The new course builder now includes events, so you can add a live session, such as a webinar, Q&A, or live class, to a lesson and give learners the details they need to attend. The events content type is the new course builder's equivalent of the Live Lesson type in the classic course builder.
What's New
- Add a live session to any lesson, alongside the other content in that lesson.
- Let learners see the event details in the lesson and view the full details before they join.
- Create live events without a community. You do not need Thinkific Communities to use the Event block.
- Duplicate a lesson or course with confidence: each copy gets its own independent event.
- Let learners complete a lesson that contains only an event.
Applies to
- Builder: Courses built in the new course builder
How Events in the New Course Builder Work
The events content type allows you to add a live event to a lesson in the new course builder. You enter the details of your live session, and learners see those details in the lesson. A third-party video conferencing tool is required to utilize this feature - Thinkific does not host the session itself. You can use your preferred video conferencing tool to host your live events and create event links. You run your session in the video tool of your choice, such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. Learners see event details only once the lesson is published.
How to Create a Live Event
- From the Admin Dashboard, go to Products
- Select Courses
- Hover over your desired course and select Edit
- Open the lesson where you want to host the live session, or add a new lesson
- From the content menu on the right side of the lesson, select More
- Select Event
- Enter your event details
- Select Save and insert
How to Edit a Live Event
- From the Admin Dashboard, go to Products
- Select Courses
- Hover over your desired course and select Edit
- Navigate to the lesson that contains the event
- Hover over the event and select Edit event
- Update your event details
- Select Save and insert
How Learners View and Join a Live Event
When learners open the lesson in the Course Player, they will see the event date/time and the meeting link. They can click on View details to view more details about the event, such as the description. From here, they can also create an event in their calendar by clicking on Add to Google Calendar or Download ICS file.
In the Learner Hub, learners will see any upcoming events from their courses in the Upcoming events widget. From here, they can click on the event to be taken directly to the lesson in the Course Player.
Important Considerations
- You will require a third-party video conferencing service (like Zoom) to run your live event. This feature does not currently support direct integration with a video conferencing service.
- Some video services (Meet, Teams, Zoom, etc.) may not support certain browsers or operating systems. Make sure to check with the video conferencing service of your choice for any limitations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a community to create a live event in a course?
No - you can add an event to a course lesson without Thinkific Communities.
Will learners get a reminder before the live event starts?
Yes! Learners will receive a reminder email 24 hours before the event will begin. We recommend having learners add the events to their own calendars (i.e. Google Calendar) or by reaching out to learners directly.
Learn more: Mass User Email
Is there a direct integration with Zoom or any other video conferencing tool for this feature?
There is currently no direct integration with a video conferencing tool for events in the new course builder. This means you can use the video conferencing tool of choice to host your events.
You'll simply need to copy your event link to share in your event within Thinkific! We have found that many of our creators have preferred services, and including a link provides you with the flexibility to choose a service that best suits your needs. Some popular options include:
What happens to a live event if I duplicate or delete the lesson?
Duplicating a lesson or course creates a separate event in the copy. Deleting the event itself or its lesson removes the event.
Related Articles
- Learn more: Introducing Thinkific's New Course Builder
- Learn more: How to Add Content and Configure Your Course in the New Course Builder
- Related: Live Lessons with Zoom (Classic course builder)
- Alternative: Communities: Live Events
- Alternative: Forge Connections and Drive Leads and Revenue with Coaching & Webinars