--- title: "LearnDash Core" source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/core/" description: "This section will guide you through all of the features and settings built into LearnDash. You'll learn how to create courses, assign lessons and topics, build…" vertical: "Software" area: "LearnDash" date: "2018-09-06" last_modified: "2026-07-02" --- # LearnDash Core This section will guide you through all of the features and settings built into LearnDash. You’ll learn how to create courses, assign lessons and topics, build out complex quizzes with a variety of question types, grade assignments and more. We’ll also explain LearnDash’s settings, which provide a way for you to customize LearnDash to meet your specific online course needs. ## Settings Here’s where you can adjust the global settings that will apply to your entire LearnDash site. We cover the following topics: - [General Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/general-settings/) – LearnDash template, admin settings, and per page defaults - [Registration](https://learndash.com/support/docs/core/settings/registration/) – LearnDash new (optional) registration flow settings. - [Payments](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/payments/) – Set up and organize different payment settings and processors. - [Orders](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/orders/) – Manage orders and view order data and invoicing. - [PayPal Settings](https://learndash.com/support/docs/core/settings/paypal-settings/) – For those who want to use our built-in PayPal integration to sell courses (optional) - [Stripe Connect](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/stripe-connect/) – For those who want to use our built-in Stripe integration to sell courses (optional) - [RazorPay Integration](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/razorpay-integration/) – For those who want to use our built-in Razorpay integration to sell courses (optional) - [Emails](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/emails/) – Manage and customize system emails coming from both WordPress and LearnDash - [Permalinks (URLs)](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/permalinks/) – Set up and customize the URL structure for courses, lessons, topics and quizzes - [Advanced Options](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/advanced-options/) – Information about Custom Labels, REST API, and Data Upgrade features of LearnDash ## Courses This section covers everything needed to build and set up a LearnDash course. We cover the following topics: - [Global Course Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-settings/) – Settings applied to all courses on your site - [Shared Course Steps](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/shared-course-steps/) – Reuse lessons, topics and quizzes across multiple courses - [The Course Builder](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-builder/) – Add, edit, remove and organize course steps - [Display and Content Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-display-content-settings/) – Add materials, assign certificates and more - [Configure Course Access](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-enrollment-mode/) – Offer free courses, require login, charge a fee, set prerequisites and more - [Course Progression Options](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-progression/) – How a user can navigate through your course - [Course Page](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-page/) – Course title, image, URL and a description ## Lessons Lessons are the first piece of content you’ll add to your course. We’ll walk you through the following: - [Global Lesson Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/lesson-settings/) – Settings applied to all lessons on your site - [Configure Lesson Access](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/lesson-access/) – Sample lessons, drip content and schedule lesson availability - [Display and Content Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/lesson-display-content/) – Add materials, configure video settings, control assignment uploads and lesson timers - [Create Lesson Content](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/lesson-page/) – Add text and images, insert videos, embed interactive content, etc. ## Topics Topics represent optional content that can be added to lessons. This section will cover: - [Global Topic Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/topic-settings/) – Settings applied to all lessons on your site - [Display and Content Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/topic-display-content/) – Add materials, configure video settings, control assignment uploads and lesson timers - [Create Topic Content](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/topic-page/) – Add text and images, insert videos, embed interactive content, etc. ## Quizzes Quizzes are designed to test a user’s comprehension of the learning material. This section covers everything needed to set up and customize a LearnDash quiz. - [Global Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-global-settings/) – Settings applied to all quizzes on your site - [Quiz Builder](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-builder/) – Add, edit, remove and manage a quiz, and all its questions - [Questions and Question Types](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-questions/) – How to set up quiz questions and all available question types - [Quiz Access and Progression](https://learndash.com/support/docs/core/quizzes/quiz-access/) – Set access restrictions and control how a user progresses through a quiz - [Display and Content Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-display/) – Customize several options for how a quiz appears to your users - [Display Results](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-results/) – Customize how quiz results are displayed and provide answer feedback - [Custom Fields](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-custom-fields/) – Collect additional information from users who take a quiz - [Leaderboard](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-leaderboard/) – Promote competition by displaying user results in a leaderboard - [Email Notifications](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/quiz-email-notifications/) – Notify users and/or admins when a quiz is completed ## Essays Essays can include file uploads or written text. They are created as part of a quiz, and can be optionally graded by administrators. - [Manage and Grade Essays](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/essays/) – View, search, filter, delete, comment, and assign points ## Assignments Assignments are files that can be uploaded to a lesson or topic by your users, and optionally graded by administrators. This section includes the following: - [Global Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/assignment-settings/) – Applied to all assignments throughout your entire site - [Enable Assignment Uploads](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/enable-assignments/) – Walks you through all the available options when setting up assignments - [Manage Assignments](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/manage-assignments/) – View, search, filter, approve, delete, comment, assign points and get notified ## Shortcodes/Blocks Shortcodes can inserted into various places throughout your LearnDash-powered site. They display various information about your users, courses and other LearnDash features. If you’re using the newest WordPress editor (version 5.0+), all of our shortcodes are also available as Gutenberg blocks. [View all shortcodes and blocks](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/shortcodes-blocks/) ## Widgets LearnDash provides several widgets that can be placed anywhere your theme has designated as a widgetized area, or sidebar. This varies from theme-to-theme, but when applied, these widgets will display additional information about your LearnDash courses and users. [View all widgets](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/widgets/)