# LMS Settings — General Tab

**LMS Settings** is your site-wide learning configuration (`/app/lms-settings/LMS Settings`) controlling portal behavior, notifications, batch UI tabs, signup rules, and integrations that affect how employees experience training alongside Smooth HR. The **General** tab is the first stop after Smooth LMS is enabled on your account that already runs [Smooth HR](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/overview).

Configure General settings before rolling out [auto-provisioning](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/employee-auto-provisioning) and [onboarding mandatory training](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/onboarding-mandatory-training) to production.

> **Help URL:** [Lms Settings General](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/settings/lms-settings-general)

> **HR setup counterpart:** [Company Setup](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/company-setup)

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## Table of Contents

1. [Open LMS Settings](/#open-lms-settings)
2. [General tab — system configuration](/#general-tab--system-configuration)
3. [Notifications](/#notifications)
4. [Batch tab visibility](/#batch-tab-visibility)
5. [Settings that affect HR integration](/#settings-that-affect-hr-integration)
6. [Other tabs (quick reference)](/#other-tabs-quick-reference)
7. [Recommended values for internal HR training](/#recommended-values-for-internal-hr-training)
8. [Portal vs desk](/#portal-vs-desk)
9. [Troubleshooting](/#troubleshooting)
10. [Related guides](/#related-guides)

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## Open LMS Settings

| Path | Users |
|------|-------|
| `/app/lms-settings/LMS Settings` | System Manager, LMS admins |
| Learning workspace link | Moderators |
| Frontend Settings page | Moderators (Vue UI mirrors fields) |

Changes apply site-wide immediately after save. Test on staging with a user that mirrors [Onboarding Portal](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/onboarding-portal) new hires.

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## General tab — system configuration

### Allow Guest Access

When enabled, anonymous visitors can browse course and cohort lists without login.

| Internal HR training | Recommended |
|---------------------|-------------|
| Employees only | **Disabled** — forces authentication tied to HR User records |
| Public marketing courses | Enabled |

Disabling guest access ensures only provisioned employees ([Employee Auto Provisioning](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/employee-auto-provisioning)) with **LMS Student** reach content.

### Prevent Skipping Videos

Requires learners to watch embedded video segments sequentially—important for compliance courses where HR needs good-faith completion evidence alongside [LMS certificates](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/compliance-vs-lms-certificates).

### Disable PWA

Controls Progressive Web App install prompt on mobile. Enable disable if your MDM policy prefers browser-only access.

### Make LMS the Default Home

When checked, users land on `/lms` after login instead of `/desk`.

| Persona | Suggestion |
|---------|------------|
| Frontline staff | Often **enabled** |
| HR staff | **Disabled** — bookmark `/desk/people` ([People](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/people/overview)) |

### Send Calendar Invite for Evaluations

Sends Google Calendar invites for scheduled course evaluations—pairs with live and blended programs ([Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/live-classes/overview)).

### LiveCode URL

Default external code runner URL for programming exercises—typically unchanged for HR compliance training.

### Unsplash Access Key

Optional imagery for course cards—not required for HR deployments.

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## Notifications

| Setting | Options | Purpose |
|---------|---------|---------|
| Send Notification for Published Courses | Email / In-app | Alert **LMS Student** users when new courses publish |
| Send Notification for Published Cohorts | Email / In-app | Batch availability |

Coordinate with HR comms: new mandatory course publish may require parallel email from HR referencing [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) expectations.

Use [training assignments](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/assign-training-from-hr) for targeted deadlines—not global publish notifications alone.

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## Batch tab visibility

Hidden section **Batch Settings** controls cohort sidebar tabs:

| Checkbox | Shows in batch UI |
|----------|-------------------|
| Show Dashboard | Batch analytics |
| Show Courses | Linked courses |
| Show Employees | Roster — useful when HR verifies enrollments |
| Show Assessments | Quizzes |
| Show Live Class | [Live classes](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/live-classes/overview) |
| Show Discussions | Forums |
| Show Emails | Batch email tools |
| Show day view in timetable | Calendar layout |

For HR-led onboarding cohorts, enable **Show Employees** and **Show Live Class** so coordinators align roster with [Employee Onboarding](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/employee-onboarding) lists.

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## Settings that affect HR integration

| Setting | HR impact |
|---------|-----------|
| Allow Guest Access | Must be off for employee-only training |
| Default Home | Employee UX vs HR desk |
| Show Employees | HR can cross-check batch roster |
| Certification Template (Email Templates tab) | PDF handed to [Employee Documents](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) |
| Disable Signup (Signup tab) | Prevents public self-register; rely on HR User creation |
| User Category | Optional persona capture on signup |

Signup should stay **disabled** on HR-consolidated sites—employees arrive via HR-created Users, not public LMS signup.

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## Other tabs (quick reference)

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Signup Settings** | Disable signup, custom HTML, user category |
| **Sidebar** | Portal navigation items |
| **Payment Settings** | Paid courses (optional; not required for internal HR) |
| **Email Templates** | Certificate, batch confirmation, payment reminders |
| **SEO** | Public catalog metadata |
| **Contact Us** | Support email/URL on portal |
| **Jobs** | Allow job posting integration |
| **AI Course Generation** | OpenAI-assisted authoring |

Internal HR training rarely needs payments or public SEO—focus General + Signup + Email Templates.

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## Recommended values for internal HR training

| Field | Recommendation |
|-------|----------------|
| Allow Guest Access | Off |
| Disable Signup | On |
| Prevent Skipping Videos | On for compliance courses |
| Make LMS Default Home | On for learners; HR uses desk |
| Publish notifications | In-app; email for mandatory launches |
| Show Live Class | On if using cohorts |

After saving, run test: create Employee → Onboarding → verify enrollments ([Onboarding Mandatory Training](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/onboarding-mandatory-training)).

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## Portal vs desk

| Task | Surface |
|------|---------|
| Author courses | `/desk/learning` |
| Assign training | Desk **LMS Training Assignment** or LMS UI |
| Take courses | `/lms` |
| HR compliance | `/app/employee-compliance` ([Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/overview)) |
| Onboarding paperwork | [Portal](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/onboarding-portal) |

LMS Settings shapes **learner** experience; HR settings shape **employment** records—both required for integrated rollout per [Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/overview).

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## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Setting to check |
|-------|------------------|
| Public sees courses | Turn off Allow Guest Access |
| Random signup accounts | Disable Signup |
| Learners land on desk | Enable Default Home |
| No publish emails | Notification selects blank → pick Email or In-app |
| Missing live class tab | Show Live Class checkbox |

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## Related guides

- [HRMS + LMS Integration](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/overview)
- [Employee Auto-Provisioning](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/employee-auto-provisioning)
- [Onboarding Mandatory Training](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/onboarding-mandatory-training)
- [Assign Training from HR](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/assign-training-from-hr)
- [Compliance vs Certificates](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/compliance-vs-lms-certificates)
- [Live Classes](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/live-classes/overview)
- [HR Getting Started](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/overview)
- [User Roles](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/user-roles-permissions)
- [Company Setup](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/company-setup)
- [Onboarding Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/overview)
- [Documents & Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/overview)

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_Last updated: May 2026_

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## Change management

Treat LMS Settings changes like [Company Setup](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/company-setup) changes:

1. Document old vs new values.
2. Announce to HR + L&D distribution lists.
3. Apply in maintenance window if disabling guest access mid-flight.
4. Validate with test User mirroring new hire ([Employee Auto Provisioning](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/employee-auto-provisioning)).

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## Email template dependencies

**Certification Template** (Email Templates tab) controls PDF layout for [LMS certificates](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/compliance-vs-lms-certificates) handed to HR. **Batch Confirmation Template** emails cohort details when [live class](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/live-classes/overview) batches enroll members—align wording with [Onboarding Portal](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/onboarding-portal) welcome emails to reduce confusion.

**Payment Reminder Template** irrelevant for pure internal HR training unless using paid external certifications.

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## Security review checklist

| Setting | Risk if misconfigured |
|---------|----------------------|
| Allow Guest Access | Public exposure of internal IP |
| Disable Signup off + public site | Unwanted accounts |
| OpenAI API key in AI tab | Data leakage if enabled casually |
| Show Emails tab on batches | Moderators email blast PII |

Review alongside [role audits](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/user-roles-permissions) quarterly.

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## Multi-company considerations

Your account may host one primary HR company; LMS courses may still tag categories by business unit. LMS Settings is singleton—one guest-access policy for all. Use separate sites for wholly separate employers if policies diverge sharply.

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## FAQ

**Where is persona captured?** **Persona Captured** read-only flag; onboarding UX in LMS frontend—optional for HR-internal sites.

**Does Default Home affect HR desk users?** Only if they lack desk shortcuts bookmarked—HR roles still access `/desk/people`.

**Can we hide jobs sidebar?** Sidebar tab checkboxes—disable **Jobs** for non-recruiting training portals; recruiting remains in [Smooth HR Recruitment](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/recruitment/overview).

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## Field-by-field reference (General tab)

| Field | Type | Default | HR+LMS note |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| Allow Guest Access | Check | On in vanilla LMS | Turn **off** for employee-only |
| Prevent Skipping Videos | Check | Off | Enable for compliance courses |
| Send calendar invite for evaluations | Check | Off | Useful with [live classes](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/live-classes/overview) |
| Disable PWA | Check | Off | MDM policy dependent |
| Make LMS the default home | Check | Off | Frontline vs HR desk split |
| LiveCode URL | Data | Frappe default | Ignore for HR compliance |
| Unsplash Access Key | Data | Empty | Cosmetic course cards |
| Send Notification for Published Courses | Select | — | Coordinate with HR comms |
| Send Notification for Published Cohorts | Select | — | Batch academies |
| Show day view in timetable | Check | Off | Cohort UX |
| Show Dashboard / Courses / Employees / etc. | Checks | Varies | Enable Employees for HR roster checks |

Save after each logical group; Settings save immediately immediately.

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## Staging vs production parity

Clone [company](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/getting-started/company-setup) anonymized data to staging. Mirror LMS Settings except email keys. Test full path: [Employee Onboarding](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/onboarding/employee-onboarding) → [Onboarding Mandatory Training](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/onboarding-mandatory-training) → certificate → [compliance Complete](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) before production toggles.

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## Integration smoke test script (manual)

1. Toggle **Allow Guest Access** off.
2. Create test Employee + User.
3. Confirm **LMS Student** ([Employee Auto Provisioning](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/employee-auto-provisioning)).
4. Create onboarding; verify enrollments.
5. Complete one lesson; verify progress on assignment.
6. Print certificate; attach to HR document ([Compliance Vs Lms Certificates](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/hrms-integration/compliance-vs-lms-certificates)).

Document pass/fail in release ticket.

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