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Prerequisites are a feature that locks modules or individual lessons behind the required completion of other content, guiding Members through a structured and intentional learning progression. Prerequisites

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Overview

Prerequisites give you control over the sequence in which Members move through a curriculum. You can lock an entire module and all of its lessons, or lock individual lessons within a module, until Members complete the content you specify. This prevents Members from skipping ahead and ensures they build knowledge in the right order. Prerequisites are available exclusively in the Curriculum app. No other apps support this feature.

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Set Prerequisites on a Module

Module-level prerequisites lock an entire module and all lessons within it until Members complete one or more earlier modules. To enable prerequisites on a module, your curriculum must already contain at least one other module. If the curriculum is empty, the prerequisites toggle will be unavailable. To add prerequisites when creating a new module:
  1. Navigate to your Program, then open the Curriculum app.
  2. Click Add Module.
  3. Enter a required module title.
  4. Toggle on Set up Prerequisites.
  5. Select one or more modules from the dropdown. Each selected module appears as a list item below the dropdown.
  6. To remove a prerequisite, click the X icon next to the module name.
  7. Click Create Module.
To add prerequisites to an existing module:
  1. Navigate to your Program, then open the Curriculum app.
  2. Click the module you want to edit and select Edit Module.
  3. Toggle on Set up Prerequisites.
  4. Select one or more modules from the dropdown.
  5. To remove a prerequisite, click the X icon next to the module name.
  6. Click Save Changes.
Once saved, the module displays a lock icon in the curriculum. Hover over the lock icon to see a tooltip confirming Members must complete all prerequisites before accessing the module. Click the lock icon to open a modal listing the required prerequisites. From that modal, click Edit Prerequisite Settings to reopen the module editor and adjust the configuration. Important: Only select modules that appear before the current module in the curriculum. If you select a module that comes after the one you are editing, its name highlights in red. This prevents circular prerequisite loops that would permanently lock Members out of content. Remove any red-highlighted modules before saving.

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Set Prerequisites on a Lesson

Lesson-level prerequisites lock a single lesson until Members complete specific other lessons within the same module. This gives you fine-grained control over sequencing within a module, independent of module-level rules.
  1. Navigate to your Program, then open the Curriculum app.
  2. Select the lesson you want to lock.
  3. Open its Settings panel in the right-hand sidebar.
  4. Toggle on Set up Prerequisites.
  5. Select one or more lessons from the dropdown. The dropdown lists all other content within the same parent module.
  6. To remove a prerequisite, click the X icon next to the lesson name.
  7. Click Save.
Once saved, the lesson displays a lock icon in the curriculum navigation sidebar. Hover over the lock icon to see a tooltip confirming Members must complete all prerequisites before accessing the lesson. Click the lock icon to open a modal listing the required prerequisites. From that modal, click Edit Prerequisite Settings to return to the lesson settings sidebar and adjust the configuration.
Quizzes that require a passing grade show a tooltip in the prerequisites dropdown to indicate this requirement.
Set prerequisites at the module level for most Programs. It keeps the learning path clear and reduces the overhead of managing individual lesson rules. Reserve lesson-level prerequisites for modules where a specific sequence matters within the module itself, such as requiring Members to pass a quiz before accessing the next lesson.

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Examples

Bootcamp: A coding bootcamp locks Module 3: Advanced JavaScript behind completion of Module 2: JavaScript Fundamentals. Members cannot access advanced topics until they have worked through the foundational content. Cohort course: A leadership development course locks a final reflection lesson behind completion of all prior readings and a graded quiz within the same module. Members must engage with source material before writing their reflection. Professional community: A compliance training Program locks the certification module behind three prerequisite modules covering policy, ethics, and process. Members follow a defined credentialing path from start to finish.

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FAQ

No. Lesson-level prerequisites are scoped to the parent module only. The dropdown shows content from within the same module exclusively. To enforce sequencing across modules, use module-level prerequisites instead.
Members must complete all prerequisites before accessing locked content. If a Member has completed some but not all, they will see a message indicating which items still need to be finished.
No. Disco prevents this to avoid circular prerequisite loops that would permanently block Members. If you attempt to select a module that comes after the one you are editing, its name highlights in red. Remove it before saving.
Yes. When viewing a Program as a Member, you will see content locked by prerequisites exactly as Members do. This is by design and helps you confirm that prerequisites are working correctly.
Yes. Members must click Mark as Complete on each prerequisite item to unlock gated content. Viewing or partially engaging with a lesson does not count as completion.
Yes. You can set both a future release date and prerequisites on the same module. Members must satisfy both conditions to access the module: it must be on or after the release date, and they must have completed the required prerequisites. This is common in cohort courses where content drips weekly and also requires sequential completion.
There is no standalone video-gating feature. The recommended approach is to place the video as a lesson within a module and set it as a prerequisite for the next lesson in that module. Members must mark the video lesson as complete before the next item unlocks.
Members can see that locked modules and lessons exist in the curriculum, but they cannot open them. A lock icon appears on the locked item, and Members can click it to see a list of what they need to complete first. This keeps the path visible without allowing access.
Yes. When you clone a course, the prerequisite configuration on each module and lesson is preserved in the duplicate. Review the prerequisites after cloning to confirm they still reflect the intended sequence for the new course.
Yes. The prerequisites dropdown shows a maximum of 10 items. If your curriculum has more than 10 modules and you want to enforce sequential completion, you do not need to add every previous module to each one. Instead, chain them: set Module 2 as the prerequisite for Module 3, Module 3 as the prerequisite for Module 4, and so on. Because prerequisites are inherited through the chain, Members must complete all preceding modules to advance.
Yes. Open the module editor, toggle off Set up Prerequisites, and click Save Changes. This removes the lock immediately and gives all Members access to the content regardless of their completion status.
Go to Admin → Insights → Members, then select the Member. Their progress is shown per course and per module. Use this view to identify which specific lesson or quiz has not been marked complete and is preventing them from advancing.