Lesson no-access message
The text a student reads when they open a lesson they cannot access. It can be set once for a whole course, and overridden on a single lesson.
The two places
| Level | Field | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Course | Course settings → Lessons → "Lesson not available" text | Every lesson of the course |
| Lesson | Lesson settings → Configuration → "Lesson not available" text | That lesson only |
The lesson field says so explicitly: if it is empty, the content defined for the course is used.
Both are rich-text fields and accept shortcodes.
Set the course-level text first
One field covers the whole course, and that is enough for most courses. Fill it in once and every lesson is handled.
Only use the lesson-level override when a specific lesson needs a different explanation.
What to write
The student reading this usually already knows what the course is — they were in it, or they followed a direct link. What they need is why this is closed and what to do.
- One line on why. This lesson is part of the full course.
- A route. A link to the course, the product or the plan.
- A way back. So the student is not stranded on a single lesson.
This lesson is included with the full course. See the course, or sign in if you are already enrolled.
The fallback
With both fields empty, the student reads a short built-in line saying the lesson is not available.
It is accurate and unhelpful. Filling in the course-level field takes a minute and removes every instance of it.
When to override per lesson
The clearest case is a lesson with its own permission rule. A student who can use the rest of the course but not this lesson will not understand a general message — the override is where you explain the difference:
This module is part of the Pro plan. The rest of the course is included in yours.
Other reasonable cases: a lesson released later, or one belonging to a different product.
The rest of the page stays
The message replaces the lesson's content. The outline, the progress bar and the back link remain, so a student with partial access can keep moving through the course.
That is deliberate — a blocked lesson should not be a dead end for someone who has access to the rest.
Keep it consistent with the course message
A student may see the course's Content if no access and a lesson's "Lesson not available" text within a minute of each other. They should sound like the same site and point at the same solution.
Write them together.
Verify
- Write the course-level text and update the course.
- Sign in as a student without access and open a lesson URL directly.
- Confirm the message appears and its links work.
- Confirm the outline and back link are still usable.
- Add a lesson-level override on one lesson and confirm it replaces the course text there only.
- Repeat signed out.