Articulate Rise & HTML Loader — Documentation
Upload and manage HTML5 eLearning packages. Drop them into any page or post via Gutenberg blocks.
Overview
HTML Course Uploader lets you upload, manage and display self-contained HTML5 learning packages from your WordPress media environment. It is designed for packages exported by Articulate Rise, BranchTrack, Mindsmith and other web-based authoring tools.
Upload a ZIP, preview it in WordPress, then display it with a Gutenberg block or shortcode in an inline iframe, lightbox or new-tab experience. The plugin manages package storage and protects uploaded course folders from direct browsing and executable files.
HTML Course Uploader displays web packages; it does not provide SCORM tracking, learner progress reporting or LMS completion logic. LearnDash can be used alongside it, but is not required.
Requirements
| WordPress | 6.7 or later |
| PHP | 8.1 or later |
| PHP extension | ZipArchive required |
| Package format | A ZIP containing a working index.html |
| Maximum upload | Up to 200MB, subject to your server upload limits |
| LearnDash | Optional |
| Free version | Two package uploads; existing packages continue to work |
Quick Start
- Install & activate — Requires WordPress 6.7+, PHP 8.1+ and the ZipArchive extension. LearnDash is optional.
- Export a web package — Export a ZIP containing a working
index.htmlfrom Articulate Rise, BranchTrack, Mindsmith or another HTML-course authoring tool. - Choose storage and upload — Go to HTML Courses, select the intended storage folder, then upload one ZIP at a time. Chunked upload supports packages up to 200MB.
- Preview and embed — Add the HTML Course Gutenberg block to a page or post, select the package and display mode. Or use
[hcu_course slug="your-slug"]. - Test before publishing — Check the package in its intended display mode, then publish. The free version includes two package uploads; activate a licence for unlimited uploads.
User Guide
Upload and manage packages
Upload a package
Choose the intended storage folder, then drag a single ZIP file into the upload area. The plugin extracts the package into its assigned folder and generates a slug from the package filename.
A valid package must contain a working index.html. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, media and other web-package files are preserved. Archives containing executable PHP files are rejected.
Large packages upload and process in sequence. Upload one package at a time and wait for it to appear in the Package Manager before starting another upload.
Package Manager
Each package shows its name, slug, upload date, shortcode and available actions: Preview, Copy Shortcode and Delete.
Uploading a package with the same identity replaces the earlier extracted package rather than creating a duplicate. Existing blocks and shortcodes continue to target the replacement package.
Storage folders and deletion
Use the Data Management area to select the default storage folder before uploading. Package folders are protected against direct browsing and executable files.
Deleting a package removes its extracted files. Check the Attachments panel first: deleting a package does not remove blocks or shortcodes already placed on pages.
Display and appearance
Default block settings
| Display mode | Choose Button (new tab), Inline Iframe, Lightbox Overlay or Fullscreen Popup. These defaults populate new Gutenberg blocks. |
| Button text | The default label for Button, Lightbox and Fullscreen modes. |
| Width and height | Default dimensions for iframe and lightbox displays. Use pixels for predictable inline iframe sizing; percentage height is most useful for lightboxes. |
| Lightbox appearance | Set the overlay colour and choose a light or dark close-button theme. |
| Button appearance | Inherit the active theme’s button style, or set custom colours and border radius. |
Block settings can override these defaults for an individual embed.
Embed packages
Gutenberg block
Add the HTML Course block to any page or post, choose a package, then select the display mode and any per-embed overrides.
Shortcode
Use the Package Manager’s Copy Shortcode action, or add a shortcode manually:
[hcu_course slug="your-package-slug"]The shortcode also supports mode, text, width, height, unit, overlay and theme when an individual embed needs to override the defaults.
Attachments
The Attachments panel scans posts and pages for both HTML Course blocks and [hcu_course] shortcodes. It lists where each package is used and flags packages with no detected assignment before you delete them.
Supported packages and compatibility
HTML Course Uploader displays self-contained web packages. It does not provide SCORM tracking, learner progress reporting or LMS completion logic.
| Package source | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Articulate Rise | Tested | Standard web exports, including Rise packages exported with SCORM/xAPI wrappers. |
| BranchTrack | Tested | Standard HTML package exports. |
| Mindsmith | Tested | SCORM API stub is suppressed automatically where required for browser display. |
| Other HTML tools | Usually compatible | The ZIP must be self-contained and open from its own index.html without a hosted LMS dependency. |
| Cloud-hosted / login-dependent exports | Not supported | Packages that require an external authoring-service login or unavailable hosted assets may not work after upload. |
Troubleshooting
Upload fails with “Only ZIP files”
Ensure file has .zip extension. Client-side filter checks before upload. If using chunked uploads, the file MIME type check is bypassed — only extension matters.
Package extracts but shows blank page
Verify the ZIP contains an index.html file. Check the browser console (F12) for JavaScript errors. Ensure sandbox attributes are not blocking required resources.
“Unable to find API adaptor” popup
Only applies to MindSmith SCORM packages. Re-upload — the plugin injects a silent SCORM API stub at extraction time.
Deleting packages doesn’t remove embedded content
Deleting a package only removes the upload files and package record. Blocks/shortcodes already embedded in posts will show a “package not found” message. Remove or replace those blocks manually.
Changelog
+ Chunked ZIP uploads for HTML course packages up to 200MB, subject to server upload limits.
+ Package Manager with preview, shortcode copy, deletion and protected storage folders.
+ Gutenberg HTML Course block and shortcode embeds, with Button, Inline Iframe, Lightbox and Fullscreen display modes.
+ Appearance defaults and per-block display overrides, including custom button and lightbox options.
+ Attachments reporting for both Gutenberg blocks and [hcu_course] shortcodes.
+ Safe package validation: packages require index.html; executable PHP archives are rejected.
~ Identical package uploads replace the previous package cleanly while preserving existing page assignments.
~ Free version includes two package uploads. Pro and Agency licences enable unlimited uploads without disabling existing packages.
! Settings persistence, custom storage-folder replacement and package-assignment detection improved for V1.
Quick Reference
| WordPress | 6.7 or later |
| PHP | 8.1 or later; ZipArchive required |
| LearnDash | Optional — HTML Course Uploader works independently |
| Package format | Self-contained ZIP with a working index.html |
| Maximum upload | Up to 200MB, subject to server upload limits |
| Free version | Two package uploads; existing packages remain available |
| Pro | Unlimited package uploads on one active production site |
| Agency | Unlimited package uploads across the permitted active production sites |
| Licence management | HTML Courses → License — activate, check or deactivate a licence key |
| Purchase / renew | View HTML Course Uploader plans |