Version History

Changelog

What's new in each release of GradeBlaster.

v1.4.0
March 14, 2026
Latest

📁 Google Drive Import & File Upload

Grade student work from anywhere — not just Canvas. Import files from Google Drive or upload them directly.

New
  • Google Drive import — paste a shared Google Drive folder link and GradeBlaster scans for files, matches them to students by filename, and grades them with AI. No API key or sign-in required.
  • Manual file upload — drag & drop or browse to upload local files for grading. Files are matched to students by filename pattern.
  • Files page — new sidebar page for importing from Google Drive or uploading files outside of Canvas.
  • Multi-assignment Blast Queue — queue up multiple assignments and grade them all in one run with progress tracking per assignment.
  • Late penalty support — configure automatic point deductions for late submissions in Blast All and Blast Queue.
Improved
  • Docs page — comprehensive in-app documentation covering setup, grading profiles, AI analysis, and troubleshooting.
  • Better error messages — Google Drive and file import errors now show clear, actionable messages instead of raw API errors.
v1.3.1
March 8, 2026

🐛 Bug Fixes & Security

Fixes for CSV export, external links, and several JavaScript reliability issues caught in a full audit.

Fixed
  • CSV export — exporting grading history now correctly saves a file instead of rendering raw CSV text in the app window.
  • External links — links to external websites (docs, gradeblaster.com) now open in the system browser instead of navigating inside the app.
  • Timer leaks — background polling timers on the Blast Queue and Logs pages are now properly stopped when leaving the page.
  • XSS hardening — student names and grade values in the Blast results table are now HTML-escaped before rendering.
  • Event listener stacking — the log level filter no longer accumulates duplicate event listeners across page visits.
v1.3.0
March 8, 2026

🛡️ Reliability & Polish

Crash-proofing, smarter validation, and a round of UI improvements across the board.

Fixed
  • Blast All crash isolation — if the background grading worker crashes, the session now correctly marks itself as done and surfaces the error instead of hanging forever.
  • Blast Queue crash isolation — per-assignment worker errors are caught individually so a single bad file doesn't kill the entire queue run.
  • Grade submit errors — invalid or non-numeric deduction values no longer cause 500 errors; they safely default to 0.
  • Skipped rows now reported — when Blast Queue skips invalid CSV rows, the reasons are now shown in the progress UI instead of being silently dropped.
New
  • Profile name validation — profile names are now checked for length, duplicates, and required fields before saving. Clear inline error messages replace silent failures.
  • AI profile schema validation — profiles generated by AI are validated for correct structure before being saved, preventing corrupt profiles from entering the system.
  • Canvas URL auto-HTTPS — Canvas URL in Settings is automatically upgraded to HTTPS if entered without a scheme.
  • Form auto-save — the one-by-one grading form now auto-saves to localStorage as you type, so edits survive accidental navigation.
  • Live grade color coding — the final grade readout updates color in real time (green ≥90, yellow ≥75, orange ≥60, red below).
Improved
  • Smoother UI — card hover states, button press animations, input focus glows, and page fade transitions throughout the app.
  • Signed & notarized — the macOS build is now code-signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarized by Apple. No more Gatekeeper warnings on first launch.
v1.0.0
March 5, 2026

🚀 Initial Release

GradeBlaster 1.0.0 — the first public release.

New
  • Blast All mode — grade an entire class in one click. AI downloads all submissions, analyzes each one, generates feedback, and posts grades to Canvas automatically.
  • Step-by-Step mode — grade one student at a time with AI suggestions. Review, accept, or override each grade before posting.
  • Grading Profiles — create reusable rubric templates with Visual and Technical criteria, custom point weights, and feedback templates.
  • Canvas Integration — connects to any Canvas LMS instance via personal API token. Reads courses, assignments, and submissions. Posts grades and comments.
  • AI Vision grading — analyzes student submission images using Anthropic Claude or OpenAI GPT-4o. Supports PDFs (converted to images) and PNG/JPG files.
  • Draft Mode — post grades as muted drafts in Canvas so students can't see them until you're ready to publish.
  • Grade History — full session history with per-student scores, feedback, and timestamps. Export to CSV.
  • AI Cost Tracking — real-time token usage and dollar cost per grading run.
  • Grade Distribution — histogram view of grade distribution across A/B/C/D/F buckets after each run.
  • Description Analysis — paste in the assignment brief and the AI checks if submissions follow the requirements.
  • 30-day free trial — all features unlocked, no credit card required.
  • License system — Pro ($99/yr) and Department ($349/yr, 5 seats) licenses with instant key delivery.
  • macOS 11+ support — native app for Intel and Apple Silicon. Signed and notarized.
AI Providers
  • Anthropic Claude 3.5 Sonnet (vision) — primary recommendation
  • OpenAI GPT-4o (vision) — full support
  • Bring your own API key — no markup, direct billing from provider
🗺️

On the Roadmap

Features planned for upcoming releases:

  • Windows & Linux app support
  • Rubric import from Canvas assignments
  • Batch re-grade with updated rubric
  • Export feedback as PDF reports
  • Multi-page submission support (whole portfolios)
  • Grade comparison across semesters
  • AI grader confidence scores

Want to suggest a feature? Let us know →