Courses — Template Reference - ElasticFunnels.io Documentation

This page covers all backend functions for courses and shows how to use them in .ef page templates. See Courses for setup and enrollment.

Backend functions

All functions are available in <script scope="backend"> blocks and in .ef files.

Who gets full lessons. Every function answers for the signed-in customer. A student with active access to a course gets its lessons in full. Anyone else gets the outline: titles, ids, type and order, with locked: true on each lesson. A draft course is hidden from listings and from visitors who are not enrolled in it (an enrolled student and a preview still see it). See Courses on your own pages.

`getCourses(opts?)`

Returns all courses for the brand, each with is_assigned and started for the current customer.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`opts`	object	`{}`	Preferred: `{ assignedOnly, sort, preferredOrder }`

// Preferred object style
var allCourses = getCourses({ assignedOnly: false, sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first' });
var myCourses = getCourses({ assignedOnly: true });

// Legacy positional style (still supported for backward compatibility)
var allCoursesLegacy = getCourses(false);
var myCoursesLegacy = getCourses(true);

sort supports:

enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first (default)
title_asc
title_desc
preferred (when used, pass preferredOrder: ['slug-or-title', ...])

`getCategoriesWithCourses(opts?)`

Same as getCourses but grouped by category. Returns an array of { category_slug, category_name, courses[] }.

var categories = getCategoriesWithCourses({ assignedOnly: false, sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first' });
// categories[0].category_name  → "Daily Practices"
// categories[0].courses        → [ { title, slug, is_assigned, ... } ]

// Legacy positional style still supported:
var categoriesLegacy = getCategoriesWithCourses(false);

`getCoursesByCategorySlug(opts)`

Returns courses in a single category. Useful for “Daily practices” or “Advanced” sections on a dashboard.

var daily = getCoursesByCategorySlug({
  category: 'daily-practices',
  assignedOnly: false,
  sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first'
});

// Legacy positional style still supported:
var dailyLegacy = getCoursesByCategorySlug('daily-practices', false);

`getCoursesForCustomer(opts?)`

Returns only courses the current customer is enrolled in (same as getCourses({ assignedOnly: true })). Returns [] if no session or no enrollments.

var enrolled = getCoursesForCustomer({ sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first' });

// Legacy style still supported:
var enrolledLegacy = getCoursesForCustomer();

`getCourseForCustomer(opts)`

Returns a single course with enrollment check — is_assigned and started are set for the current customer. Also returns the full modules[] and contents[] tree, plus progress_percent and completed_content_ids. Use this on the course detail page.

var course = getCourseForCustomer({ slug: 'tinnitus-recovery' });
// course.is_assigned  → true / false
// course.modules      → full module/lesson tree
// course.progress_percent → 0–100

// Legacy positional style still supported:
var courseLegacy = getCourseForCustomer('tinnitus-recovery');

Returns null if no course with that slug exists.

`getCourseBySlug(slug)`

Returns a single course by slug. Use it for course metadata and the outline, for example on a sales or teaser page. A visitor without access gets the outline (lessons with locked: true); a student with access gets the full lessons. A draft course returns null for anyone not enrolled in it.

var course = getCourseBySlug('tinnitus-recovery');

`getCourseLessons(opts)`

Returns every lesson of a course in order (module order, then lesson order) as one flat list. Useful for an app-style lesson list without the course portal.

var lessons = getCourseLessons({ slug: 'tinnitus-recovery' });
// lessons[i].title, .module_title, .position (0-based), .duration, .completed, .locked

A student with active access also gets each lesson’s content, files and takeaways; everyone else gets the outline. A draft course returns [] unless the student is enrolled in it.

`getCourseLesson(opts)`

Returns the resolved current lesson payload for lesson-player pages, including currentLesson, prevLessonUrl, nextLessonUrl, and progress stats.

var lessonSeed = getCourseLesson({
  course: 'tinnitus-recovery',
  module: 12,
  lesson: 77
});

// Legacy positional style still supported:
var lessonSeedLegacy = getCourseLesson('tinnitus-recovery', 12, 77);

Leave out an argument (or pass an empty value) and it is read from the page’s URL: on a page with the slug course/{course}/module/{module}/lesson/{lesson}, getCourseLesson() finds the lesson the visitor opened. In a template, the URL segments are also on request.route_params (request.route_params.course, .module, .lesson).

`getOrderCourses()`

Returns the courses the visitor’s latest order in this session gives access to, as a list of { title, url }. Use it on your own thank-you page to send a course buyer straight to the course. It returns [] when the session has no order or the order unlocks no course.

@foreach(getOrderCourses() as c)
  <a href="{{ c.url }}">Start {{ c.title }}</a>
@endforeach

The link opens the course page: your course domain and path when you set one in the course settings, otherwise /course/{slug} on the domain the buyer is on. A buyer who is not signed in yet is asked to sign in first. When a project has no thank-you page, the built-in one shows the same links.

`getCompletedLessonsCount(opts?)`

Returns the total number of completed lessons across all enrolled courses, or for a specific course when a slug is provided.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`opts`	object	`undefined`	Optional. Pass `{ course: 'slug' }` to count only a specific course. Omit for all courses.

var totalDone = getCompletedLessonsCount();           // all courses
var courseDone = getCompletedLessonsCount({ course: 'tinnitus-recovery' }); // single course

// Legacy shorthand still supported:
var courseDoneLegacy = getCompletedLessonsCount('tinnitus-recovery');

Returns 0 if the customer has no enrollments or no completed lessons.

`getCourseProgress(opts?)`

Returns a structured progress summary with completed/total lesson counts per course and an overall total. Useful for dashboards.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`opts`	object	`undefined`	Optional. Pass `{ course: 'slug' }` to limit to a single course. Omit for all courses.

var progress = getCourseProgress();
// progress.completedLessons  → 12   (total across all courses)
// progress.totalLessons      → 48   (total across all courses)
// progress.courses           → [
//   { slug: 'tinnitus-recovery', title: '...', completedLessons: 5, totalLessons: 16, progressPercent: 31 },
//   { slug: 'cbt-program', title: '...', completedLessons: 7, totalLessons: 32, progressPercent: 22 }
// ]

var single = getCourseProgress({ course: 'tinnitus-recovery' });
// single.completedLessons → 5
// single.courses          → [ { slug: 'tinnitus-recovery', ... } ]

// Legacy shorthand still supported:
var singleLegacy = getCourseProgress('tinnitus-recovery');

`request.route_params`

For dynamic slug pages (e.g. guided-course/{course}.ef), the slug is available via request.route_params.course.

Course list page

Show all courses, sorted so enrolled courses appear first. Use is_assigned and started to drive the CTA label.

<script scope="backend">
  if (!is_customer) {
    redirect('/members-login');
  }

  var allCourses = getCourses({ assignedOnly: false, sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first' });

  // Sort: enrolled first, then among enrolled put started (Continue) before not started
  allCourses = allCourses.slice().sort(function(a, b) {
    if (a.is_assigned !== b.is_assigned) return b.is_assigned - a.is_assigned;
    return b.started - a.started;
  });

  setVariable('courses', allCourses);
  setVariable('courseCount', allCourses.length);
</script>

@if(var.courseCount gt 0)
<div class="course-grid">
  @foreach(c in var.courses)
  <div class="course-card">
    @if(c.image_url)
    <img src="{{ c.image_url }}" alt="{{ c.title }}" />
    @endif

    <h3>{{ c.title }}</h3>
    <p>{{ c.description }}</p>
    <p>{{ c.module_count }} modules · {{ c.lesson_count }} lessons</p>

    @if(c.is_assigned eq false)
    <a href="/buy/{{ c.slug }}-access" class="btn-secondary">Get access</a>
    @elseif(c.started)
    <a href="/course/{{ c.slug }}" class="btn-primary">Continue</a>
    @else
    <a href="/course/{{ c.slug }}" class="btn-primary">Start Course</a>
    @endif
  </div>
  @endforeach
</div>
@else
<p>No courses available yet.</p>
@endif

With category tabs

<script scope="backend">
  if (!is_customer) { redirect('/members-login'); }

  var categories = getCategoriesWithCourses({ assignedOnly: false, sort: 'enrollment_oldest_unfinished_first' });

  // Sort courses within each category: assigned first
  categories = categories.map(function(cat) {
    var sorted = (cat.courses || []).slice().sort(function(a, b) {
      if (a.is_assigned !== b.is_assigned) return b.is_assigned - a.is_assigned;
      return b.started - a.started;
    });
    return { category_slug: cat.category_slug, category_name: cat.category_name, courses: sorted };
  });

  setVariable('categories', categories);
</script>

@foreach(cat in var.categories)
<section data-category="{{ cat.category_slug }}">
  <h2>{{ cat.category_name }}</h2>
  <div class="course-grid">
    @foreach(c in cat.courses)
    <div class="course-card">
      <h3><a href="/course/{{ c.slug }}">{{ c.title }}</a></h3>
      <span>
        @if(c.is_assigned eq false)
          Get access
        @elseif(c.started)
          Continue
        @else
          Start Course
        @endif
      </span>
    </div>
    @endforeach
  </div>
</section>
@endforeach

Course detail page

Resolve the slug from the URL, check enrollment with getCourseForCustomer, and gate content.

<script scope="backend">
  if (!is_customer) {
    redirect('/members-login');
  }

  // For a dynamic page named guided-course/{course}.ef:
  var slug = request.route_params.course;

  // For a fixed page reading slug from query string:
  // var slug = request.query.course;

  var course = getCourseForCustomer({ slug: slug });

  if (!course) {
    redirect('/courses');
  }

  setVariable('course',       course);
  setVariable('isAssigned',   course.is_assigned || false);
  setVariable('courseStarted', course.started || false);

  if (course.is_assigned) {
    // Track that the customer has visited this course (optional)
    setSessionItem('course_visited_' + slug, '1');
  }
</script>

@if(var.course)

  <!-- Hero -->
  <div class="course-hero">
    @if(var.course.cover)
    <img src="{{ var.course.cover }}" alt="{{ var.course.title }}" />
    @endif
    <h1>{{ var.course.title }}</h1>
    @if(var.course.instructor_name)
    <p>by {{ var.course.instructor_name }}</p>
    @endif
  </div>

  <!-- Stats -->
  <div class="course-stats">
    <span>{{ var.course.module_count }} modules</span>
    <span>{{ var.course.total_lesson_count }} lessons</span>
  </div>

  @if(var.isAssigned)

  <!-- Progress -->
  <div class="progress-bar" style="width: {{ var.course.progress_percent }}%"></div>
  <p>{{ var.course.progress_percent }}% complete</p>

  <!-- Modules and lessons -->
  @foreach(mod in var.course.modules)
  <div class="module" id="module-{{ mod.id }}">
    <h2>{{ mod.order }}. {{ mod.title }}</h2>
    <div class="lessons">
      @foreach(lesson in mod.contents)
      <div class="lesson-row"
           data-content-id="{{ lesson.id }}"
           data-content-url="{{ lesson.content_url }}">
        <span class="lesson-title">{{ lesson.title }}</span>
        @if(lesson.type == 'video')
        <span class="badge">Video</span>
        @elseif(lesson.type == 'audio')
        <span class="badge">Audio</span>
        @endif
      </div>
      @endforeach
    </div>
  </div>
  @endforeach

  @else

  <!-- Not enrolled — show CTA -->
  <div class="access-gate">
    <p>You don't have access to this course yet.</p>
    <a href="/courses" class="btn">Browse all courses</a>
  </div>

  @endif

@else
<p>Course not found. <a href="/courses">Back to courses</a></p>
@endif

Auth wrapper for course pages

Use the auth wrapper pattern (@extends) so the login check and common data load happen once across all course pages:

{{-- members-courses-layout.ef --}}
<script scope="backend">
  if (!is_customer) {
    redirect('/members-login?next=' + encodeURIComponent(request.path));
  }
</script>
@block("content") @endblock

Then each course page:

{{-- course-list.ef --}}
@extends("members-courses-layout")
@block("content")

<script scope="backend">
  var courses = getCourses({ assignedOnly: false });
  setVariable('courses', courses);
</script>

@foreach(c in var.courses)
  <p>{{ c.title }} — @if(c.is_assigned)Enrolled @else Get access @endif</p>
@endforeach

@endblock

Checking access to a specific product

If you want to gate course access by checking whether the customer bought a specific product (rather than relying on enrollment), you can cross-reference with getOrders():

<script scope="backend">
  if (!is_customer) { redirect('/members-login'); }

  var course = getCourseForCustomer({ slug: request.route_params.course });
  if (!course) { redirect('/courses'); }

  // Fallback: check order history for a product by name
  if (!course.is_assigned) {
    var orders = getOrders('newest', 100);
    for (var i = 0; i < orders.length; i++) {
      for (var j = 0; j < orders[i].products.length; j++) {
        if (orders[i].products[j].name === 'Course Access Pass') {
          course.is_assigned = true;
        }
      }
    }
  }

  setVariable('course', course);
  setVariable('isAssigned', course.is_assigned);
</script>

Prefer the enrollment-based check (getCourseForCustomer) — it is more reliable and does not require iterating order history. Use the order-history fallback only if enrollment is not being set up via product linking.

Lesson types and content

Each lesson in mod.contents has a type field:

`type`	Content fields
`'video'`	`content_url` (direct video URL) or `content_embed` (iframe HTML)
`'audio'`	`content_url` (audio file URL)
`'text'`	`content` (HTML body)

Additional fields on each lesson:

Field	Description
`title`	Lesson title
`description`	Short description shown below the player
`content_under`	Additional text shown under video/audio (e.g. transcript excerpt)
`materials`	Array of `{ name, url }` — downloadable files
`key_takeaways`	Array of strings — bullet-point summary

Progress API

All progress routes are prefixed with /api/course/courses/:courseId/. Authentication is via the active course session (cookie). courseId, moduleId, and contentId are numeric IDs.

Mark a lesson complete

// POST /api/course/courses/:courseId/modules/:moduleId/lessons/:contentId/complete
fetch(`/api/course/courses/${courseId}/modules/${moduleId}/lessons/${contentId}/complete`, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({})
});

Returns { success: true, message, stats: { completed_lessons, total_lessons, completion_percent } }.

Save general progress

courseId, moduleId, and contentId go in the URL for the lesson-specific routes. The general saveProgress route keeps them in the body — useful when you want to upsert a progress record with a specific completed value (e.g. un-completing).

// POST /api/course/courses/:courseId/progress
fetch(`/api/course/courses/${courseId}/progress`, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    module_id: moduleId,      // required
    content_id: contentId,    // required
    completed: true,          // boolean
    progress_percent: 100,    // 0–100
    video_position: 0,        // seconds
    video_duration: 0         // seconds
  })
});

Save video position

// POST /api/course/courses/:courseId/modules/:moduleId/lessons/:contentId/video-progress
fetch(`/api/course/courses/${courseId}/modules/${moduleId}/lessons/${contentId}/video-progress`, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    video_position: 142,    // seconds elapsed
    video_duration: 600,    // total duration in seconds
    progress_percent: 24    // 0–100; auto-completes lesson at ≥ 90%
  })
});

Get all progress for a course

// GET /api/course/courses/:courseId/progress
const res = await fetch(`/api/course/courses/${courseId}/progress`);
const { progress, stats } = await res.json();
// progress → array of per-lesson progress objects
// stats    → { completed_lessons, total_lessons, completion_percent, last_accessed_at, ... }

Get progress for a single lesson

// GET /api/course/courses/:courseId/modules/:moduleId/lessons/:contentId/progress
const res = await fetch(
  `/api/course/courses/${courseId}/modules/${moduleId}/lessons/${contentId}/progress`
);
const { progress } = await res.json();
// progress → { completed, progress_percent, video_position, video_duration } or null

Get course stats

// GET /api/course/courses/:courseId/stats
const res = await fetch(`/api/course/courses/${courseId}/stats`);
const { stats } = await res.json();

The page receives the initial completed IDs via course.completed_content_ids. Use this array to mark lessons visually on load, then update the UI optimistically when the API call succeeds.

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Courses — Template Reference

Backend functions

`getCourses(opts?)`

`getCategoriesWithCourses(opts?)`

`getCoursesByCategorySlug(opts)`

`getCoursesForCustomer(opts?)`

`getCourseForCustomer(opts)`

`getCourseBySlug(slug)`

`getCourseLessons(opts)`

`getCourseLesson(opts)`

`getOrderCourses()`

`getCompletedLessonsCount(opts?)`

`getCourseProgress(opts?)`

`request.route_params`

Course list page

With category tabs

Course detail page

Auth wrapper for course pages

Checking access to a specific product

Lesson types and content

Progress API

Mark a lesson complete

Save general progress

Save video position

Get all progress for a course

Get progress for a single lesson

Get course stats

​Backend functions

​getCourses(opts?)

​getCategoriesWithCourses(opts?)

​getCoursesByCategorySlug(opts)

​getCoursesForCustomer(opts?)

​getCourseForCustomer(opts)

​getCourseBySlug(slug)

​getCourseLessons(opts)

​getCourseLesson(opts)

​getOrderCourses()

​getCompletedLessonsCount(opts?)

​getCourseProgress(opts?)

​request.route_params

​Course list page

​With category tabs

​Course detail page

​Auth wrapper for course pages

​Checking access to a specific product

​Lesson types and content

​Progress API

​Mark a lesson complete

​Save general progress

​Save video position

​Get all progress for a course

​Get progress for a single lesson

​Get course stats

Backend functions

`getCourses(opts?)`

`getCategoriesWithCourses(opts?)`

`getCoursesByCategorySlug(opts)`

`getCoursesForCustomer(opts?)`

`getCourseForCustomer(opts)`

`getCourseBySlug(slug)`

`getCourseLessons(opts)`

`getCourseLesson(opts)`

`getOrderCourses()`

`getCompletedLessonsCount(opts?)`

`getCourseProgress(opts?)`

`request.route_params`

Course list page

With category tabs

Course detail page

Auth wrapper for course pages

Checking access to a specific product

Lesson types and content

Progress API

Mark a lesson complete

Save general progress

Save video position

Get all progress for a course

Get progress for a single lesson

Get course stats