When adding learners to a course, Learnster gives you two manual options: Assign manually and Enroll manually. They might sound similar, but they behave quite differently — and choosing the right one ensures your course settings are respected (or intentionally overridden). 🎯
Assign manually
Assign manually adds learners directly to the course, bypassing all enrollment restrictions. This means the learner is guaranteed a spot regardless of:
Maximum participant limits
Registration deadlines
Enrollment approval settings (manual or automatic)
Use this option when you want to force-add a learner to a course as an admin override — for example, adding a late participant or a learner who missed the registration window.
ℹ️ Smart Enrollment (shown as Auto-assignment in the Add Learner menu) and Advanced Rules add learners the same way as Assign manually.
To assign a learner manually:
Navigate to Studio → Courses and open your course.
Click the Learners tab.
Click the dropdown arrow next to the Add Learner button.
Select Assign manually.
Search for and select the learner(s) you want to add.
Click Save. The learner is added directly — no approval needed.
Enroll manually
Enroll manually puts the learner through the course's configured enrollment flow. This means the course's settings are respected:
Maximum participants: If the course is full, the learner is placed on the waitlist and gets a seat automatically when one frees up.
Registration deadline: If the deadline has passed, enrollment may be blocked.
Enrollment approval: If the course is set to Manual approval, the enrollment is approved straight away when you are allowed to manage enrollments for the course, as admins normally are. Otherwise an admin, instructor, or manager needs to approve it before the learner gets access.
Use this option when you want to respect the course's enrollment rules — for example, when capacity limits or approval workflows are intentional and should not be bypassed.
To enroll a learner manually:
Navigate to Studio → Courses and open your course.
Click the Learners tab.
Click the dropdown arrow next to the Add Learner button.
Select Enroll manually.
Search for and select the learner(s) you want to enroll.
Click Save. The enrollment will follow the course's configured rules.
Quick comparison
Assign manually | Enroll manually | |
Respects max participants | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (waitlist if full) |
Respects registration deadline | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Respects enrollment approval | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (approved straight away if you can manage enrollments) |
Learner guaranteed a spot | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ No — waitlisted if the course is full |
ℹ️ You can configure enrollment approval and participant limits under Studio → Courses → [Course] → Settings → Catalog.