How to build a Learning Track from scratch — and the operational gotchas that catch program owners off guard once content is in it.
A Learning Track is a content container. The creation flow is straightforward, but the decisions you make during setup — sequencing, segmentation, what counts as a Section — shape how the Track behaves once learners are in it. Some of those decisions are hard to reverse without rebuilding.
For the strategic frame on when to build a Track vs a Journey, see Tracks and Journeys: Designing Learning Paths. For the basics of what a Track is, see What is a Learning Track?.
How to Build a Learning Track
1. Open Content creation. From the left-hand navigation, click Content. Click + Add Content at the top right, and select Courses to begin creating a new Learning Track.
2. Choose Build a Learning Track. To start from scratch, click Build a Learning Track. To import an existing course, use one of the three import options on the right (LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, or other course imports).
3. Add Course Details. Title and Description go in the top section. Lower in the Details page, add a Banner or Thumbnail image if you have one — these show on Explore and on the Track's overview page.
An Instructor is required. Add one before moving on.
4. Add Sections and Content. Give each Section a Title and a Description. Then add Content — either create new pieces directly within the Track or pull existing Content from your library. Add as many Sections as the Track needs. Click Next when the Section is complete.
5. Set Segmentation and Explore visibility. Decide who can see the Track. Toggle Explore visibility on if learners should be able to discover the Track without an assignment. For Segmentation details, see Segmentation For Content.
6. Configure Content Settings. Lock the sequence of completion if you want learners to complete content in order. Switch the Track to Resource mode if it's meant to be a repository rather than a course (no completion tracking, no progress bar). Add "What you will learn" items — these appear to learners before they start the Track and set expectations.
Review additional settings that apply to your Track's purpose.
7. Review and Publish. Step through the Track's details and settings one more time, then click Publish. The Track is now available to be assigned, discovered, or pulled into an automation.
What Makes a Good Track
Match the sequencing to the content. Lock the sequence when the order genuinely matters (the second module assumes the first). Leave it unlocked when the order is suggested, not required. A locked sequence on truly modular content frustrates learners without adding value.
Use Sections to chunk long Tracks. A Track with 20 pieces of content in one block feels overwhelming. The same 20 pieces in four named Sections of five each feels approachable. Section titles should describe what the learner will be able to do, not just what's in the section.
Keep Section summaries short. 1–3 lines is the right length. If you need more context, put it in an Article and include the Article as the first content item in the Section.
Decide Resource mode at creation time. A Resource-mode Track behaves fundamentally differently from a course-mode Track — no completion, no progress, no certificate. Switching modes mid-life confuses existing learners. Make the call before learners are in the Track.
Configuration Pitfalls
Confusing Track Segmentation With Content Segmentation. Applying segmentation to the Track itself does not override segmentation on the individual Content pieces inside it. If a learner has access to the Track but not to a piece of Content within it, they'll see the Track but not be able to complete it. Always verify segmentation on every piece of Content, not just on the Track wrapper.
Editing Content Edits It Everywhere. A piece of Content inside a Track is the same Content piece wherever else it lives — edit it once, the changes propagate to every Track and assignment that uses it. To make Track-specific changes, duplicate the Content first, then add the duplicate to your Track.
Editing a Track After Learners Complete It Strands Them. If a learner completes a Track and you then edit the Track, they don't receive notifications about the change and can't continue with the new content inside their original completion. If you need to push updates to learners who already finished, send the new Content separately — through an automation or direct assignment — rather than relying on Track edits to reach them.
Duplicating a Track Doesn't Duplicate the Content. Duplicate a Track and you get a second Track wrapper — but the Content pieces inside are still the same shared pieces. An update to one of those Content pieces propagates to both Tracks. To truly fork a Track, duplicate each Content piece first, then build the new Track from the duplicates.
Adding Existing Assessments Creates Duplicates. When you add an existing Assessment to a Track, Continu intentionally creates a Track-specific duplicate. This lets you measure the Assessment's effectiveness inside the Track separately from its standalone use. The trade-off: changes to one don't propagate to the other. To avoid duplication, create the Assessment directly within the Track instead of pulling it in from the library.
Hitting the 4-Hour Timeout Mid-Build. The Continu platform has a roughly 4-hour session timeout (your security team may make it shorter). On long Tracks, save after adding the first piece of Content and re-enter to continue editing — this prevents losing work to an unexpected timeout.
Publishing Without Verifying Segmentation. A Track published with mismatched Track-vs-Content segmentation will frustrate learners and look like a platform bug. Open the Track as a test learner in the segment before publishing — or have a teammate do it — and confirm every piece of Content is actually accessible.
No "What You Will Learn" Items. The "What you will learn" preview is where learners decide whether to invest the time. Leaving it blank treats the Track like a homework assignment instead of a learning opportunity. Three to five outcome-focused bullets is usually enough.
Where This Fits
You're here because you're building a Learning Track. Strategic decisions on Track vs Journey live in Tracks and Journeys: Designing Learning Paths. Once published, you'll find learner progress in Learning Track Status Report and per-content analytics in Downloading Content-level Learning Track Analytics.
See Also
- Tracks and Journeys: Designing Learning Paths — the strategic anchor.
- What is a Learning Track? — the gateway article.
- Learning Track Status Report — tracking learner progress.
- Downloading Content-level Learning Track Analytics — per-content engagement data.
- Segmentation For Content — the segmentation reference Track creation depends on.
The Track is the wrapper; the Content inside it is what learners engage with. Verify segmentation on both, decide Resource mode early, and remember that editing a piece of Content edits it everywhere.