This article will show you how to control access to your course content using the new Private Channel-Based Course Access feature in Communities. You can now offer exclusive or premium courses only to members of selected private channels—perfect for managing paid content, internal training, or moderator programs.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is Private Channel-Based Course Access?
• Key Benefits of Private Channel-Based Course Access
• How To Set Up Private Channel-Based Course Access
• Private Channel Visibility Tag
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is Private Channel-Based Course Access?

Private Channel-Based Course Access lets group admins restrict course visibility to members of specific private channels within their group. This allows you to curate a more personalized and secure learning experience by controlling exactly who can see and access individual courses.

Once a course is linked to a Private Channel, only members of that channel can view the course in the Learning section. Members who are not in the selected Private Channel(s) will not see the course at all unless they later gain access to the channel.

Key Benefits of Private Channel-Based Course Access

Private Channel-Based Course Access empowers you to manage learning experiences with greater precision and flexibility.

• Offer premium courses to members of paid or subscription-based Private Channels.

• Run exclusive training programs for moderators or internal teams.

• Restrict visibility of internal or early-access content to select groups.

• Simplify content management by linking one course to multiple Private Channels.

• Maintain a clean Learning section—restricted courses are invisible to non-authorized members.

• Easily identify restricted courses with a Private-channel based access tag.

How To Set Up Private Channel-Based Course Access

Setting up Private Channel-Based Course Access is simple and can be done in just a few steps. This gives you more control over your content visibility and member access.

1. Navigate to Learning → select the course you want to restrict.

2. Click Edit Course.

3. Under the Visibility dropdown, select Private Channel.

   Screenshot to add here: Visibility dropdown with “Private Channel” selected

4. Choose one or more Private Channels from the list provided.

   Screenshot to add here: Private Channel selection list in the modal

5. Click Save to apply your settings.

Once saved:

• Only members of the selected Private Channels will see and access the course.
• Members not in the selected channels will not see the course listed at all.
• Only Group Admins or Owners can modify these visibility settings.

Private Channel Visibility Tag

To make it easier for admins and owners to identify which courses are restricted, any course with Private Channel-Based Access will display a Private-channel based access tag in its listing.

This tag ensures transparency and helps you manage content access across multiple groups and courses efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can members join a Private Channel and gain course access automatically?

Yes! As soon as a member joins a Private Channel that is linked to a course, they will automatically gain access to the course content.

Q: Can I link a course to multiple Private Channels?

Yes—you can select one or more Private Channels for each course, allowing you to manage visibility flexibly.

Q: Can I restrict access to individual course modules using this feature?

No—Private Channel-Based Access applies to the entire course. Module-level restrictions within a course are not supported at this time.

Q: Who can edit the Private Channel visibility settings for a course?

Only Group Admins and Owners have the ability to modify course visibility settings.

Q: Will members see that a course exists if they aren’t in the correct Private Channel?

No—members outside the selected Private Channels will not see the course listed in the Learning section at all.

Q: Can I use this feature for monetized or premium courses?

Yes—Private Channel-Based Access works perfectly with Paid Groups or Stripe-based subscriptions. Link your premium courses to channels reserved for paying members to offer gated content.

Next Steps

• Review your current Courses and decide which ones should be linked to Private Channels.

• Set up Private Channels for your paid, internal, or special interest groups.

• Tag your premium and restricted courses with Private Channel-Based Access.

• Explore additional monetization options using Paid Groups and subscriptions.

• Periodically audit Private Channel memberships to ensure proper access control.