{"id":232221,"date":"2025-10-17T20:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/course-tracker\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T18:38:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T18:38:49","slug":"course-tracker","status":"publish","type":"plugin","link":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/course-tracker\/","author":11817988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"version":"1.1.8","stable_tag":"1.1.8","tested":"7.0","requires":"5.0","requires_php":"7.0","requires_plugins":null,"header_name":"Course Tracker","header_author":"Erik Z. 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Each menu item (lesson) automatically becomes part of a side navigation panel \u2014 complete with <strong>progress checkmarks and arrows<\/strong> that update as students mark lessons complete.<\/p>\n\n<p>Fully compatible with <strong>Classic Editor, Gutenberg, and all major page builders<\/strong> such as Bricks Builder, Elementor, and Beaver Builder, Course Tracker helps you track lessons, show progress bars, customize navigation text, and guide students through your course in a clean, visual way.<\/p>\n\n<p>Designed for creators who want course progress tracking without complex LMS setups, it delivers everything you need to create a motivating learning experience \u2014 fast, flexible, and privacy-friendly.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Key Features<\/h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shortcode-Driven:<\/strong> Add course navigation, progress bars, and completion buttons anywhere \u2014 no coding required.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Menu-Based Navigation:<\/strong> Uses the native WordPress Menu Builder to create your course outline and automatically show lesson checkmarks and arrows as students progress.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lesson Completion Tracking:<\/strong> Students can mark lessons complete and instantly see their updated progress.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Standalone Progress Bar:<\/strong> Display a progress bar independently from the course outline using the new <code>[ctrkr_progress_bar]<\/code> shortcode.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Custom Progress Text:<\/strong> Customize wording like \u201clessons\u201d, \u201cmodules\u201d, or \u201csections\u201d using shortcode attributes and dynamic tokens.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Progress Bars &amp; Checkmarks:<\/strong> Display lesson progress visually with customizable bars, icons, and completion text.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Custom Slide-in Content:<\/strong> Add custom HTML, notices, buttons, downloads, or shortcodes below the slide-in navigation panel.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigation Styling Controls:<\/strong> Fine-tune navigation spacing, colors, active states, and checkmark styling directly from settings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build Your Own LMS:<\/strong> Create a complete learning experience directly inside WordPress \u2014 no third-party LMS plugins or subscriptions needed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Works with All Editors:<\/strong> Compatible with Classic Editor, Gutenberg, Bricks Builder, Elementor, and other page builders.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lightweight &amp; Fast:<\/strong> Built for speed, simplicity, and compatibility with any theme.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Save &amp; Restore Progress:<\/strong> Students can export or import progress data anytime \u2014 no external accounts or sync required.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Privacy-First:<\/strong> All progress data stays in your WordPress database, never sent elsewhere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Usage<\/h3>\n\n<p>After setup, use these shortcodes in your pages or templates:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_nav]<\/code> \u2014 Displays course navigation with checkmarks.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_complete_button text=\" \"]<\/code> \u2014 Adds a button to mark the current lesson as complete.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_nav_arrows]<\/code> \u2014 Adds Previous\/Next lesson arrows.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_course_outline]<\/code> \u2014 Shows progress bar and course outline.<\/p>\n\n<p>Example:\n  [ctrkr_course_outline show_progress=\"no\"]<\/p>\n\n<p>Displays the course outline without the progress bar.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_lesson_position]<\/code> \u2014 Displays text like Lesson X of Y.<\/p>\n\n<p>Example:\n  [ctrkr_lesson_position text=\"Module {current} of {total}\"]<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_progress_text]<\/code> \u2014 Displays Completed X of Y lessons with navigation arrows.<\/p>\n\n<p>Example:\n  [ctrkr_progress_text text=\"Completed {completed} of {total} modules\"]<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p><code>[ctrkr_progress_bar]<\/code> \u2014 Displays a standalone progress bar.<\/p>\n\n<p>Example:\n  [ctrkr_progress_bar text=\"{completed} of {total} modules complete ({percent}%)\"]<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<pre><code>[ctrkr_nav] is intended for users who want to manually place course navigation in sidebars, templates, or custom page layouts.\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>For easier setup, Course Tracker also includes an optional automatic slide-in navigation panel available in plugin settings. When enabled, manual insertion of <code>[ctrkr_nav]<\/code> is not required.<\/p>\n\n<p>Add <code>[ctrkr_complete_button]<\/code> to lesson pages so students can manually mark lessons complete when using shortcode-based layouts.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Settings<\/h3>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Course Navigation Menu:<\/strong> Choose the WordPress menu that represents your course.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Show Navigation Title:<\/strong> Display a title above the course navigation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Slide-in Tracker Panel:<\/strong> Optionally enable a floating slide-in menu for navigation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Custom Slide-in Content:<\/strong> Add custom HTML, buttons, notices, downloads, or shortcodes below the slide-in navigation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigation Styling Controls:<\/strong> Adjust navigation spacing, active link behavior, and checkmark appearance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Styling:<\/strong> Customize button colors with the built-in Button Styler, or fine-tune further using the WordPress Customizer or your theme's CSS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Student Reports:<\/strong> View student progress and export to a spreadsheet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>External Services<\/h3>\n\n<p>This plugin connects to <a href=\"https:\/\/surecart.com\/\">SureCart<\/a> via <code>api.surecart.com<\/code> for license verification (to unlock the premium version).<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What:<\/strong> The entered license key is sent to SureCart for validation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When:<\/strong> Only when you enter or remove a license key in the plugin settings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data sent:<\/strong> License key only \u2014 no student or course data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Purpose:<\/strong> To enable premium features after purchase.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/surecart.com\/privacy-policy\/\">SureCart Privacy Policy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<!--section=installation-->\n<ol>\n<li>Upload the plugin files to the <code>\/wp-content\/plugins\/course-tracker<\/code> directory or install via the WordPress plugin installer.<\/li>\n<li>Activate the plugin through the <strong>Plugins<\/strong> menu in WordPress.<\/li>\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings \u2192 Course Tracker<\/strong> to select your course navigation menu and configure options.<\/li>\n<li>Add shortcodes (see below) to your lesson or course pages.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<!--section=faq-->\n<dl>\n<dt id=\"does%20this%20plugin%20require%20another%20lms%20like%20learndash%20or%20tutorlms%3F\"><h3>Does this plugin require another LMS like LearnDash or TutorLMS?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>No. <strong>Course Tracker is completely standalone<\/strong> \u2014 it's not an add-on for any LMS platform. It uses your WordPress menu system and shortcodes to build your own lightweight learning platform directly inside WordPress.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"how%20does%20course%20tracker%20use%20the%20wordpress%20menu%20builder%3F\"><h3>How does Course Tracker use the WordPress menu builder?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Course Tracker connects to the <strong>native WordPress Menu Builder<\/strong> to create your course structure. Each menu item (lesson) becomes part of a visual course navigation panel. When a student marks a lesson as complete, a <strong>checkmark<\/strong> automatically appears next to that lesson.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"do%20i%20need%20to%20code%20or%20edit%20templates%3F\"><h3>Do I need to code or edit templates?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>No coding is required. Course Tracker is <strong>100% shortcode-driven<\/strong>, so you can insert navigation, progress bars, and completion buttons anywhere. It works seamlessly with <strong>Classic Editor, Gutenberg, Bricks Builder, Elementor<\/strong>, and most other page builders.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"do%20i%20need%20to%20use%20all%20the%20shortcodes%3F%20which%20ones%20are%20required%3F\"><h3>Do I need to use all the shortcodes? Which ones are required?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>You only need to use the <strong>course navigation<\/strong> shortcode (<code>[ctrkr_nav]<\/code>) and the <strong>complete button<\/strong> shortcode (<code>[ctrkr_complete_button]<\/code>) for the plugin to function effectively.<\/p>\n\n<p>However, we suggest adding all shortcodes to a test post to see what each one does and how they enhance your course layout.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"can%20i%20customize%20wording%20like%20%E2%80%9Clessons%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9Cmodules%E2%80%9D%3F\"><h3>Can I customize wording like \u201clessons\u201d or \u201cmodules\u201d?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes. Several shortcodes support customizable text attributes, allowing you to change wording such as \u201clessons,\u201d \u201cmodules,\u201d \u201csections,\u201d or \u201csteps\u201d to better match your course structure.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"can%20i%20use%20this%20directly%20on%20a%20page%20or%20post%3F\"><h3>Can I use this directly on a page or post?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes, you can. But we recommend creating a <strong>course or lesson template<\/strong> in your page builder so your shortcodes appear consistently across all lessons. Otherwise, you'll need to insert shortcodes manually on each page, which isn't ideal.<\/p>\n\n<p>For more about templates, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/rankbydesign.com\">rankbydesign.com<\/a> and click <strong>LMS<\/strong> for video examples on building a course in Bricks Builder. More guides for other themes are coming soon, as Course Tracker works independently of any theme.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"can%20i%20style%20the%20buttons%20and%20navigation%3F\"><h3>Can I style the buttons and navigation?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes! The plugin includes built-in styling controls to customize colors, spacing, active states, and checkmark styles. You can also fine-tune the look using the <strong>WordPress Customizer or theme CSS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Need help matching your site's design? Reach out anytime \u2014 we're happy to help.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"where%20is%20student%20progress%20stored%3F\"><h3>Where is student progress stored?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>All student progress is stored privately in your <strong>own WordPress database<\/strong> and never sent to any external service. Students can also export\/import their own progress files if needed.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"does%20it%20work%20with%20my%20theme%3F\"><h3>Does it work with my theme?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes! Course Tracker is designed to work with <strong>any modern WordPress theme or page builder.<\/strong> Because it uses shortcodes and menus instead of theme-specific templates, it adapts cleanly to your layout.<\/p><\/dd>\n<dt id=\"is%20course%20tracker%20free%3F\"><h3>Is Course Tracker free?<\/h3><\/dt>\n<dd><p>Yes. You can track progress for up to <strong>20 users<\/strong> (including the admin) for free.<\/p>\n\n<p>For larger sites or unlimited users, you can upgrade with a small one-time fee, which helps support ongoing improvements and new features.<\/p><\/dd>\n\n<\/dl>\n\n<!--section=changelog-->\n<h4>1.1.8<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Added standalone <code>[ctrkr_progress_bar]<\/code> shortcode.<\/li>\n<li>Added customizable text support for progress and lesson shortcodes.<\/li>\n<li>Added custom HTML\/shortcode content area below slide-in navigation.<\/li>\n<li>Added additional navigation styling controls and active state settings.<\/li>\n<li>Improved slide-in panel flexibility <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.7<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Improved look for course navigation.<\/li>\n<li>New navigation styling settings added.<\/li>\n<li>Fixed CSV export issue for student reports.<\/li>\n<li>Tightened shortcode security and stability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.6<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Initial version released at WordPress Plugin Directory.<\/li>\n<li>Improved button styling and settings UI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.5<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Refinements and new options added to the slide-in panel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.4<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Fixed remaining domain handling errors with PCP.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.3<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Fixed domain handling and improved data sanitation.<\/li>\n<li>No changes to plugin features or functionality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.1.0<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Plugin completely refactored for simplicity and security.<\/li>\n<li>Always saves progress permanently to WP database, even in free mode.<\/li>\n<li>Free mode supports up to 20 users; premium unlocks unlimited.<\/li>\n<li>Added color picker and slide-in tracker panel.<\/li>\n<li>Improved admin settings and license activation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h4>1.0.0<\/h4>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Initial working version released at rankbydesign.com.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","raw_excerpt":"Lightweight WordPress LMS plugin to track lessons, student progress, and completions with visual progress bars, checkmarks, customizable navigation, a &hellip;","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin\/232221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/plugin"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232221"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wporg\/v1\/users\/erikzett"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"plugin_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_section?post=232221"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_tags?post=232221"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_category?post=232221"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_contributors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_contributors?post=232221"},{"taxonomy":"plugin_business_model","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/el.wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/plugin_business_model?post=232221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}