Every Journey is either ordered (sections must be completed in sequence) or open (learners can start with any section). The same setting also applies within a section — content can be locked in order or free to consume in any sequence. This article covers when to use each and how to configure it.

The setting

Two places in the admin control order:

At the Journey level, in Journey Details, the Section Order toggle:

• Locked Section Order — sections must be completed in sequence. Section 2 unlocks only after Section 1 is complete.
• Complete Sections in Any Order — sections are available all at once. Default for new Journeys.

At the section level, inside the Section Builder, the Require Content Completion in Order toggle:

• On — content pieces inside this section must be completed in sequence
• Off — content pieces can be completed in any order

You can mix and match. A Journey can have locked section order with open content order inside each section, or vice versa.

When to use locked order

Lock the order when sequence is a real requirement, not a preference.

Good fits for locked order:

• Cohort onboarding — Week 1 must happen before Week 2 because the content builds on itself
• Certification paths — foundational modules need to be completed before advanced modules
• Compliance training — regulatory frameworks often require a specific sequence with sign-off at each step
• Skill progressions — beginner → intermediate → advanced where the prior material is genuinely prerequisite
• Multi-step processes being taught — where step 2 makes no sense without step 1

When to use open order

Leave order open when learners can sensibly approach the material in any sequence.

Good fits for open order:

• Resource libraries — collections where every section is independent
• Self-paced enablement — learners pick what’s relevant to their current work
• Topic-based learning — each section covers a distinct topic without dependencies
• Continuing education — long-running programs where learners return for what’s new
• Reference material — content that learners may revisit out of order

If your sections work as standalone units, open order respects the learner’s time more than a forced sequence would.

Content order within a section

Even when section order is locked, content order inside each section is set separately.

Lock content order inside a section when the items build on each other — e.g., a watch-then-quiz pattern where the quiz depends on the video.

Leave content order open inside a section when each item is independent of the others — e.g., three reference articles covering related but distinct sub-topics.

Common patterns

A few combinations that come up often:

Strictly linear program — Locked section order + locked content order within each section. The learner moves through the Journey one item at a time. Used for onboarding cohorts, certification paths.

Structured but flexible — Locked section order + open content order within each section. The sections progress in sequence, but inside a section the learner picks the order. Useful when a section’s content is independent within the section but the sections themselves build on each other.

Curated library — Open section order + open content order within each section. Total flexibility. The Journey is a container, not a path. Used for resource libraries and self-paced learning.

Mixed — Open section order at the Journey level, but specific sections lock their internal content order. Used when most of the Journey is browse-anytime but a couple of sections are step-by-step.

How to configure

1. Open the Journey in the admin.
2. In Journey Details, set Section Order to Locked or Open depending on whether sequence is required at the section level.
3. Save the Journey.
4. For each section, open the Section Builder.
5. Toggle Require Content Completion in Order based on whether content inside this section needs to be sequenced.
6. Save the section.

Verify by viewing the Journey as a test learner. Confirm later sections appear locked (when ordered) or available (when open) at the right times.

Common pitfalls

See Also

• Journeys v2: What’s New — for the broader set of new capabilities