---
title: "Online courses: Tutor LMS, LifterLMS and LearnDash (beta)"
description: Start automations when a student enrols, finishes a lesson or a course, or loses access. Works with Tutor LMS and LifterLMS; LearnDash is in beta.
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/hive-mail-online-courses/"
updated: "2026-10-28"
category: Hive Mail
---

# Online courses: Tutor LMS, LifterLMS and LearnDash (beta)

If you teach with an online-course plugin, Hive Mail can email students at the right moment: a welcome when they enrol, a note after a lesson, congratulations after a course, and a neutral message when access ends. Hive Mail works with **Tutor LMS** and **LifterLMS**. **LearnDash** is in beta.

This is part of Hive Mail Pro ([Requirements and installation](/docs/hive-mail-requirements-and-installation/)). A course plugin appears in Hive Mail as soon as it is active; one that is not installed shows nothing.

## What starts a flow

In a flow, open **What starts the flow** and choose a trigger of your course plugin:

| Event | Tutor LMS | LifterLMS | LearnDash (beta) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A student enrols | a student enrols in a course | a student enrols in a course | a student is enrolled in a course |
| A lesson is finished | a student finishes a lesson | a student finishes a lesson | a student finishes a lesson |
| A course is finished | a student finishes a course | a student finishes a course | a student finishes a course |
| Access ends | a student is removed from a course | a student loses access to a course | a student loses access to a course |

Each trigger name starts with the plugin's name, for example **Tutor LMS: a student finishes a course**. Every trigger has two settings:

| Setting | What it does | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Course (any when empty)** | Pick one course, or leave it empty for every course. The picker lists that plugin's courses. | Any |
| **Add students who are not contacts yet** | Makes a transactional contact from the student's account. Transactional emails of this flow reach them; marketing emails never do. | On |

A student is a WordPress user, so the flow starts for the contact linked to that account. The flow starts once per student and course (once per lesson for a lesson event). A student who loses access again later starts a removal flow again. A flow reacts only to events that happen while it is **On** ([Triggers](/docs/hive-mail-triggers/)).

## Merge tags for the email

Type these in the subject or the body of the flow's emails ([Merge tags and fallbacks](/docs/hive-mail-merge-tags-and-fallbacks/)):

| Tag | Shows |
| --- | --- |
| `{{course_name}}`, `{{course_url}}` | The name of the course and the link to it |
| `{{lesson_name}}`, `{{lesson_url}}` | The name of the lesson and the link to it (empty when the event is not about a lesson) |

## The "Is enrolled in a course" rule

For Tutor LMS and LifterLMS, segments, **If** steps and **Goal** steps have a rule for the course plugin (**Tutor LMS course** or **LifterLMS course**) with the choices **is enrolled in** and **is not enrolled in**, and a course picker. Use it to stop a nudge flow once the student has finished or left. A contact is matched to the student by the WordPress account linked to it; **is not enrolled in** also matches contacts that have no account. See [Segments](/docs/hive-mail-segments/) and [Waits, conditions, goals and splits](/docs/hive-mail-waits-conditions-goals-splits/).

There is no such rule for LearnDash.

## Ready-made automations and emails

Under **Automation > Automation recipes** each installed course plugin has four recipes, 12 in all. Each makes a **Draft** flow, so nothing is sent until you switch it on ([Automation recipes](/docs/hive-mail-automation-recipes/)).

| Recipe (one per plugin) | Starts when | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Course welcome** | A student enrols | A short service email: which course, and one button to start |
| **Lesson finished: well done** | A lesson is finished | A short note with a button back to the course |
| **Course finished: congratulations and what next** | A course is finished | Congratulations at once, then three days later a pointer to what to learn next. The second email is marketing, so it reaches only people who gave permission |
| **Course access ended** | Access ends | A neutral service email: what happened and how to get help. No offer |

The recipe name ends with the plugin's name in brackets, for example **Course welcome (Tutor LMS)**. The emails come from six course starters in the template picker: **Course: welcome**, **Course: lesson finished**, **Course: congratulations**, **Course: what to learn next**, **Course: ask for a review** and **Course: access ended** ([Starter designs and seasonal recipes](/docs/hive-mail-starter-designs-and-seasonal-recipes/)). They show only where a course plugin is active. Replace the sample text and pictures before you switch a recipe on.

## See what was found

Go to **Automation > Integrations**. A section called **Online courses** ("Students who enrol, finish a lesson or a course, or lose access can start automations.") has one card for each course plugin on your site, with an **Active** badge, how many of your flows are on, the triggers it adds and a **ready-made automations** button. See [Automation integrations](/docs/hive-mail-automation-integrations/).

## LearnDash (beta)

LearnDash support is in beta. The triggers, merge tags, recipes and emails are there for enrolment, lesson, course and lost access, but the enrolled rule is not. Test a flow with a test student before you rely on it.

> **Tip:** Keep welcome and access-ended emails **Transactional** and anything that promotes another course **Marketing**. See [Steps](/docs/hive-mail-steps/).

Next: [Triggers](/docs/hive-mail-triggers/), [Automation recipes](/docs/hive-mail-automation-recipes/).