Publish and Unpublish a Course or Module
Publishing makes a course or module available to learners, and unpublishing takes it back offline while you revise it, without deleting anything or losing the work inside.
What do publishing and unpublishing do?
Publishing controls learner access. It does not change the content itself.
Unpublishing is reversible and non-destructive. Use it whenever content needs to come down temporarily.
Does publishing cascade?
Yes. Publishing and unpublishing act on everything nested inside the item you select, so you do not have to work through a course level by level.
This cuts both ways. Unpublishing a course to fix one outdated module takes the whole course offline, including the modules that were fine. If only part of a course needs work, unpublish that module instead and leave the rest available.
How do you publish a course or module?
How do you unpublish a course or module?
Publish and Unpublish are two separate entries in the menu rather than one toggle, so read the menu before selecting.
When should you unpublish instead of archive?
Both take content out of circulation, but they answer different questions.
The rule of thumb: unpublish is a pause, archive is a retirement. See Archive a Course or Module.
FAQ
Does unpublishing delete anything? No. The course or module and everything inside it stay intact. Only learner access changes.
Can I republish something I unpublished? Yes. Select Publish from the same actions menu.
Does publishing a course publish its modules? Yes. Publishing and unpublishing cascade to everything nested inside the item you select, so a course carries its modules and lessons with it.
Can I unpublish just one module without taking down the whole course? Yes. Unpublish the module rather than the course, and the rest of the course stays available to learners.
What happens to a learner who is partway through? Check your active assignments before unpublishing content that is in progress.
Why are Publish and Unpublish separate menu items? The menu lists them as two distinct actions rather than a single toggle, so both appear whatever the current state.
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