How it works
Preview is a read-only view of your course in the real course player. Each course Preview button in the Alva Courses admin opens a signed link that works for eight hours. It shows drafts and opens every locked lesson, but it never enrols you or records progress.
Open a preview
1. Save your changes
In the lesson editor, click Save in the save bar. In the fullscreen course builder, click Save this lesson. Preview reads the saved course, so unsaved edits are missing from it.
2. Click Preview
Alva Courses has a Preview button in four places, and each one opens a new tab:
- On the Courses page, Preview at the top opens your whole course list, including draft and paid courses. Click any course to open it in preview.
- On a course page, Actions → Preview opens that course.
- In the lesson editor, Preview at the top of the page opens that lesson.
- In the fullscreen course builder, Preview in the toolbar above the lesson opens that lesson.
3. Review the course in the new tab
A yellow Preview Mode banner sits above the lesson. Draft sections and lessons appear in the outline, and every lesson opens, including lessons held back by drip, a release date or a completion requirement.
A course preview always starts at the first lesson that isn't a draft. It never resumes where you stopped last time.
4. Refresh after more changes
Keep the preview tab open while you edit. After you save in the admin, click Refresh on the Preview Mode banner to reload the course with your changes.
What Preview doesn't do
Alva Courses Preview never saves anything, so it can't show you how a student's progress behaves. The button at the end of a lesson moves you on without recording a completion, and nobody joins your members list.
Interactive blocks are switched off or run only in your browser:
- Quizzes are marked in your browser with no attempt limit, and no attempt is saved.
- The comments area shows "Comments are disabled in preview mode." instead of the discussion.
- Reflection Box, Contact Form, Shopify Product and Reset Progress blocks show a notice and don't save, send, sell or reset anything.
| What you check | In Preview | For a student |
|---|---|---|
| Draft courses, sections and lessons | Shown | Hidden |
| Drip, release dates and completion requirements | Every lesson open | Applied |
| Where the course opens | First lesson, every time | Where they left off |
| Progress and quiz attempts | Not saved | Saved |
| Paid courses on the course list | All listed | Listed once enrolled |
Preview links expire after eight hours
Each preview link works for eight hours, counted from when the admin page with the Preview button loaded, not from your click. For a fresh link, reload that admin page and click Preview again.
After a link expires, a draft course shows Your preview session has ended, and the course list hides draft courses with a notice. A published course opens as any visitor would see it, without the Preview Mode banner.
Anyone who has the link can open the course until it expires, paid and locked lessons included, so keep it to yourself. A link opened from a course page or lesson covers that course only; use Preview on the Courses page to browse every course.
What students see
Students never see the Preview Mode banner or your drafts. They get published content only, lessons unlock on your drip, release-date and completion rules, and their progress and quiz attempts are saved. To walk through that experience yourself, send yourself a test enrolment.
Common questions
Do students see the Preview Mode banner?
No. The banner appears only when the course player is opened with a preview link from your Alva Courses admin. Students see the normal course player, with published content only.
Why doesn't my latest edit show in the preview?
Preview shows only saved content. Save the lesson in the admin, then click Refresh on the Preview Mode banner, or open Preview again.
Does previewing a course enrol me?
No. Preview creates no enrolment, records no progress and saves no quiz attempts, so nothing appears in your members list. To check enrolment and progress, send yourself a test enrolment instead.
Can I share a preview link?
It's best not to. Anyone with the link can open the whole course, paid and locked lessons included, until the link expires. To give someone lasting access, enrol them in the course instead.
Why can I open drip-fed and scheduled lessons in preview?
Preview opens every lesson so you can review the whole course in one sitting. Drip-feed, release dates and completion requirements still apply to students, so check them with a test enrolment.
See also
Was this helpful?
Last updated 2026-10-12