Build a Course from scratch, a template, or AI Assist, then customize screens, settings, and publishing before assigning it to your team.
Table of Contents:
What is a Course?
A Course is the training experience your team goes through, either as part of a Module or as a stand-alone assignment.
Courses are made up of:
Screens: The main content (text, images, videos, quizzes, etc.)
Course Breaks: Full-screen dividers to break up sections
Question types: Quizzes or interactive prompts to reinforce learning
💡 Quick facts:
Recommended completion time: 3 to 5 minutes
Typical length: 15 to 20 screens plus 1 to 3 quiz questions
Include a title screen with an overview (an outline, a summary, or a Trainee Will Be Able To… statement)
The title screen isn't part of the in-app learning experience. Think of it as your internal trailer: a preview of what's coming and why it matters.
Mix in media (images, GIFs, video) to boost engagement and keep your team's attention
How to Create a Course
In the Opus dashboard, go to Training > Library and select the Courses filter.
Click New Course and choose how you want to start:
New course from scratch: Start with a blank Course.
Browse marketplace courses: Start from a pre-built Course in the Marketplace.
Create course with AI: Describe the Course in the prompt box.
Click Start building. Opus creates the Course and builds it with you in the builder.
Start building and customizing your Course on the Build tab.
On the Overview tab, click the cover to add a cover image, so your team gets a visual preview.
Using AI Assist for Courses
AI Assist speeds up Course creation and improves your content. It can:
Generate outlines based on prompts or uploaded files
Suggest edits for clarity, tone, and grammar
Recommend media (images, GIFs, videos)
Write a question screen from the text on the screen before it
💡 Review AI suggestions: They are a starting point. Check them for accuracy, adjust them to match your brand, and make sure they meet your training objectives.
➡️ Learn more:
How to Build Training Using AI Assist: how to generate Courses and Modules from a prompt and your files
Course Screens
Build and edit screens on the Build tab. Click Edit in the top right corner to start.
Switch views with the icons in the bottom right corner of the canvas:
Grid view: See all your screens at once, in rows.
Fullscreen: See full-size screens side by side. Use the arrow keys to move between screens.
💡 Make screens bigger or smaller: In Grid view, click the percentage in the bottom right corner and drag the Screen size slider. Your size is saved in this browser.
Adding Screens
Select the screen you want the new one to follow.
Click Add screen in the toolbar at the bottom of the canvas.
Pick a screen type under Text, Media, or Questions. Media options open a picker, then add a new screen with what you choose.
To insert a screen between two others, hover the space between them and click +.
Click Undo or Redo in the same toolbar to step back or forward through your changes.
Screen types under Text and Questions:
Text: For explanations, context, and instructions (supports media)
Course Break: Full-screen divider with your brand color
Table: A Text screen that starts with a table
Image Choice: Quiz with images instead of text answers
Multiple Choice: Single or multi-answer quizzes, including select all that apply
True or False: Simple two-option questions
Short Response: Short typed answer with a correct response required
Open-Ended: No right/wrong answer; great for feedback or reflection
Matching: Match terms, tools, or processes (text-to-text or text-to-image)
Ordering: Put processes or items in the correct sequence
💡 Shuffle answer choices: Turn on Randomize order for Multiple Choice and Image Choice screens (including select all that apply) to shuffle the choices for each Trainee. You still see and edit them in the order you wrote them, and each Trainee's order stays the same if they come back to the question.
Editing Screens
Click a screen to select it. The right sidebar shows its settings: Screen type, Style, Media, and AI Assist.
Each screen has a header above it with its number and type. To change the type, click the type and pick a new one.
Select text on a screen to show the formatting toolbar:
Bold, Italic, Bullet list, Numbered list, and Link
AI: rewrites the screen's text with Simplify text, Spelling and grammar, Shorten text, Extend text, or Add emojis. Review the suggestion in the right sidebar.
To add a table or an emoji, use Style in the right sidebar.
Hover a screen and click ⋯ in its header for more actions:
Add screen before and Add screen after
Duplicate and Copy
Change screen type
Comment
Delete
💡 Keyboard shortcuts: Select a screen, then press Cmd/Ctrl + D to duplicate it or Delete to remove it. Opus asks you to confirm before deleting a screen that has content.
To see the Course's own settings in the right sidebar, click the gear icon (Course settings) above the screens, on the right.
Copying and Reusing Screens
To copy, select the screens and press
Cmd/Ctrl + C, or click Copy in the screen's ⋯ menu.To paste, press
Cmd/Ctrl + Vin another Course.To duplicate a screen in the same Course, press
Cmd/Ctrl + Dor click Duplicate in its ⋯ menu.Hold
Shiftto multi-select screens for copying or moving.
Merge Fields
Merge fields are placeholders you insert into a Course. When the Course is assigned, Opus fills in each field with the right info for each team member, based on their profile or your business's setup.
{{name}}: Pulls in the team member's first name. Great for greetings and check-ins to make the tone more conversational.{{company}}or{{org}}: Inserts your business name as listed in Opus. Use this for referencing policies or values that apply across the business.{{brand}}: Inserts the Brand name tied to the team member's Location. Useful when training content is shared across Brands but needs to feel Brand-specific (for example, uniforms or product names).{{location}}: Inserts the name of the team member's Location. Useful for Location-specific instructions, like where to pick up supplies or who to report to.
Adding Media and Emojis
Select a screen and click Add media in the right sidebar.
To start a new screen from media, click Add screen and pick an option under Media.
Supported media include:
Library Resources
Links (websites, docs, YouTube and Vimeo embeds)
Stock photos and videos
GIFs
Files from your device
💡 Video won't upload? The maximum file size is 400 MB. If a video file still won't upload, try an online converter to convert it to .mp4.
Hover over a video on a screen and click Edit video to trim it, join clips, or add a voiceover and music. Learn more in How to Edit Training Videos.
Use emojis to:
Reinforce ideas
Make text scannable
Replace bullets or punctuation for a visual break
Sizing and Cropping Media
Hover a photo, GIF, or video on a screen to show its toolbar. From there you can replace, crop, size, edit, or delete it.
Height: Drag the handle at the bottom edge of the media to set how much of the screen it takes up.
Fill or Fit: Click Fill or Fit in the toolbar. Fit shows all of the media, and Fill covers the space and trims the edges.
Crop: Click the crop icon on a photo or GIF. Drag it to choose which part shows, drag a corner or use the slider to zoom, then click Done.
You can also set Fit, Fill, and Height under Sizing in the right sidebar. Click Reset there to go back to the automatic size.
💡 Your original stays: Cropping switches the media to Fill and never changes your file, so you can crop again or reset at any time.
Using AI to Edit and Generate Images
Use the AI image generator in Opus to create, enhance, or refresh visuals right in your Course or Opus Doc, without leaving Opus. You can:
Edit an existing image
Upload one from your device
Generate something new from a text prompt
➡️ Learn more:
How to Edit and Generate Images with AI in Opus: step-by-step instructions for editing and generating images
Course Settings
You can change Course settings in two places. They hold the same settings under slightly different names.
Settings card on the right side of the Overview tab. Click a value to change it. The rows are:
Due: a specific date or a number of days after assignment
Passing: the passing grade (percentage)
Certificate: whether a certificate is awarded after completion
Retries: whether Trainees can retry wrong answers
Knowledge: whether the Course is included in Knowledge Checks
QR code: whether team members can scan a QR code to get the Course (after publishing)
Tags: to organize your content. Click it to search and check tags, type a new name to create one, or click Manage tags.
… menu > Settings in the top right corner, if you can edit the Course. The same settings are called:
Due date
Award certificate
Retry wrong answers
Passing grade
Include in Knowledge Check
QR code assignable
💡 More in the … menu while editing: On the Build tab, the … menu also has a Version submenu to see past versions, and View Published Version to switch from your draft to what team members see.
Course Status
You see a Course's status next to its type, under the Course name on the Overview tab.
Draft: Not visible to team members and can't be assigned.
Published: Ready to assign or to add to a Module.
Unpublished changes: Edits made but not republished.
Team members still see the last published version until you publish again.
Archived: Hidden from active content lists.
Publishing a Course
On the Build tab, click Edit if you aren't already editing, then click Publish in the top right corner.
Confirm the settings in the Publish course dialog: due date, certificate, retries, passing grade, and Library Access.
Click Publish to finalize.
Click Assign in the top right corner (available once published) to assign it, or add it to a Module.
💡 Publish only shows while editing: If you don't see Publish, click Edit first. Your edits save to a draft automatically, and team members only get them once you publish.
Previewing Courses in the App
Preview a Course in the Opus Training app without assigning it to yourself.
Open the Course and go to the Build tab.
Above the screens, on the right, click the phone icon (Phone preview).
Click Send notification.
Open the app and tap the notification at the bottom of the home screen to view the Course exactly as your team will see it.
💡 Preview in the dashboard: To preview it without your phone, click the Preview card on the Overview tab.
Unpublishing a Course
You can't revert a published Course to a draft. Depending on your goal, use one or more of these workarounds:
Remove Library Access: On the Overview tab, click Edit in the Available in library row and delete the segments. Team members can then no longer find the Course in their Library.
Pause Automations: Click Manage in the Automations row, turn off Auto-assign new people, and click Save. Existing assignments stay.
Remove assignments: Go to Reporting > Assigned, select the team members, and click Remove.
Archive the Course: Click the … menu > Archive to keep the Course out of active content lists. Archiving needs the Manage Library permission.
⚠️ Completed training stays on profiles: Completed training can't be removed from team members' profiles, even without Library Access or after archiving.
Stand-Alone Courses vs. Courses in Modules
Stand-alone Course: Assigned directly to team members. Ideal for quick lessons or single-topic refreshers.
Course in a Module: Part of a structured, multi-topic training flow with Resources, Check-ins, and Sections.
⚠️ Some Courses can only be assigned through a Module: For these Courses, Assign is unavailable and the Overview tab shows This course can only be assigned as part of a module. Assign the Module that includes it instead.
FAQ
Where did the + button and the screen arrows go?
Click Add screen in the toolbar at the bottom of the canvas, or hover the space between two screens and click +.
The Grid view and Fullscreen icons are in the bottom right corner. Use the arrow keys to move between screens.
Can I reuse the same Course in multiple Modules?
Yes. A single Course can appear in multiple Modules without duplicating your work.
What happens if I edit a published Course?
Team members see the last published version until you publish again. Your unpublished changes stay saved in the draft.
Can team members skip questions in a Course?
No. There's no setting to let team members skip questions. To give them a second guess on each question, turn on Retry wrong answers in the Course's Settings.
What's the maximum number of screens in a Course?
There's no hard limit, but we recommend keeping it short (under 20 screens) for engagement and retention.
Can I track Course completion separately from a Module?
Yes. Completion data is available both for the Course and within each Module it's in.
Why can't I click Publish?
The Publish button is grayed out when:
You're viewing the published version instead of the draft.
AI Assist is still generating screens.
There are no unpublished changes.
If you click Publish and see an error like "This course has 2 issues that need to be fixed," look for screens missing text, an answer choice, or a correct answer.
If you don't see Publish, click Edit first. If you don't see Edit either, you don't have edit access to the Course. Ask its creator or an Admin to add you as a collaborator. Learn more in How to Invite Collaborators to a Course or Module.
Where do I see who's assigned a Course?
Open the Course and go to Reporting > Assigned. Learn more in Content Pages Overview.
How do I delete a draft Course?
Courses can't be deleted, including drafts. Archive the ones you don't need: click the … menu in the top right corner and select Archive. Learn more in How to Archive Content.
Can I create or edit Courses in the Opus Training app?
No. Courses are built and edited in the dashboard. In the app, you can preview and assign them.
How do I copy a Course?
Click the … menu in the top right corner and select Duplicate course. The copy is a separate draft named "[Course name] [copy]," so changes to it don't affect the original. Learn more in How to Duplicate a Module or Course.
How do I let someone else edit my Course?
Click the Collaborators icon in the top right corner, invite them, and give them Edit access. Learn more in How to Invite Collaborators to a Course or Module.
How does the passing grade work?
Set it in the Course's Settings: use the Passing row in the Settings card on the Overview tab, or the … menu > Settings. Trainees who score below it have to retake the Course, and it's reassigned to them automatically.
Turn on Retry wrong answers to give Trainees one extra guess on each question. Learn more in How to Retake a Course, Module, or Quiz.
Can I shuffle the answer choices?
Yes. On a Multiple Choice or Image Choice screen, turn on Randomize order under Choice options.
Can I change the font or text size?
No. Course screens use one font and size so training looks consistent on every phone. You can use bold, italics, bulleted and numbered lists, links, and emojis.
Can I add a Word document to a Course?
Yes. Upload it as a Resource, then add it to a screen: click Add media and choose My Resources.
Files can be up to 1 GB. Supported types include PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, video, and audio.
Can team members view Courses in landscape?
No. Course screens display in portrait. Team members can open an image or PDF on a screen full-screen and rotate their phone to view it in landscape.
Are images I generate with AI saved to my Library?
No. A generated image is saved only on the screen where you add it.