Moodle LTI Integration Guide 2026: Connect External Tools with LTI 1.3
You can connect virtually any modern EdTech tool -- Turnitin, Zoom, Kaltura, H5P.com, Padlet, and hundreds more -- directly into your Moodle courses so students launch them without leaving the LMS and grades flow back automatically. The technology that makes this possible is LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability), which simplifies integration without installing a Moodle plugin or building custom development.
This guide covers what LTI is, how to configure Moodle as both a consumer and provider of external tools, and how to troubleshoot the issues that trip up most administrators.
What Is LTI?
LTI is a standard from 1EdTech (formerly IMS Global) that lets a learning platform and an external tool communicate securely. Think of it as a universal plug: any compatible tool connects to any compatible LMS without custom API work.
- Your Moodle site is the Platform (formerly "Consumer"). It's where your students live.
- The external tool (Turnitin, Zoom, Kaltura, etc.) is the Tool (formerly "Provider"). It does something your LMS doesn't do natively.
- LTI is the handshake protocol between them, handling authentication, authorisation, and data exchange.
LTI Versions: What You Need to Know
| Version | Released | Security Model | Key Features | Moodle Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LTI 1.0/1.1 | 2010-2012 | OAuth 1.0a (shared secret) | Basic launch, basic grade passback | Deprecated (not recommended) |
| LTI 1.3 | 2019 | OAuth 2.0 + JWT + RSA keys | Secure auth, no shared secrets | Minimum Recommended |
| LTI Advantage | 2019 | Same as LTI 1.3 | Deep Linking, Grade Services, Names & Roles | Full (Moodle 4.x+) Recommended for deep integration |
Use LTI 1.3 with LTI Advantage for all new integrations. LTI 1.0/1.1 relies on shared secrets that can be intercepted; LTI 1.3 uses public/private RSA key pairs and JWTs for cryptographic authentication.
Important Turnitin deadline: 1EdTech deprecated LTI 1.1 in 2022. Turnitin's Moodle-specific guidance says it plans to end support for the Turnitin LTI 1.1 integration with Moodle on June 30, 2026, and deprecate that integration entirely on December 31, 2026. Keep this warning scoped to Turnitin; other LTI vendors may have different retirement timelines.
LTI Advantage: The Three Services That Matter
LTI Advantage bundles three services on top of LTI 1.3:
Deep Linking lets instructors browse a tool's content catalog from within Moodle and select specific resources -- a particular Turnitin assignment template, a Kaltura video, an H5P activity -- to embed directly in their course.
Assignment and Grade Services (AGS) enables two-way grade communication. The external tool sends scores back to Moodle's gradebook automatically, supporting both simple percentage scores and rich rubric data.
Names and Role Provisioning Service (NRPS) lets the external tool know who is enrolled in the course and what role they hold (student, teacher, non-editing teacher), enabling tools like Turnitin to build class rosters automatically.
Setting Up Moodle as an LTI Consumer (Using External Tools)
This is the most common scenario: you want to add an external tool to your Moodle courses. Follow these steps.
Step 1: Register the External Tool at the Site Level
Site-level registration makes the tool available to all courses, avoiding the management overhead of course-level configuration.
Navigate to Site Administration > Plugins > Activity modules > External tool > Manage tools, then click Configure a tool manually and fill in the registration form:
| Field | What to Enter |
|---|---|
| Tool name | A clear name teachers will recognise (e.g., "Turnitin Similarity") |
| Tool URL | The launch URL from the tool vendor |
| LTI version | LTI 1.3 |
| Public keyset URL | Provided by the tool vendor |
| Initiate login URL | Provided by the tool vendor |
| Redirection URI(s) | Provided by the tool vendor |
Under Services, enable the LTI Advantage services you need: AGS for grade sync, NRPS for roster data, and Deep Linking if the tool supports content selection.
Under Privacy, configure what user data Moodle sends: name and email are required by most tools; enable "Accept grades from the tool" for graded activities.
Click Save. Moodle generates a Client ID, Platform ID, Public Keyset URL, Access Token URL, and Authentication Request URL. Provide all of these to the tool vendor to complete the handshake.
Moodle 4.5 update: LTI external tools now have a dedicated page in the Course Administration menu, making it easier to find and manage tool details per course.
Step 2: Complete Registration on the Tool Side
Every tool vendor has their own admin console where you register Moodle as a platform. You'll provide:
- Platform ID (Issuer): Your Moodle URL (e.g.,
https://yourmoodle.example.com) - Client ID: Generated by Moodle in Step 1
- Deployment ID: Shown in Moodle's tool configuration
- Public Keyset URL:
https://yourmoodle.example.com/mod/lti/certs.php - Access Token URL:
https://yourmoodle.example.com/mod/lti/token.php - Authentication Request URL:
https://yourmoodle.example.com/mod/lti/auth.php
Once entered on both sides, the LTI 1.3 handshake is complete.
Step 3: Add the Tool to a Course
Turn editing on in your course, click Add an activity or resource, and select External tool. Pick your registered tool from the Preconfigured tool dropdown. If Deep Linking is enabled, use Select content to browse the tool's library. Configure grading options, save, and test the launch as a student.
Setting Up Moodle as an LTI Provider (Sharing Moodle Courses)
Less common but increasingly useful: you can publish Moodle courses or activities to another LMS, letting students on Canvas, Blackboard, or another Moodle instance access your content without separate accounts.
To enable: Go to Site Administration > Plugins > Enrolments > Manage enrol plugins and enable Publish as LTI tool.
To publish a course or activity: Open the course, go to Course Administration > Users > Enrolment methods, add "Publish as LTI tool," select the specific activity or full course, set LTI version to 1.3, and save. Moodle provides the registration and launch URLs to give to the consuming platform's administrator.
Common use cases: sharing specialist content across institutions, inter-departmental tool access, or publishing continuing education modules to a corporate LMS.
Popular LTI Tool Integrations
1. Turnitin (Plagiarism Detection)
Register Moodle as a platform in the Turnitin admin console (admin.turnitin.com). Configure the External Tool in Moodle with Turnitin's launch, keyset, and login URLs. Enable AGS for grade passback and NRPS for roster sync. Teachers add Turnitin as an External Tool activity and use Deep Linking to select assignment templates. Similarity scores flow back to Moodle's gradebook automatically.
Common issue: Similarity scores don't appear in the gradebook. Fix: verify that "Accept grades from the tool" is enabled and that AGS is set to "Use this service for grade sync and column management."
Deadline reminder: If your institution uses Turnitin's LTI 1.1 integration in Moodle, migrate to LTI 1.3 before June 30, 2026, when Turnitin plans to end support.
2. Zoom (Video Conferencing)
In the Zoom Marketplace, install LTI Pro and configure your Moodle instance. Register the External Tool in Moodle with Zoom's provided URLs. Enable NRPS so Zoom can distinguish hosts from participants.
- Common issue: The instructor joins as a participant, not a host. Fix: enable NRPS and verify that Zoom maps the "Instructor" LTI role to "Host."
3. Kaltura (Video Management)
In the Kaltura Management Console, navigate to Integration Settings and configure your Moodle instance with LTI 1.3. Enable Deep Linking for teachers to browse the media library, and AGS if using in-video quizzes for graded activities.
- Common issue: Videos load slowly or buffer. This is a CDN/bandwidth issue, not LTI. Verify Kaltura's CDN is configured for your region.
4. H5P.com (Interactive Content)
In your H5P.com account, go to Settings > LTI and configure your Moodle instance. Enable Deep Linking for content selection and AGS for grade passback.
- Common issue: Activities display in a small iframe. Fix: set "Launch container" to "Embed, without blocks" and adjust the iframe height in the activity settings.
Other Notable LTI Tools
| Tool | Category | Key Capability |
|---|---|---|
| Padlet | Collaborative boards | Shared boards embedded in courses |
| Panopto | Lecture capture | Video recording, captioning, search |
| PlayPosit | Interactive video | In-video questions with grade passback |
| Respondus LockDown Browser | Exam security | Secure browser for proctored quizzes |
| McGraw Hill ALEKS | Adaptive learning | Math/science adaptive practice |
| Labster | Virtual labs | Science lab simulations |
| Hypothesis | Annotation | Collaborative document annotation |
| Proctorio | Remote proctoring | AI-powered exam proctoring |
Troubleshooting Common LTI Issues
1. Launch Failures
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Tool provider has been disabled" | Tool not activated at site level | Verify tool status is "Active" in Manage tools |
| Blank page or 404 on launch | Incorrect Tool URL | Verify launch URL with the tool vendor |
| "Invalid issuer" error | Platform ID mismatch | Ensure your Moodle URL matches exactly (https, no trailing slash) |
| "Could not validate JWT" | Clock skew between servers | Ensure both servers use NTP time sync -- JWT expires in ~60 seconds |
| SSL/TLS errors | Certificate issues | Use a valid SSL certificate; self-signed certificates cause LTI 1.3 handshake failures |
2. Grade Passback Failures
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No grade column in gradebook | AGS not enabled | Enable "IMS LTI Assignment and Grade Services" in tool configuration |
| Grade column exists but empty | Tool not sending grades | Check the tool's admin console for grade sync settings |
| Grades appear as 0 | Score format mismatch | Use decimal format (0-1, e.g., 0.85 not 85) -- contact the tool vendor if needed |
3. Roster and Role Issues
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tool shows no enrolled students | NRPS not enabled | Enable "IMS LTI Names and Role Provisioning Services" |
| Tool shows incorrect roles | Role mapping mismatch | Verify role mapping (Instructor, Learner, Teaching Assistant) |
Debugging LTI Requests When standard steps don't resolve the issue, enable Moodle's LTI debugging: go to Site Administration > Development > Debugging, set "Debug messages" to DEVELOPER, attempt the failing launch, then check logs at Site Administration > Reports > Logs, filtered by "External tool." Look for JWT validation errors, HTTP response codes, and OAuth token exchange failures. Disable developer debugging after troubleshooting -- leaving it on in production exposes sensitive information.
Security Best Practices
- Never use LTI 1.0/1.1 for new integrations. Shared secrets can be intercepted and brute-forced; LTI 1.3's RSA keys and JWTs eliminate these risks -- and LTI 1.1 was officially deprecated by 1EdTech in 2022.
- Audit user data sharing. Every LTI launch sends user data to the external tool. Review what each tool receives (name, email, roles) and verify the tool's privacy policy meets your jurisdiction's requirements (GDPR, FERPA).
- Rotate keys periodically. Schedule annual key regeneration. In Moodle, edit the tool configuration under Manage tools and regenerate the keyset.
- Restrict tool registration to administrators. Use site-level registration for all approved tools rather than allowing course-level additions.
- Monitor LTI launch logs. Unusual patterns -- launches from unexpected IPs, failed authentication attempts, out-of-hours activity -- can indicate compromised credentials.
Moodle Version Notes (2026)
As of May 2026, Moodle 5.2 is the current stable release and Moodle 4.5 is the current LTS branch receiving security support. If you're running Moodle 4.1-4.4, plan an upgrade to a supported branch for security patches and LTI improvements, including the dedicated external tool administration page. Moodle 5.x is now available for teams ready to move beyond the 4.x branch.
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