Lesson Access Settings

The Lesson Access Settings control when learners can view a lesson, whether a lesson is offered as a sample, and how it connects to a course. These settings help course creators control pacing, offer previews, and manage course content more efficiently.

Locating Lesson Access Settings #

To locate the access settings for a lesson:

1. Go to LearnDash LMS > Lessons in the WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on the lesson you want to edit.
3. Select the Settings tab.
4. Scroll to the Lesson Access Settings section.

Associated Course #

In order for a lesson to show up within your course content, you need to associate it with a course. Next to Associated Course, click the dropdown menu, and choose the course to which this lesson belongs

NOTE: If you’ve enabled Shared Course Steps, this field will be disabled, as lessons can be associated with more than one course.

Sample Lesson #

Sample lessons are visible to all visitors, even if they are not enrolled in the course. This is a helpful way to showcase content before someone purchases or enrolls.

To enable a sample lesson:

• Toggle Sample Lesson to ON.

Once enabled, this lesson becomes publicly accessible and clearly marked as a preview.

NOTE: See the Sample Lessons User Guide for more information and examples.

Lesson Schedule #

The lesson schedule allows you to make a lesson available at a specific time. A lesson can become available immediately, or at some point in the future. You have the following options:

• Immediately (default) – The lesson is made available as soon as the user is enrolled in the course
• Enrollment-based – The lesson will be available X days after the user enrolls in the course
• Specific date – The lesson will be available on a specific date

These options also applies to the topics below these lessons. If a topic is associated with a lesson and that lesson is scheduled to be available at a certain date, the topics will also be available at that time. If a topic is not associated with that lesson, you can set the Topic Release Schedule for that topic separately.

By default, all lessons are available immediately. Use the Lesson Schedule options to delay access based on time or enrollment.

Choose from the following scheduling options:

• Immediately (default): The lesson is available as soon as a learner enrolls.
• Enrollment-based: The lesson becomes available a set number of days after the learner enrolls in the course.
• Specific date: The lesson becomes available on a calendar date that you select.
  

Important: “1 day” means 24 hours after enrollment, not the next calendar day. Topics linked to a scheduled lesson will follow the same release schedule. Unlinked topics can be scheduled independently.

External Lesson #

External lessons occur outside LearnDash, either virtually (like Zoom) or in person. They can still be part of a course and tracked for progress.

Select a Delivery Type: #

• Virtual – For online sessions such as Zoom or Google Meet
• In-Person – For lessons held in a classroom or physical location

Require Attendance: #

Decide whether learners must be marked as present before continuing:

• Yes – Students must be marked as attended by an Admin or Group Leader
• No – Students can continue the course without being marked present

Note: Use this option for compliance, certification, or regulated training that requires proof of participation.

Associated Content (Course Association) #

To display a lesson within a course, it must be assigned to a course. This association ensures the lesson appears in the course structure and student navigation.

• Use the Course Switcher in the Lesson editor to select or change the course.

Note: This setting has moved to the lesson page editor, not the course builder. If Shared Course Steps is enabled, this setting will be disabled, since a lesson can be used in multiple courses.

Associating a lesson correctly ensures students see it in their course and can track progress.

Next Steps #

After configuring Lesson Access Settings, consider the following:

• Schedule future lessons to pace content over time
• Use sample lessons to promote your course
• Track attendance for external sessions when needed
• Ensure every lesson is properly assigned to a course

For more information on course structure, see the Course Builder tutorial.