Classes
What Is a Class?
A class is an online course you create for your community. It is made up of sections — individual steps or screens guests progress through in order. Each class gets its own unique public URL that you can share with anyone.
A new class always starts with two default sections:
• A Check-In section (the entry point where guests enter their email)
• A Completion section (the final screen of the class)
You can add as many sections as needed between these two. We recommend keeping classes under 20 sections — if yours needs more, consider splitting it into multiple classes.
The Class Directory
Navigate to Admin → Classes to see all your classes.
The page shows:
• A search bar to filter classes by name
• A sort dropdown (Name or Creation Date)
• A "View Public Directory" link that opens your church's public-facing class listing in a new tab
• A grid of class cards, each showing the class name, number of sections, creation date, and whether there are unpublished changes
Clicking a class card opens the class builder for that class.
Creating a Class
1. Go to Admin → Classes.
2. Click "New Class" (or "Create Class" if you have no classes yet).
3. A new class named "Untitled Class" is created automatically with a Check-In and Completion section.
4. You are taken directly into the class builder to start adding content.
Renaming a Class
1. Open the class in the builder.
2. Click the class name in the top bar or the section name heading to open the settings modal.
3. Update the name in the Title field.
4. Save the change.
Adding Sections to a Class
Inside the class builder, use the section sidebar on the left to navigate between sections. To add a new section:
1. Click the "+" insert button between existing sections.
2. Select the section type you want to add (Text, Video, Form, Test, Branch).
3. The new section is inserted and you are taken into its editor.
See Sections Overview for a full list of section types.
Reordering Sections
Sections can be drag-and-drop reordered in the section sidebar. Drag a section to a new position and the order is saved automatically.
Note: The Check-In section must always be first and the Completion section must always be last. They cannot be moved, deleted, or duplicated.
Duplicating a Class
1. From the class builder, look for the duplicate option in the class menu or topbar.
2. A full copy of the class — including all sections and their content — is created.
3. The duplicate is named "Copy of [Class Name]" and appears in your Class Directory.
Deleting a Class
1. Open the class in the builder.
2. Click the delete option in the class menu or topbar.
3. Confirm the deletion.
Warning: Deleting a class is permanent. All sections and guest data associated with the class are removed.
Publishing a Class
Publishing saves a snapshot of your class content that guests will see. You must publish your class before guests can take it live.
When you make changes to a class after it has been published, the class card in the Class Directory shows an "Unpublished Changes" warning. Guests continue to see the last published version until you publish again.
How to Publish
1. Open the class in the builder.
2. Click "Publish" in the topbar.
3. The class is now live with your latest changes.
Why Publish Matters
OnArk keeps a historical snapshot of what each class looked like at the time a guest completed it. This ensures that guest results are always accurate, even after you update the class content later.
Sharing a Class
Each class has a unique URL in the format: onark.app/[your-church-url]/[class-url]
You can find and copy the class URL from inside the class builder. Share this link via email, social media, or on your church website.
Your church's full class directory is at: onark.app/[your-church-url]
Common Questions
Why can't guests access my class? The most common reasons are: (1) no active subscription, or (2) the class has never been published. Both must be true for guests to access a live class.
How many classes can I make? As many as you'd like. There is no limit to the number of classes on any plan.
How many sections can a class have? There is no hard limit, but we recommend no more than 20 sections per class. If your class needs more, split it into multiple linked classes.
Can I un-publish a class? There is no direct "un-publish" button. To effectively hide a published class, change the class URL in Class Settings to something that won't be guessed — the old link will return 404. Change it back to the original URL when you want the class accessible again.
Can I have the same guest take multiple classes? Yes. Guests are identified by email address. The same guest can check in to any number of classes.
What is the difference between sections and classes? A class is the whole course. Sections are the individual steps inside a class. Think of a class as a book and sections as the chapters.
Can I preview a class before publishing it? Yes. Open the class in the builder and navigate through sections using the back/next buttons at the bottom. You can also use the Preview mode to simulate the guest experience with your own admin email.
How do I name or rename a class? Open the class, then click Class Settings at the bottom of the left sidebar. Change the Class Title and save. The name is not editable by clicking directly on the course name in the list.
How do I find the public link to share a class? Use the Copy Link button in the top right of the class view. You can also view or change the link in Class Settings (left sidebar → Class Settings).
When I share the class link, others get "Page Not Found." Why? The class must be published for the public link to work. Make sure you're sharing the guest-facing link (e.g. onark.app/yourchurch/classname), not a preview or admin URL. If it's published and still 404s, try it in an incognito window — if it fails there too, contact support with the exact URL.
Can I see what unpublished changes I have before clicking Publish? The purple Publish button shows how many unpublished changes exist. There's no detailed change list. Use Preview to see your class with unpublished changes applied before going live.
Can I manually reorder the class list? Only the available sorting options are supported; manual drag-and-drop reordering of the class list isn't available.
Can I require a video to be fully played before guests click Next? No. Requiring full video completion before advancing isn't supported by design. To encourage engagement, add a Form section right after the video with required questions about the content.
Can I link or embed Vimeo videos? Only YouTube is supported for embedded video. Add a Video section and paste a YouTube link in Video Settings. If you only need to link to a Vimeo video, add a Text section and paste the Vimeo URL as a link.
Can I move or copy a section I built in the wrong place? There's no self-serve move or copy in the app. Contact support with the course name, the section you want to move, and where it should go — we can move it for you.
Are there sample builds or a demo I can look at? We don't have a self-serve demo account. To see a pre-built example, schedule a free live demo at onark.app/walk-through or email hello@onark.app. We're happy to show you a sample and answer questions.
Can the logo or header link back to our website? Not currently. You can add a link in a text block in your course content as a workaround. A proper header link is on our roadmap.
Can I embed an OnArk class into our website or app? We don't currently support embedding classes. Most churches link to their OnArk classes from their website or app. Embedding is on the roadmap.
Recommended chat integration for our site/courses? We use HubSpot for live chat. Any chat widget you embed appears church-wide across all your classes — not per-class. OnArk works with whatever you choose to embed.