How drip scheduling works
Drip releases content relative to each student's own enrolment date, not a fixed calendar date. A lesson set to drip on day 7 unlocks one week after every student enrols, so each learner follows the same paced schedule from their own start. Lessons without a drip day stay available immediately.
Set up a drip schedule
1. Open the course in the builder
In the Shopify admin, open Alva Courses, click Courses, and open the course you want to drip. The drag-and-drop builder lists every section and lesson.
2. Open a lesson or section's drip setting
Click a lesson or section to open its settings, then find the Drip option. Choose to release the content a set number of days after enrolment instead of immediately.
3. Set the number of days
Enter how many days after enrolment the lesson should unlock. Use 0 for day one, 7 for the start of week two, and so on. Save the lesson.
4. Repeat across the curriculum
Set a drip day on each lesson or section you want to stagger. A Drip pill appears on every dripped item in the builder so you can review the release plan at a glance.
5. Test with a trial enrolment
Enrol a test student and confirm that only the day-zero lessons appear, while later lessons show a locked, scheduled state until their drip day arrives.
What learners see
In the storefront course player, a dripped lesson stays locked in the sidebar until its release day, with a note showing when it unlocks. Students can complete and revisit any lesson that is already available, and newly unlocked lessons appear automatically as each drip day passes.
See also
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Last updated 2026-05-22