⚒️A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up an Automated Subscription Course

This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough to help you create and sell your first subscription-based course with automatic timed access.

Step 1: Create Your Subscription Product on Shopify

Before setting up the course content, you need to create a product in your Shopify store. This product will be the item customers purchase to gain access.

• From your Shopify Admin, navigate to Products -> Add product.

• Fill in the necessary details like the title, price, description, and images.

• Crucially, go to the Variants section and create a new Option named "Plan".

• Add the Option values: "Monthly" and "Yearly".

• Set a specific price for each variant.

• Note: Don’t forget to uncheck the box "This is a physical product".

Step 2: Set Up Recurring Payments with the Shopify Subscriptions App

This step activates the automatic billing feature for your monthly and yearly plans.

• Install the Shopify Subscriptions app from the Shopify App Store.

• In the app, select Subscription plans.

• Create the Monthly plan:

  • For Products, select the product you created in Step 1.

  • IMPORTANT: Be sure to select the specific "Monthly" variant for this plan.

• Create the Yearly plan:

  • Repeat the process, selecting the product and the specific "Yearly" variant.

Common Error: A frequent mistake is selecting only the product without choosing the specific variant, which prevents the system from distinguishing between your plans.

Step 3: Link the Course and Activate Timed Access in LDT

This is the most critical step, connecting your Shopify product to your course content and enabling automatic access management.

• Go to Apps -> LDT Online Courses -> Courses.

• Choose the course you want to set up.

• Find the Auto enroll via Shopify Products section and click Link product.

• Select the subscription product you created in Step 1.

• The Most Important Configuration:

  • After linking the product, click on "Specific variants".

  • CHECK BOTH the Monthly and Yearly variants.

  • Toggle on "Limit time access".

  • Set the corresponding access days for each variant:

    • For the Monthly variant: Enter 31 days so the course will be renewed for the next 31 days after the customer pays for the next monthly cycle

    • For the Yearly variant: Enter 366 days so the course will be renewed for the next 366 days after the customer pays for the next yearly cycle

• Click Save to finish.

Step 4: Test Your Setup

To ensure your entire system is working correctly before you go live.

• Instructions: Follow our guide on how to grant free course access using a 100% discount code to simulate a customer's purchase and verify that the enrollment and timed access features function as intended.

Conclusion: Once you complete these steps, you will have a fully automated subscription course system that manages billing and access seamlessly. Always remember to double-check that you have selected the correct variants in both Step 2 and Step 3.