Private Courses and Member-Specific Course Access in Communities

By Sparkforge Support Team ·Last reviewed May 3, 2026

Member-Specific Course Access lets community admins manually grant or revoke course access per member. Private Courses extend this control by requiring admin approval before any member can unlock the course.

Member-Specific Course Access in Sparkforge Communities lets admins manually grant or revoke course access for individual members from the Members tab. Private Courses extend this with a course type that's only accessible after admin approval.

What this enables

Instead of relying solely on automatic unlock criteria (level-based, time-based, paid, or public), admins can override or supplement those rules per member. Private Courses go further: they cannot be unlocked automatically and require direct admin grant.

Key benefits

  • Manual control. Grant or revoke access to any course for any member at any time.
  • Private course type. Build courses that cannot be unlocked automatically.
  • Instant access. Unlock immediately without changing level, payment, or time rules.
  • Existing logic preserved. Automatic unlock criteria remain intact and can't be overridden by accident.

Private course visibility

Private Courses sit in the Community Learning tab as locked until an admin grants access. They fit:

  • VIP or premium content
  • Internal team training
  • Invite-only programs

Add a Private Course to the Learning tab

  1. Open Memberships in your sub-account.
  2. Go to Communities.
  3. Click Groups from the dropdown and open or log in to your group.
  4. Click the Learning tab.
  5. Click Add Course.
  6. Select an existing course.
  7. Under Course Visibility, choose Private — Access granted by admin only.
  8. Click Add Course.

Grant or revoke access for a specific member

  1. In your group, open the Members tab.
  2. Find and open the member's profile.
  3. Open the Courses section.
  4. Click Grant Access next to the course you want to unlock; click Revoke to remove access.
  5. Confirm the change. The member sees the course as unlocked (or locked) on their next visit.

Tips

  • Use Private courses for time-sensitive cohorts (intake by application).
  • Combine standard unlock rules with manual grants for hybrid models (level-based by default, manual exceptions for VIPs).
  • Document who has access externally; the admin grant is the source of truth, but a roster keeps your team aligned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a member unlock a Private Course on their own?
No. Private Courses cannot be unlocked through level progression, purchase, or time delays. Only an admin can grant access.
Where do I grant a member access to a course?
In your community group, open the Members tab, choose the member, open the Courses section, and click Grant Access for the course.
Does manual access override automatic unlock rules?
Manual grants supplement automatic rules without replacing them. Existing level-based, time-based, paid, and public access logic continues to work for everyone else.
How do I revoke a member's course access?
From the same Members tab, open the member, find the course in their Courses section, and click Revoke.
What's a good use case for Private Courses?
VIP content, internal team training, or invite-only programs where you want to control exactly who can unlock the course.

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