This article walks you through making journeys, sections, and activities unlock gradually over time.
For an explanation of how visibility works and what learners see, check out 👉 Understanding automations in programmes
For group-based visibility, check out 👉 Setting up group-based visibility.
Before you start
Work through these questions before opening the settings.
Which groups should have access to this programme? These are the groups you will add at the programme level. All other visibility settings flow from this.
Do you want content to unlock once a learner finishes what comes before it? Then use "After previous is completed"
Do you want content to unlock based on a specific date or time? Then use Unlock at a certain point in time. There are four options:
After a fixed date
When the contract start/end date, first/last login, and creation of user, is before or after a specific date
A number of days after the programme became available to the user
Do you want to combine both?
You can use both time-based options together on the same item. The content will unlock only when both requirements are met.
Step 1: Add groups at the programme level
Before setting visibility on individual journeys or sections, make sure the relevant groups are added at the programme level.
Open a programme, then go to the Settings tab
Add all the groups that should have access to this programme under "programme availability"
Save.
Step 2: Open the visibility settings for a journey, section, or activity
Find the journey, section, or activity you want to unlock/lock.
Click the lock icon.
The visibility panel opens.
Step 3: Select your time-based option
Select After previous is completed, Unlock at a certain point in time, or both.
For Unlock at a certain point in time: choose one of the four options and fill in the relevant value.
Check the summary at the bottom of the panel. It confirms when the content will become available and for whom.
Click Save.
👀 Good to know
Learners will see content with a time-based condition in a locked state.
They know it is coming, they just cannot access it yet (it will appear in a lock state). Once the condition is met, it unlocks automatically.
Step 4: Repeat at other levels if needed
If you want different unlock rules at different journeys, sections or activities, repeat the steps above.
Step 4: Publish and test
Publish your programme.
Switch to a learner account and confirm the content appears in a locked state.
Verify the content unlocks at the right moment based on the condition you set.
Use cases
Example 1: Phased onboarding
You want new employees to go through onboarding week by week, so they are not overwhelmed with everything at once.
By default, all content is visible to everyone added at the programme level. You only need to add a time-based condition on each journey to unlock gradually.
Content | Condition | When it unlocks |
Week 1: Welcome and introduction | None | Immediately |
Week 2: Your role and team | After previous is completed | In locked state until Week 1 is completed |
Week 3: Tools and systems | After previous is completed | In locked state until Week 2 is completed |
Week 4: Goals and next steps | After previous is completed | In locked state until Week 3 is completed |
Learners see all four journeys from day one, but Week 2, 3, and 4 appear locked until they work through each step. This keeps the learning experience structured without hiding content entirely.
Example 2: Onboarding with a delayed module
You run an onboarding programme but one section should only become available a set number of days after the programme was made available to the learner.
Content | Condition | When it unlocks |
Company introduction | None | Immediately |
Your responsibilities | None | Immediately |
Advanced topics | 30 days after the programme became available to the user | 30 days after the learner first got access to the programme |
The advanced topics section is visible to all learners from the start but stays locked for the first 30 days. It unlocks automatically at the right moment for each individual learner.
Example 3: Combining both time-based options
You want a section to unlock only after the learner finishes the previous section, but also not before a certain date.
For example, a product launch module that should only be accessible after completing the product introduction and not before the launch date.
Content | Condition | When it unlocks |
Product introduction | None | Immediately |
Product launch module | After previous is completed + After [launch date] | After product introduction is completed AND not before the launch date |
The product launch module stays locked until both requirements are met. If a learner finishes the product introduction before the launch date, the module stays locked until the launch date arrives.
If the launch date has passed but they have not completed the introduction yet, it stays locked until they do.