Introduction
Templates are the quickest way to get your Circle (community or course area) up and running. They come preloaded with helpful features, including modules, lessons, a chat space, and a help forum, saving you time and providing a strong structure to build from. This article guides you through creating a Circle using a template and customising it to suit your needs.
Start with a template
Navigate to your Community area.
Click + Create Circle.
Choose from the list of pre-built templates.
Select the one that best fits your needs and style.
Name your Circle (e.g. Course XYZ).
Click Create.
You’ll now have a fully structured Circle, ready to customise.
Explore the default layout
Your template will include:
Modules with pages for lessons, often pre-loaded with video placeholders.
A Student Chat Channel with discussion spaces.
A Help Forum with example questions and space for community support.
You can preview how everything fits together before making changes.
Edit Circle Settings
Click the settings icon at the top of your Circle to adjust:
Circle details:
Name – This appears on the main dashboard.
URL – This becomes the direct link to your Circle.
Description – A short summary that appears under the title.
Tracking progress:
Toggle Show tracking progress to allow users to see how far they’ve come.
Then, you can enable Track content completion on each page where you want users to mark their progress.
Access controls:
Open - Anyone can find and join.
Logged-in members only - Visitors must log in.
Members of a group - Only assigned members (e.g. course buyers).
Payment required - You'll need to use this if you want to charge for access (not recommended for complete funnels).
You can set up your product, set a price and decide whether it is a recurring fee.
When you click Save, it sets up a product in your store.
Enrolment required - only relevant if you send this to people who have not paid. Instead, keep it unselected.
Tip: For best results, connect access to a member group so that buyers are automatically enrolled.
Customise the layout and styling
From the Circle settings, you can also:
Choose compact or wide sidebar style.
Set your theme colour, font size, and border style.
Upload a cover image for use on a multi-Circle dashboard.
Enable fit to viewport if you want the Circle to always fill the entire screen.
Adjust the sidebar navigation layout to one of three options: inline, sidebar, or right-hand menu.
You can take your time exploring these design options. You can always preview changes before saving.
Update your pages and lessons' layout
Inside your Circle, click into each module or lesson page:
Use widgets to add a video, text, or downloadable content.
Utilise hosted videos to access additional features, including watch tracking, comments, and chapters.
Adjust layout settings (boxed or full-width containers).
Enable mark as watched or complete on each lesson.
You can have multiple videos per page using the Video Playlist widget, or one video per lesson, with each on its own page.
Important: The Video Playlist widget is only compatible with videos hosted on your CCK platform. It does not support externally hosted videos, such as those on Vimeo.
Use built-in community features
Student Chat Channel
Add a Discussion widget to create a chat room experience (similar to Slack):
Set up multiple channels (e.g. General, VIP, Admin).
Assign visibility by member group to each channel.
Let users send messages, emojis, and upload images.
Help Forum
Use the Forum widget to create a Q&A or support space:
Enable features like upvotes, post approval, and comment threads.
Display posts in full or compact view.
Create multiple walls by topic or use a single wall for all questions.
You can take your time to explore all the settings.
Additional Settings and Tips
Hosted Videos: Starter plans include 20 hosted videos, Growth plans offer 50.
Categories: Use categories if you plan to offer different types of content (e.g. coaching, replays, tutorials).
Lesson design: You can duplicate pages to save time when adding multiple lessons.
Progress tracking: Enable both at the Circle and Page levels to give users visual feedback.
What to Do Next
Review each page in the template and replace the placeholder content.
Upload your hosted videos and enable watch tracking.
Preview your Circle from the user’s perspective, both when logged in and when logged out.
Share your Circle link once you're ready to launch.
Conclusion
Starting with a template gives you a professional, functional Circle in just a few clicks. Whether you're launching a course, building a paid membership, or offering group coaching, these templates are fully customisable and ready to go. Once you’re comfortable, explore the styling and access options to make it truly your own. If you need help, we’re just a chat bubble away.