---
title: "Global Lesson Settings"
source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/lesson-settings/"
description: "The LearnDash Global Lesson Settings screen allows site admins to manage settings that apply to all lessons across the site. These global options help standardi…"
vertical: "Software"
area: "LearnDash"
date: "2019-04-13"
last_modified: "2026-07-02"
---

# Global Lesson Settings

The **LearnDash Global Lesson Settings** screen allows site admins to manage settings that apply to **all lessons** across the site. These global options help standardize lesson behavior and structure.

## How to Access Lesson Settings

1. Navigate to **LearnDash LMS > Lessons**
2. Click the **Settings** tab at the top of the page

![LearnDash global lesson settings navigation](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/learndash-lesson-settings-navigation.jpg)## Lesson Display Settings

![LearnDash lesson display settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/learndash-lesson-display-settings.jpg)If you’re using the [course builder](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-builder/) to organize your lessons, the lesson display settings here don’t apply. You can ignore them. These are simply an alternative way to control the order in which your lessons appear, if you’re not using the course builder.

These settings will apply globally, to all lessons in all courses, but can be overridden on a course-by-course basis in the [Course Display and Content Settings](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-display-content-settings/).

1. Choose a Sort By option 
    - Date (default)
    - Title
    - Menu Order
2. Choose a Sort Direction 
    - Descending (default)
    - Ascending
3. Choose how many Posts Per Page to display 
    - This determines the number of lessons shown in the course content table, before pagination is added to the bottom
    - Enter `0` to show all lessons (disable pagination)

## Lesson Taxonomies (Categories and Tags)

Lesson taxonomies help organize and label content for easier navigation and content grouping. LearnDash supports both **custom taxonomies** and **WordPress default taxonomies**.

![](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/lesson-taxonomies.png)Using lesson taxonomies is completely optional, but they provide an additional way to organize your lessons.

### LearnDash Lesson Categories

- Custom categories created specifically for LearnDash lessons
- Not shared with blog posts or other content types
- Useful for grouping lessons by theme, topic, or module

### LearnDash Lesson Tags

- Custom tags exclusive to LearnDash lessons
- Great for adding flexible, searchable labels
- Not shared with other WordPress content

### WordPress Post Categories

- Standard WordPress categories
- Managed under **Posts > Categories** in the WordPress dashboard
- Can be shared across **Posts** and **Lessons**
- Useful for site-wide organization and filtering

### WordPress Post Tags

- Standard WordPress tags
- Managed under **Posts > Tags** in the WordPress dashboard
- Can be shared across **Posts** and **Lessons**

### Managing Categories and Tags

To manage any of the taxonomy options (add, edit, or delete):

1. Navigate to **LearnDash LMS > Lessons**
2. Open the **Actions** dropdown menu
3. Choose your preferred option for managing categories or tags

![](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/manage_learndash_lesson_categories_and_tags.png)## Custom Post Type Options

These settings apply to all LearnDash lessons and help control how lessons behave across the site.

![Lesson Custom Post Type Options](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Lesson-Custom-Post-Type-Options.png)### Lesson Search

Enable this setting to include lessons in the WordPress site’s default search results.

Options:

- **Logged-in Users Only**
- **Enrolled Users Only**

**Important:** This setting does **not** impact Google search results. Lessons can still be indexed by search engines.

### Archive Page

Turn this on to create a front-end archive page that lists all lessons.

When enabled:

- Users can view a list of all published lessons
- Option to turn on an **RSS/Atom feed**

**Important:** After enabling, re-save your site permalinks for the archive page to take effect.

### Editor Supported Settings

Choose which standard WordPress features are available in the lesson editor.

Options include:

- **Featured Images**
- **Comments**
- **Custom Fields**
- **Revisions**

## Next Steps

Now that the global Lesson Settings are configured, consider reviewing how these settings interact with **individual lesson settings** and **course structures**. For example:

- Want to customize lesson release timing? See [Why and How to Use Drip Content for Lessons](https://www.learndash.com/blog/why-you-should-use-drip-content-for-your-courses/)
- Looking to improve navigation between lessons? Explore [Focus Mode](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/focus-mode/)
- Curious how lessons fit into larger learning paths? Review the [Course Builder](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/course-builder/) tutorial

Setting up lessons with clear taxonomy and search options makes it easier for learners to find content, and for admins to manage it efficiently.