The LearnDash Onboarding Wizard is a new feature introduced in LearnDash version 4.0. It helps students with a fresh LearnDash installation quickly set up their courses, lessons, and payments options. The wizard handles the basic setup process and automatically installs the required plugins to save time.
In just four simple steps, you can go from a new LearnDash install to a fully configured site with add-ons, third-party plugins, and key settings already in place. Once the setup is complete, you only need to add your course content, such as lessons, quizzes, and your site will be ready to use.
The User Interface #
Step 1: Your Info #
The first step in the onboarding experience is validating your LearnDash license. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Enter the email address you used to purchase LearnDash and
- Enter the license key that was emailed to you after your purchase.
If you can’t find your license details, click the provided link to log in to your LearnDash account and retrieve the information.
After entering the required details, click Validate to check your license. If the license is valid, you will see a green confirmation message that says “Your license is valid.”
You can also opt in to the Communication Preferences. This option allows LearnDash to use the email address you entered as the “From” address for certain outgoing emails sent to your customers (such as course purchase confirmations and purchase invoices). These settings can be managed later by going to LearnDash LMS > Settings > Emails.
Step 2: Your Courses #
The next step for the Onboarding Wizard is to set up your course structures.
In this section, you can choose whether you want to import a demo course. If you are new to LearnDash, importing a demo course is a helpful way to see how a course is structured and how different elements work together.
Next, indicate how many courses you plan to create. Select either Just One or Multiple. Your selection allows the wizard to automatically configure course listings and related settings based on your needs.
Next, select all that apply to the courses you plan to offer:
- Simple – Text-based courses without quizzes or certificates.
- Certificate – Video or text-based courses with quizzes and certificates.
- Timed – Video or text-based courses with a time limit, including quizzes and certificates
- Group Courses – Courses managed by group leaders, ideal for cohorts and corporate training, and classroom use.
If you select Group Courses, you will be asked additional questions such as:
- Are your groups public or private?
- Who will be leading your group courses?
Answering these questions help the wizard automatically configure your group settings.
Selecting the appropriate course types from the above also allows the wizard to determine which plugins and add-ons are best suited for your setup, which you will see in Step 4.
Once you are finished, click on Next to continue to the next step.
Step 3: Payment #
In this step, you’ll be asked whether you want to charge for your courses. Your selection helps the wizard configure payments, if payments are required.
If you select Yes, you will be given two payment options: Stripe or WooCommerce.
Stripe Connect #
Stripe Connect is the easiest way to start selling your courses. With automatic webhook setup for most sites, the setup process is quick and simple.
Click on Connect to link your Stripe account to your LearnDash website. If you don’t have a Stripe account yet, you can create one during this step.
After your Stripe account is connected, LearnDash will automatically attempt to set up webhooks in your Stripe Account. For most sites, no additional action is required. In some cases, manual setup may be needed. For more information, refer to the Stripe Connect documentation.
WooCommerce #
If you include features like subscriptions, free trials, or manage invoices, WooCommerce is the recommended choice.
- Select WooCommerce , and the wizard will install the necessary plugins. You can configure settings later in your WordPress Dashboard
- Choose the currency from the drop-down menu
- Click Next to proceed
Note: LearnDash also supports PayPal and other payment gateways. If you prefer an alternative, you can skip this step and set them up later.
Step 4: Summary #
The final step in the Onboarding Wizard is the Summary. Based on your selections, this displays all the actions performed during setup.
The wizard will automatically configure features such as:
- Registration pages (success and password reset)
- Course listings and Group settings
- Add-ons (Certificate Builder, Course Grid, WooCommerce)
If you enabled Group settings, you can customize options by clicking + Show all settings being updated.
Review the summary and toggle specific settings as needed.
- Click Save & Complete to apply your settings and install required plugins.
- Note: You can change all these settings later in your WordPress Dashboard.
For more details, refer to the complete documentation on the Support website.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Can I run the Onboarding Wizard more than once? #
Since the Onboarding Wizard only automatically runs with a fresh install of LearnDash, officially, you can only run it once. But check out the next question on how to override that.
Can I run the Onboarding Wizard at an old install of LearnDash? #
You can override this by adding: /wp-admin/admin.php?page=learndash-setup-wizard at the end of your website URL to force the Onboarding Wizard to be displayed and available.