If a new or revised systeme.io course preview says “No lectures yet,” check whether the course has any active lectures. Newly created lectures start as drafts. If the lesson you intend to release is ready, activate that one lecture and reopen the preview.
This guide is for solo instructors who see the empty message in their own course preview. Your task is to make and record one release decision. Reference + Worksheet.
Decide what should happen to the first lesson
Ready for learners
Activate the intended first lesson, then check whether the preview shows it and the lesson opens.
Still being edited
Keep it inactive. Record the item that needs review before release. If the course is on sale, flag the empty course before sending any more learners to it.
Check the lecture status in the course outline
Open Assets → Courses and select the intended course. The official troubleshooting guide identifies an inactive lecture by its gray icon. For a lesson you intend to publish now, open its three-dot menu and choose Activate. Then reopen the course preview and check the lesson title and content.
Not tested: the current product menu and the learner view were not exercised for this guide. If a lecture is already active and the instructor preview is still empty, record the exact course and message before making further changes.
Check access separately for a learner
If the instructor preview works but a learner still cannot see the lesson, compare their enrollment with the release you promised. The official course setup guide describes a delay between lectures for drip access. For that setup, check the scheduled access date for the individual learner.
For a lecture moved from another course, use the course move checklist to check both the original and destination paths.
Record one release decision
Open the release worksheet
- Course, module, and lecture title:
- Expected learner and release date:
- Lecture status before the check: active / inactive / unknown
- Decision: activate the ready lesson / keep inactive / investigate
- Instructor preview after the check: opens / still empty / Not tested
- Learner-side result: opens / blocked / Not tested
- Next action and date:
Close the preview check once the intended lesson opens there, or leave the lesson inactive with a clear next action. If you need to confirm buyer access, record the learner-side result separately.
Official references checked November 9, 2026.