JoomCourses - Getting Started

JoomCourses is the only course listing component for Joomla! that allows you to run a directory of courses, classes or other events on your website with advanced booking forms, tags, PayPal integration, Search Engine Friendly URLs and much more.

It is a great solution for small to medium size training centers, language schools, colleges, sport academies, companies providing external trainings and other similar type of organizations.

This guide walks you through installing JoomCourses, configuring it for your needs, and creating your first course.

Requirements

• Joomla 4, 5, or 6
• PHP 8.3 or higher
• MySQL database

Installation

1. Log in to your Joomla administrator panel.
2. Go to System > Install > Extensions.
3. Upload the pkg_joomcourses_v{version}_j4.zip package file.
4. Joomla will install the component and all included plugins automatically.
5. After installation, you will find JoomCourses under the Components menu.

Initial Configuration

After installation, configure the essential settings before creating courses.

Step 1: Set Your Currency

1. Go to Components > JoomCourses.
2. Click the Settings icon (gear) in the toolbar, or navigate via the sidebar to Configuration.
3. Under General, select your Currency (e.g., EUR, USD, GBP).
4. Save the settings.

Step 2: Configure VAT (If Applicable)

1. In the same settings page, set the VAT Rate (e.g., 20 for 20%).
2. Choose whether to Show VAT to users on the frontend.
3. Save the settings.

Step 3: Configure Registration Fields

1. Scroll to the Registration section in settings.
2. For each field (first name, last name, company, phone, address, city, country, etc.), choose whether to:

• Enable the field
• Make it Required
• Show it for Guest Checkout

1. Save the settings.

Step 4: Set Up Payments (Optional)

1. In settings, you can Disable Payments entirely if you only need registrations without payment.
2. To accept payments, enable the Cash Payment option or set up a payment gateway plugin.

Exploring with Demo Data

JoomCourses includes sample data so you can explore all features before adding your own content.

Installing Demo Data

1. Go to Components > JoomCourses > Dashboard.
2. Click Install Demo Data.
3. The system will create sample categories, courses, course dates, sessions, and reference data.

Removing Demo Data

When you're ready to use real content:

1. Go to Components > JoomCourses > Dashboard.
2. Click Remove Demo Data.
3. All sample content will be deleted. Your own content will not be affected.

Creating Your First Course

Step 1: Create a Category

1. Go to Components > JoomCourses and click Categories in the sidebar.
2. Click New in the toolbar.
3. Enter a category title (e.g., "Web Development").
4. Save the category.

Step 2: Create Reference Data (Optional)

Before creating courses, you may want to set up locations, experience levels, and groups:

1. Go to Reference Data in the sidebar.
2. Click New and create entries for your locations (e.g., "London Office"), experience levels (e.g., "Beginner"), and groups (e.g., "Corporate Training").

Step 3: Create a Course

1. Go to Courses in the sidebar.
2. Click New in the toolbar.
3. Fill in the course details:

• Title — The name of your course
• Category — Select the category you created
• Intro Text — A short summary shown in course listings
• Full Text — The complete course description
• Image — Upload a course image
• Tags — Assign relevant tags
• Experience Level and Group — Select from your reference data

1. Click Save.

Step 4: Add a Course Date

A course date is a scheduled instance of your course (e.g., "January 15-17, 2026").

1. Go to Course Dates in the sidebar.
2. Click New.
3. Fill in:

• Course — Select the course you created
• Start Date and Finish Date
• Capacity — Maximum number of seats
• Location — Select from reference data
• Tutor — Assign an instructor (if you've created contacts)
• Price — Set the price per attendee (excluding VAT)

1. Click Save.

Step 5: Add Sessions (Optional)

Sessions are individual time blocks within a course date (e.g., "9:00 AM - 12:00 PM").

1. Open your course date for editing.
2. Use Add Session to add individual sessions, or use Generate Sessions to create multiple sessions at once based on a date range and frequency.

Step 6: Create a Menu Item

To make your courses visible on the frontend:

1. Go to Menus in the Joomla admin and select your site menu.
2. Click New to create a menu item.
3. Set the Menu Item Type to JoomCourses > Courses (to show a category of courses) or another available view.
4. Configure the menu item options and save.