Content Visibility gives Admins, Authors, Collaborators and Verifiers, the freedom to manage which content becomes visible to certain team members, once published. So, while Custom Rules still serve as a means of making content accessible to specific team members, Content Visibility ensures that only the material intended for the assigned Users, is searchable/revealed within certain areas.
Content Editor
The Content Visibility section can be found within the Release & Deadline step of your content’s editor. From here, you will be able to choose from four main options. These include the following:
Visible Everywhere - the selected content will appear across the organisation’s workspace, accessible to all Users.
Authors and non-Authors can use this content as Existing Content.
Visible in Search, Channels, and My Library (except History tab) - content will be visible for Users to access via Search, Channels and My Library, but is hidden as Existing Content and from Pathways.
Only Authors of this content can include them as Existing Content in other content types.
"Except History tab" means that should the visibility option be changed to another, the content will still remain accessible to the User, via their History tab (under the My Learning page), if they've already completed it, as it becomes a part of their learning history/record.
Visible in Existing Content (except History tab)- the content will only be accessible via the Pathways it’s included in, inside any content where it’s featured as Existing Content (Nuggets, Course Lessons), and also within Channels. Searching for it outside of these areas won’t be possible.
Authors and non-authors can include this content as Existing Content, within other content types.
Changing the visibility option for content included within a Pathway, Nugget or Lesson, won't remove it from the content type it sits within. This would need to be done by the Author.
If you want to have content sitting inside another content type, as Existing Content, but without the content appearing in a channel, you can simply remove the Channel when re-editing the content settings (as this is no longer a compulsory field).
Only with Link (except History tab) - only Users with the given link, can access the content.
These cannot be added - even by the Author - as Existing Content within other content types.
The Link will appear ready for copying, only once the Author has chosen this option.
Note✨: The only exception with Content Visibility, when accessing content is that assigned Users will always be able to access the content, via its web app notification (e.g., "You have been added to...") and its email notification links.
HowNow+ Courses
When importing HowNow+ Courses, the Content Visibility option is available once the content has been published. It won't be featured on the final step of the import process, but instead, Authors can access the Content Visibility option via the 3-dot menu, on the Content page.
Note✨: Some important points to be aware of, when changing Content Visibility options:
Users’ learning insights won’t be affected by a change in visibility. For example:
If a User had completed the content, when it was Visible Everywhere, then it was updated to Visible in Existing Content, the User’s learning insights would still show as Complete.
When creating new content, the default visibility option will always be Visible Everywhere. This includes from the web app, mobile, Extension, Slack or MS Teams.
Content included in Pathways, will remain available from within the Pathway itself, regardless of its individual Visibility settings. This applies to all the Content Visibility options.
Content Page
Starting with the Content page, via your Dashboard.
Within the Name column select the 3-dot menu option, and select Change Visibility.
The Content Visibility pop-up will appear, providing the same four visibility options as found within the Studio:
Visible Everywhere
Visible in Existing Content
Visible in Search, Channels, and My Library (except History tab)
Only with Link
Note✨: When selecting the option, “Only with Link”, you must copy the link via the 3-dot menu of that content. Select Copy Link and wait for the confirmation once copied.
From here, you can share the link directly with the individuals or Teams who will gain exclusive access, but only if they are already assigned to the content.
You can also use the Bulk option to manage content visibility for multiple content items.
Select the checkboxes of the content you want to make the changes to. You can select all content items shown in the table, by selecting the checkbox next to the Name column title.
Click the Change Visibility icon in the row of Bulk options.
Once you’ve selected your option from the pop-up, a reminder pop-up will appear, then another confirming that the change was successful.
Filters can be used to view only the content that matches one of the standard visibility options. These will match with the Visibility column that shows the status for all individual content items, making it easier to update.
Some additional point to remember for Content Visibility include...
The Mobile app, Browser Extension, Slack and Ms Teams will remain the same, with content being visible everywhere for assigned Users. There is no Content Visibility option for these.
Notifications are sent to the following Users, whenever visibility changes are made:
Author, Collaborators and Verifiers
Assigned Users - Only User who've engaged with the content will receive notifications. Any assigned Users who've yet to open/start the content won't receive them. This helps reduce unnecessary emails.
Once content is completed, it will remain in the My Learning > History tab, regardless of its visibility status.
Potential Use Cases
How a Content Visibility option is used, entirely depends on your organisation's L&D needs, and the individuals/teams you're focused on developing. Outlined below (excluding Visible Everywhere) are examples of scenarios, where Authors, Admin, etc., may get the most out of each.
Search, Channels and My Learning
An Author may use this option to prevent other content creators within your organisation, from being able to use their content, which isn't always relevant to other teams. This helps to protect the quality of learning paths for the original Author's team, and also those of other teams.
For example:
Hannah is the Manager of the E-Learning team (instructional designers, curriculum experts, etc.)
She creates a "Gamification Theory" Course: the content inside is only relevant to professionals who design the learning experience, and educational materials.
Hannah adds this Course as a step in her "E-Learning Level 4" Pathway: this is designed to only upskill all of her E-Learning team members.
Patrick is the Manager of the Design team (graphic designers, UI experts, etc.)
Hannah wants to prevent Patrick (and anyone else) from including the "Gamification Theory" Course inside their Nuggets, Courses or Pathways. In this case, its subject matter isn't relevant to professionals who work with visual designs and imagery specifically, so would be misplaced in any content aimed at the Design team.
Hannah can use the Search, Channels and My Learning option, to stop Patrick from adding it to his Pathways in error (or not realising its true purpose).
Visible in Existing Content
Some Authors may find that there's no need for certain content to be seen, outside of their context or 'home'. It may be that a topic is best viewed as part of the content, instead of a singular entity, as it could confuse Users.
The Existing Content option helps control this, and also encourages Users to stay focused on continuing their journey via a Learning Pathway, as opposed to 'drifting off' and consuming it separately, which may not makes sense, as it is outside of the [often chronological] context.
For example:
Patrick is still the Manager of the Design team.
He creates the "All Things UI Design" Pathway: this is set as Sequential Learning (Steps must be completed in chronological order), so Steps won't necessarily make sense to a User if they haven't completed the previous one (as the themes between Steps may strongly link with each other, or, the level of knowledge changes between Steps).
Patrick creates the "UI Accessibility - Part 1 of 2" Course and sets visibility to Visible in Existing Content. He adds this Course to the Pathway.
This means the assigned Design team Users, will always be guided to the Pathway, in order to start (or revisit) the "UI Accessibility Part 1 of 2" Course - as seeing it on its own (e.g., via My Learning > Shared With Me), won't give context to Users, and is confusing if there is no clear precursor or follow-up (e.g., the Part 2 of 2).
Only with Link
This option may be used in a number of scenarios such as these:
It may be useful for keeping content with more sensitive-data 'behind the scenes' - only allowing select Users to have access via the link, while showing it as part of their standard learning.
You may use this option to 'Archive' content rather than Unpublishing it. Using this option means all data remains intact and visible in dashboards but the users won't discover it by accident, eg. They may search for GDPR - they should just discover the latest and not see previous year versions - this can be controlled with Visibility settings
Alternatively, think of this use case as getting team members to complete content that doesn't directly relate to their learning, but is just as important.
For example:
Jane and Tom are collaborating on a company requirement: to have all of the 10 Wellbeing officers complete their Diversity, Equality and Inclusion training, alongside First Aid training materials.
Each Wellbeing officer is part of a different team within the organisation. Each of their managers has requested that only content related to their core Job Roles specifically, must be visible on their workspace.
Jane and Tom can still achieve their goal, by using the Only with Link option, as the Users will be able to access and complete the training, but won't have it appear anywhere amongst their other learning content, which is completely unrelated.
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