Quick Start Guide

Follow these steps to get your LearnDash Dashboard live and working. The whole process takes about five minutes.

Step 1: Create a Dashboard Page

The dashboard lives on a regular WordPress page. You’ll create that page now.

1. Go to Pages > Add New in your WordPress admin.
2. Give the page a title — for example, My Dashboard.
3. In the page content area, type (or paste) this shortcode:

[ld_dashboard]

4. Click Publish.

That’s it — your dashboard page is created.

Step 2: Tell the Plugin Which Page Is Your Dashboard

The plugin needs to know which page you just created so internal navigation links work correctly.

1. Go to LearnDash Dashboard > Page Mapping.
2. In the Dashboard Page dropdown, select the page you created in Step 1.
3. Click Save Changes.

This step is important. Skip it and links inside the dashboard will not work properly.

Step 3: Choose What Each Role Can See

You control which sections appear in the sidebar for each type of user.

1. Go to LearnDash Dashboard > Menu Options.
2. You’ll see a list of sections grouped by role — Admin, Instructor, Group Leader, and Student.
3. Check the sections you want each role to see. Uncheck anything you want to hide.
4. Click Save Changes.

You can come back and adjust these at any time.

Step 4: Add the Dashboard to Your Site Navigation

Help your users find the dashboard by adding it to your site’s main menu.

1. Go to Appearance > Menus.
2. Select the menu your site uses for navigation.
3. In the Pages list on the left, find your dashboard page and check the box next to it.
4. Click Add to Menu.
5. Click Save Menu.

Logged-in users can now reach the dashboard directly from your site navigation.

Step 5: Visit Your Dashboard

Open the dashboard page in your browser. Log in as an admin, an instructor, or a student to see how it looks for each role.

The sidebar on the left shows the navigation. Click any item to load that section. Each user sees only the sections relevant to their role.

Section	Who sees it
Dashboard Home, Enrolled Courses, Quiz Attempts, Certificates, Assignments	All logged-in users
Courses, Lessons, Topics, Quizzes, Questions	Admins and Instructors
Reports, Insights, Bulk Management	Admins, Instructors, Group Leaders
Email, Private Messages	Admins and Instructors
My Students, Earnings	Instructors
Groups	Admins and Group Leaders

Step 6: Create Your First Course from the Dashboard

If you have the Instructor role or are an Admin, you can create courses directly from the dashboard — no WordPress admin needed.

1. Visit your dashboard and click Courses in the sidebar.
2. Click Add New Course.
3. Fill in the course title, description, and settings.
4. Click Save.

The course is immediately live as a LearnDash course. Add lessons, topics, and quizzes the same way using their sections in the sidebar.

Next Steps

• Go to LearnDash Dashboard > Design to apply your brand colors and make the dashboard match your site.
• Go to LearnDash Dashboard > Instructor Settings to set up the instructor registration and approval process.
• Read the Shortcodes Reference if you want to embed dashboard components on other pages.
• Read User Roles for a full breakdown of what each role can do.