Creating a Course

🆕 General

Where do I go to create a new course?

A: In the admin area, go to Content & Courses > Your Courses and click Create course. On Knowledge Hub, click Create new course.

🎬 Watch this as a short narrated video

Steps shown in this video

1. Open Content & Courses → Your Courses in the admin area
2. Click Create course
3. Give your course a title
4. Add a description and thumbnail so learners know what to expect
5. Build your outline in Course Content — add lessons from the 5Mins Library, Your Content, or embed links, plus assessments
6. Configure availability and completion rules in Settings, then click Create Course

This opens the Course Creation page with four tabs: Details, Course Content, Resources, and Settings.

What are the main steps in creating a course?

You’ll follow these steps:

1. Fill in course Details (title, description, thumbnail).
2. Build your outline in the Course Content tab by adding lessons or assessments.
3. Set preferences in the Settings tab.
4. Click Create Course to publish it, or Save Draft if you're not ready yet.

Can I save a course before it's finished?

Yes. Click Save Draft at the top of the page (a course title is required). Only you can see the draft until it's published. When you're ready, open the course, click Edit, and then click Publish Course.

Can I edit a course after it's created?

Yes. Click Edit on any course to update its details, content, and resources. The Create Course button shows as Update Course (or Publish Course if the course is still a draft). Course settings aren't part of the edit page - change them from the Settings tab on the course page (see below).

Where can I edit the settings on an existing Course?

Once a Course is created, its settings can be updated on its respective Course page:

What can I configure in the Settings tab?

You can manage course availability, completion rules, and other preferences here. All course level settings are centralised in this tab.

How do I add a thumbnail to my course?

In the Details tab, click Change Thumbnail. You can upload an image from your device, choose one from Stock Footage, or, where available, generate one with AI. If you don't add a thumbnail, 5Mins uses an automatically generated one.

Can I skip the course description?

While it’s not mandatory, adding a description helps users understand the course content and purpose.

How do I add lessons to my course?

Use the left side menu to access the 5Mins Library, Your Content, or Embed links. You can search and add lessons directly from there.

Depending on your role, the same menu also lets you add SCORM content, Events, and downloadable Resources.

I clicked "Upload Content" and was redirected. What do I do next?

A new tab opens the Upload Content page. After uploading your lesson, return to the Course Creation tab. The list refreshes when you come back, and the new lesson appears in Your Content once it has finished processing.

Why is there an empty state in my course outline?

If nothing has been added yet, the Course Content tab shows Add content to your course with two options: Start With A Section or Add Content.

Can I group my course content into sections?

Yes. On the Course Content tab, select Start With A Section (on an empty course) or Add Section, give the section a name, then use Add Content To Section or drag content into it. You can add up to 12 sections per course.

• Use the Edit and Delete icons on a section header to rename or remove it. Deleting a section keeps its content in the course.
• Drag sections, and the content inside them, to reorder them. Content that is not in a section is shown in an Unsectioned group.
• Sections only group the outline. They do not change the order learners follow or which lessons are locked.
• Learners see each section with its title and content counts, and can expand or collapse it.

What’s the difference between “5Mins Library”, “Your Content” and “Embed Links”?

• 5Mins Library refers to pre-existing lessons from our curated content.
• Your Content includes lessons your team or organisation has uploaded.
• Embed Links is a section where you can add web content, which will then show on Your Content section.

How often does “Your Content” refresh?

The list refreshes automatically each time you return to the Course Creation tab. Lessons that are still processing don't appear until they're ready.

How do I upload a new lesson?

Click the Upload new lessons link at the top of Your Content. A new tab will open where you may add new lessons.

For external links, you can do also use the Embed Links section.

How do I add assessments to a course?

From the left side menu, select Assessments and choose the type of assessment:

• Multiple Choice
• Match the Pairs
• Categorise
• Short Text
• Exercise
• Poll

Each one has its own setup flow. Admins can also add scenario-based Situational Tests from the same menu.

My newly uploaded lesson isn’t showing up. What should I do?

New lessons only appear once they have finished processing. Switch away from the Course Creation tab and back again to refresh the list. If it still doesn’t appear, make sure the upload completed successfully in the Upload Content tab.

Can I reopen a course I just updated?

Yes. After clicking Update Course, you’ll see a confirmation page (“Your course was updated!”). Click Continue to course to reopen it. If some learners have already completed the course, you can also click Notify Learners to email them about the changes.