentz companion extension to function, as it provides the underlying content script injection and cross-origin communication framework. No personal data, browsing history, or discussion content is stored, transmitted, or shared. All text processing occurs entirely locally in your browser; no information is sent to any external server. Settings are stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue and are never sent to any external server. The extension does not access or store login credentials, financial data, or personally identifiable information. The tool reads post content visible on the page and does not access Canvas's API or any private data. Canvas may update its page structure; the extension includes multiple detection strategies to maintain compatibility, but major redesigns may temporarily affect post detection. Word counts are estimates based on visible text and may differ from Canvas's internal counts.