Title: Course Tracker – Simple WordPress Lesson Progress & LMS Navigation Author: erikzett Published: October 17, 2025 Last modified: November 13, 2025 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/course-tracker/assets/banner-772x250.jpg?rev=3395349) ![](https://ps.w.org/course-tracker/assets/icon-256x256.jpg?rev=3380329) # Course Tracker – Simple WordPress Lesson Progress & LMS Navigation By [erikzett](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erikzett/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/course-tracker.1.1.7.zip) * [Details](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/#description) * [Reviews](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/#reviews) * [Installation](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/#installation) * [Development](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/course-tracker/) ## Description **Course Tracker** is a lightweight, shortcode-driven WordPress plugin that lets you **build your own mini LMS directly inside WordPress** – no coding or external LMS required. It’s powered by the **WordPress Menu Builder**, which you use to structure your course outline. Each menu item (lesson) automatically becomes part of a side navigation panel – complete with **progress checkmarks and arrows** that update as students mark lessons complete. Fully compatible with **Classic Editor, Gutenberg, and all major page builders** such as Bricks Builder, Elementor, and Beaver Builder, Course Tracker helps you track lessons, show progress bars, and guide students through your course in a clean, visual way. Designed for creators who want course progress tracking without complex LMS setups, it delivers everything you need to create a motivating learning experience – fast, flexible, and privacy-friendly. ### Key Features * **Shortcode-Driven:** Add course navigation, progress bars, and completion buttons anywhere – no coding required. * **Menu-Based Navigation:** Uses the native WordPress Menu Builder to create your course outline and automatically show lesson checkmarks and arrows as students progress. * **Lesson Completion Tracking:** Students can mark lessons complete and instantly see their updated progress. * **Progress Bars & Checkmarks:** Display lesson progress visually with customizable bars, icons, and completion text. * **Build Your Own LMS:** Create a complete learning experience directly inside WordPress – no third-party LMS plugins or subscriptions needed. * **Works with All Editors:** Compatible with Classic Editor, Gutenberg, Bricks Builder, Elementor, and other page builders. * **Lightweight & Fast:** Built for speed, simplicity, and compatibility with any theme. * **Save & Restore Progress:** Students can export or import progress data anytime– no external accounts or sync required. * **Privacy-First:** All progress data stays in your WordPress database, never sent elsewhere. ### Usage After setup, use these shortcodes in your pages or templates: * `[ctrkr_nav]` – Displays course navigation with checkmarks. * `[ctrkr_complete_button text=" "]` – Adds a button to mark the current lesson as complete. * `[ctrkr_nav_arrows]` – Adds Previous/Next lesson arrows. * `[ctrkr_course_outline]` – Shows progress bar and course outline. * `[ctrkr_lesson_position]` – Displays text like Lesson X of Y. * `[ctrkr_progress_text]` – Displays Completed X of Y lessons with navigation arrows. **Example:** Place `[ctrkr_nav]` in your sidebar or course page for navigation. Add `[ctrkr_complete_button]` to each lesson page so students can mark it complete. ### Settings * **Course Navigation Menu:** Choose the WordPress menu that represents your course. * **Show Navigation Title:** Display a title above the course navigation. * **Slide-in Tracker Panel:** Optionally enable a floating slide-in menu for navigation. * **Styling:** Customize button colors with the built-in Button Styler, or fine- tune further using the WordPress Customizer or your theme’s CSS. * **Student Reports:** View student progress and export to a spreadsheet. ### External Services This plugin connects to [SureCart](https://surecart.com/) via `api.surecart.com` for license verification (to unlock the premium version). * **What:** The entered license key is sent to SureCart for validation. * **When:** Only when you enter or remove a license key in the plugin settings. * **Data sent:** License key only – no student or course data. * **Purpose:** To enable premium features after purchase. * [SureCart Privacy Policy](https://surecart.com/privacy-policy/) ## Screenshots * [[ * Settings page. * [[ * Navigation setup. * [[ * Button styling. * [[ * Slide-in panel. * [[ * Student progress view. * [[ * Lesson example. * [[ * Course outline example. ## Installation 1. Upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/course-tracker` directory or install via the WordPress plugin installer. 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress. 3. Go to **Settings → Course Tracker** to select your course navigation menu and configure options. 4. Add shortcodes (see below) to your lesson or course pages. ## FAQ ### Does this plugin require another LMS like LearnDash or TutorLMS? No. **Course Tracker is completely standalone** – it’s not an add-on for any LMS platform. It uses your WordPress menu system and shortcodes to build your own lightweight learning platform directly inside WordPress. ### How does Course Tracker use the WordPress menu builder? Course Tracker connects to the **native WordPress Menu Builder** to create your course structure. Each menu item (lesson) becomes part of a visual course navigation panel. When a student marks a lesson as complete, a **checkmark** automatically appears next to that lesson. ### Do I need to code or edit templates? No coding is required. Course Tracker is **100% shortcode-driven**, so you can insert navigation, progress bars, and completion buttons anywhere. It works seamlessly with **Classic Editor, Gutenberg, Bricks Builder, Elementor**, and most other page builders. ### Do I need to use all the shortcodes? Which ones are required? You only need to use the **course navigation** shortcode (`[ctrkr_nav]`) and the** complete button** shortcode (`[ctrkr_complete_button]`) for the plugin to function effectively. However, we suggest adding all shortcodes to a test post to see what each one does and how they enhance your course layout. ### Can I use this directly on a page or post? Yes, you can. But we recommend creating a **course or lesson template** in your page builder so your shortcodes appear consistently across all lessons. Otherwise, you’ll need to insert shortcodes manually on each page, which isn’t ideal. For more about templates, please visit [rankbydesign.com](https://rankbydesign.com) and click **LMS** for video examples on building a course in Bricks Builder. More guides for other themes are coming soon, as Course Tracker works independently of any theme. ### Can I style the buttons and navigation? Yes! The plugin includes a built-in **Button Styler** to easily change colors and styles. You can also fine-tune the look using the **WordPress Customizer or theme CSS**. Need a hand matching your site’s design? **Reach out anytime** – we’re happy to help. ### Where is student progress stored? All student progress is stored privately in your **own WordPress database** and never sent to any external service. Students can also export/import their own progress files if needed. ### Does it work with my theme? Yes! Course Tracker is designed to work with **any modern WordPress theme or page builder.** Because it uses shortcodes and menus instead of theme-specific templates, it adapts cleanly to your layout. ### Is Course Tracker free? Yes. You can track progress for up to **20 users** (including the admin) for free. For larger sites or unlimited users, you can upgrade with a small one-time fee, which helps support ongoing improvements and new features. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “Course Tracker – Simple WordPress Lesson Progress & LMS Navigation” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ erikzett ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erikzett/) [Translate “Course Tracker – Simple WordPress Lesson Progress & LMS Navigation” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/course-tracker) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/course-tracker/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/course-tracker/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/course-tracker/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/course-tracker/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.1.7 * Improved look for course navigation * New navigation styling settings added * Fixed an CSV export issue for student reports. * Tightened shortcodes security & stability #### 1.1.6 * Initial version released at WordPress Plugin Directory * Improved button styling and settings UI. #### 1.1.5 * Refinements and new options added to the Slide-in panel. #### 1.1.4 * Fixed remaining domain handling errors with PCP. #### 1.1.3 * Fixed domain handling and improved data sanitation. * No changes to plugin features or functionality. #### 1.1.0 * Plugin completely refactored for simplicity and security. * Always saves progress permanently to WP database, even in free mode. * Free mode supports up to 20 users; premium unlocks unlimited. * Added color picker and slide-in tracker panel. * Improved admin settings and license activation. #### 1.0.0 * Initial working version released at rankbydesign.com. ## Meta * Version **1.1.7** * Last updated **5 months ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 5.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.8.5** * PHP version ** 7.0 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/) * Tags * [course](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/course/)[lesson](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/lesson/) [lms](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/lms/)[progress bar](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/progress-bar/) * [Advanced View](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/course-tracker/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/course-tracker/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/course-tracker/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ erikzett ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erikzett/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/course-tracker/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://rankbydesign.com/course-tracker-donate)