How are the different course access types different?

When you give a student access to a course on systeme.io, you must choose an access type. This decision controls exactly what the student can see and when.

There are four different access types. Here is a clear explanation of each one so you can pick the right option for your course.

1. Full access

With Full access, the student gets immediate access to every module and every lecture in the course.

Any delays you may have set between lectures are completely ignored. This is the simplest option and is perfect when you want students to move freely through the whole course at their own pace.

2. Drip content

Drip content releases the lectures (and modules) progressively according to the delays you configured.

For example, you can set a new lecture to become available every 3 days or every week. Students only see the content that has been unlocked for them. This method is excellent for keeping engagement high over time and avoiding overwhelm.

3. Partial access

With Partial access, the student can only see the specific modules you select. All other modules remain hidden.

This is useful when you want to sell different versions of the same course (basic vs premium) or when you give temporary access to only part of the content.

4. Partial access with drip

This is the combination of the two previous options.

The student only has access to the modules you choose, and the lectures inside those modules are still released gradually according to the drip delays.

It gives you the maximum control: restricted content + progressive release.

Which access type should you choose?

• Want students to explore everything immediately → Full access
• Want to keep students engaged over several weeks → Drip content
• Want to limit what they can see → Partial access
• Need both restriction and progressive release → Partial access with drip

You can change the access type of an existing student at any time from their student profile.

These options work with every enrollment method available on systeme.io (automatic after purchase, opt-in, manual enrollment, etc.). See also What are the different methods for giving access to a course? and How to manually add students to a course.

Conclusion

Choosing the right access type is an important part of the student experience. On systeme.io you have full flexibility to match the delivery of your content to your teaching strategy.

Pick the option that best serves your students and your business goals.

Related articles

• What are the different methods for giving access to a course?
• How to manually add students to a course
• How to sell an online course
• How to create a course using systeme.io