How to Display LearnDash Course Progress (2026 Guide)

display-course-progress

Introduction

Display course progress: Are you running an online course with LearnDash and want to give your students a clear, visual way to track their progress? You’re in the right place!

Student engagement is crucial for course completion rates. Studies show that learners who can visualize their progress are 40% more likely to complete their courses. Yet, many LearnDash site owners struggle to display course progress in an attractive, user-friendly format.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to display stunning course progress bars on your LearnDash site using the Swrice LearnDash Course Progress plugin – no coding required!

Why Course Progress Tracking Matters

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s understand why displaying course progress is essential:

1. Boosts Student Motivation

When students see how far they’ve come, they’re motivated to keep going. Visual progress indicators create a sense of achievement.

2. Reduces Course Abandonment

Clear progress tracking helps students understand exactly where they are in their learning journey, reducing confusion and dropout rates.

3. Improves User Experience

A well-designed progress display makes your course platform look professional and polished, enhancing overall user satisfaction.

4. Increases Course Completion Rates

Students who can track their progress are significantly more likely to complete courses, leading to better reviews and testimonials.

The Problem with Default LearnDash Progress Display

While LearnDash is a powerful LMS plugin, its default progress display has some limitations:

  • ❌ Limited customization options
  • ❌ Not always mobile-responsive
  • ❌ Difficult to display on custom pages
  • ❌ Lacks detailed lesson-by-lesson breakdown
  • ❌ Can’t easily embed in widgets or sidebars

This is where the Swrice LearnDash Course Progress plugin comes in.

Introducing Swrice LearnDash Course Progress Plugin

The Swrice LearnDash Course Progress plugin is a lightweight, powerful add-on that transforms how you display course progress on your LearnDash site.

Key Features

✅ Easy Shortcode Implementation – Just copy and paste
✅ Gutenberg Block Support – Drag and drop in the block editor
✅ Customizable Colors – Match your brand perfectly
✅ Fully Responsive – Looks great on mobile, tablet, and desktop
✅ Widget Compatible – Display in sidebars and footer areas
✅ Detailed Progress Breakdown – Shows lessons, topics, and quizzes separately
✅ Visual Progress Circles – Individual lesson completion indicators
✅ Lightweight & Fast – Won’t slow down your site
✅ Compatible with All LearnDash Themes – Works seamlessly

How to Set Up LearnDash Course Progress (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Install the Plugin

  1. Purchase the plugin from
    https://swrice.com/learndash-course-progress/
  2. Download the plugin ZIP file
  3. Go to WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New
  4. Click Upload Plugin and select the ZIP file
  5. Click Install Now, then Activate

Step 2: Configure Your Settings

  1. Navigate to LearnDash → Progress Settings in your WordPress dashboard
  2. Choose your preferred General Color to match your brand
  3. Click Save Changes

That’s it! Your plugin is now configured and ready to use.

Step 3: Display Progress Using Shortcode

The easiest way to display course progress is using the shortcode:

[swr_course_progress course_id=123]

Where to use it

  • Course pages
  • Student dashboard
  • Custom landing pages
  • Widget areas
  • Any page or post

How to find your Course ID

  1. Go to LearnDash → Courses
  2. Hover over your course name
  3. Look at the URL – the number after post= is your Course ID

Example

[swr_course_progress course_id=456]

Step 4: Use the Gutenberg Block (Alternative Method)

If you prefer using the WordPress block editor:

  1. Edit any page or post
  2. Click the + button to add a new block
  3. Search for SWR Course Progress
  4. Add the block to your page
  5. In the block settings panel (right sidebar)
  • Enter your Course ID
  • Optionally specify a User ID (defaults to current user)
  1. Publish or update your page

Step 5: Customize the Display (Optional)

You can customize the appearance by:

  • Changing the color scheme in LearnDash → Progress Settings
  • Adding custom CSS to match your theme perfectly
  • Displaying multiple courses by using multiple shortcodes or blocks

What Your Students Will See

Once implemented, your students will see a beautiful progress card that displays:

Overall Progress Bar

A visual bar showing total course completion percentage

Detailed Breakdown

  • Lessons completed (e.g., 5/10 Lessons)
  • Topics completed (e.g., 12/20 Topics)
  • Quizzes completed (e.g., 3/5 Quizzes)

Individual Lesson Progress

Each lesson shows a circular progress indicator that fills as students complete topics and quizzes within that lesson.

Course Thumbnail

The course featured image displays prominently for easy identification.

Clickable Lesson Links

Students can click on any lesson to jump directly to that content.

Advanced Use Cases

Display Progress in Sidebar Widget

  1. Go to Appearance → Widgets
  2. Add a Custom HTML widget to your sidebar
  3. Paste the shortcode:
[swr_course_progress course_id=123]
  1. Save the widget

Perfect for keeping progress visible while students navigate your site!

Show Progress for Multiple Courses

Create a custom My Courses page:

<h2>Web Development Course</h2> [swr_course_progress course_id=101]
<h2>Digital Marketing Course</h2> [swr_course_progress course_id=102]
<h2>Graphic Design Course</h2> [swr_course_progress course_id=103]

Display Another User’s Progress (Instructors/Admins)

Instructors can view student progress by specifying a user ID:

[swr_course_progress course_id=123 user_id=456]

SEO Benefits of Better Course Progress Display

Improving your course progress display doesn’t just help students – it helps your SEO too:

1. Increased Time on Site

When students can easily track progress, they spend more time engaged with your content, signaling quality to search engines.

2. Lower Bounce Rates

Clear navigation and progress tracking reduce confusion, keeping visitors on your site longer.

3. Better User Signals

Satisfied students are more likely to share your courses, creating valuable backlinks and social signals.

4. Improved Mobile Experience

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites. This plugin ensures your progress display looks perfect on all devices.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“You must be logged in to view this content”

Solution: This message appears when users aren’t logged in. This is intentional – only enrolled students should see their progress.

“The Course ID is required”

Solution: Make sure you’ve included the course_id parameter in your shortcode:

[swr_course_progress course_id=123]

“You are not enrolled in this course”

Solution: The user viewing the page must be enrolled in the course. Check enrollment status in LearnDash.

Progress not updating

Solution: Clear your site cache and browser cache, then refresh the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this plugin compatible with my LearnDash theme?

Yes! The plugin is designed to work with all major LearnDash themes and templates.

Will it slow down my website?

No. The plugin is lightweight and performance-optimized, with minimal impact on page load times.

Can I display progress for multiple courses on one page?

Absolutely! Just use multiple shortcodes or blocks with different course IDs.

Does it work with LearnDash groups?

Yes, as long as users are enrolled in the course (either individually or through a group), their progress will display correctly.

Can I customize the colors?

Yes! You can set a custom color in the plugin settings to match your brand.

Is it mobile responsive?

100% responsive. The progress display adapts beautifully to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens.

Conclusion

Displaying course progress effectively is crucial for student engagement and course completion rates. The Swrice LearnDash Course Progress plugin makes it incredibly easy to add beautiful, functional progress tracking to your LearnDash site.

With both shortcode and Gutenberg block support, customizable colors, and a responsive design, you can have professional course progress displays up and running in just 5 minutes.

Ready to boost your course completion rates?

👉 https://swrice.com/learndash-course-progress/

Your students will thank you for making their learning journey clearer and more engaging.

Related Resources

About the Author: This guide was created by the team at Swrice, specialists in LearnDash customization and WordPress LMS solutions. We’re passionate about helping course creators build better online learning experiences.

Last Updated: March 2026

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