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Release a Study

Releasing a study makes it available to members of the groups you select. This is the final step in the study creation process and transforms your private draft into a live study that others can discover and use.

Releasing a study:

  • Makes it available to members of groups through the Library
  • Members can start solo studies or create classes
  • You become the published creator

Before release:

  • Study is private draft
  • Only you can see it
  • Editable without restrictions
  • Not available to anyone
  • Work in progress

After release:

  • Study appears in group Libraries
  • Members can browse and preview
  • Members can start solo studies or create classes with it
  • Released version is fixed
  • Editing requires that you create a new edition

Draft studies:

  • Private to creator only
  • Unlimited editing
  • Not discoverable
  • No impact on members
  • Can stay draft indefinitely

Released studies:

  • Public to selected groups
  • Fixed content (current release)
  • Discoverable in Libraries
  • Members actively using
  • Version controlled

Group Selection:

  • Choose specific groups you belong to
  • Can select multiple groups
  • Each group gets access independently

Invitation-Only Release:

  • You can release a study without selecting any groups
  • Study will only be available by invitation from you
  • Members will not be able to find it in their Library
  • Useful for private studies or controlled distribution
  • You can change the release scope later to add groups

When groups are selected:

Immediately:

  • Study appears in selected groups’ Libraries
  • Members can browse and preview
  • Members can start using the study
  • You are identified as the creator of the study

Ongoing:

  • Members discover and use your study
  • Classes and solo studies are started using your study
  • Members may share answers with you as the study creator if they choose.

When no groups are selected (invitation-only):

Immediately:

  • Study is released but not discoverable
  • Only available to those you invite directly
  • You are identified as the creator of the study

Ongoing:

  • Study remains invitation-only
  • You control who has access
  • You can change the release scope later to add groups

Before releasing a study, ensure you have completed these steps:

You must have a draft study ready to release that you have built. This may also have been assisted by generating a draft study with the StudyBot.

Before releasing, ensure:

  • All lessons are complete
  • All questions are clear and effective
  • Headings are helpful and appropriate
  • No spelling or grammar errors
  • Descriptions are compelling
  • Images are added (if desired)
  • Study has been previewed thoroughly
  • Content is accurate and high quality

You can join a group to release your study to groups:

Why this matters:

  • Can only release to groups you’re in
  • Groups determine who sees your study
  • No group membership = can still release invitation-only
  • Group membership required to make study discoverable in Libraries

Navigate to the release interface for your study. The release process is straightforward:

  1. Go to the Drafts page
  2. Open the draft study you want to release
  3. Select Release Study from the action menu (⋮), or select the Release Study tab.
  4. Review the available groups for release and check the groups you want to add to the release scope.
  5. Click the release button:
    • Release Study to Selected Groups - if you have selected one or more groups
    • Release Study for Invitations - if you have not selected any groups (invitation-only release)
  6. Confirm that you want to release the study:
    • If groups are selected: confirms the study will be available to members of those groups
    • If no groups selected: confirms the study will only be available by invitation from you
  7. The study is released and you are redirected to the newly released study page.

Group Selection Behavior:

With groups selected:

  • Study will be available to members of the selected groups
  • Members can find it in their Library
  • Members can start solo studies or create classes

With no groups selected (invitation-only):

  • Study will only be available by invitation from you
  • Members will not be able to find it in their Library
  • You can change the release scope later to add groups
  • Useful for private studies or controlled distribution

If no groups appear:

  • You can still release the study for invitations only
  • To release to groups, you must join at least one group first
  • Join groups to make your study discoverable in group Libraries

In your account:

  • Study moves from Drafts to Releases
  • Shows release date
  • Links to groups it’s released to
  • Can no longer edit current release

For group members (if groups were selected):

  • New study in their Library
  • Can preview content
  • Can start studying
  • Can create classes with it

For invitation-only releases:

  • Study does not appear in any Library
  • Only available to those you invite directly
  • Members cannot discover it on their own

For you:

Quality control:

  • Complete thorough proofread
  • Have someone else review if possible
  • Preview multiple times
  • Check all links and references
  • Verify accuracy of content
  • Test questions for clarity

Strategic timing:

  • Release when ready, not rushed
  • Consider group activity
  • Announce to groups if appropriate
  • Plan any launch communications
  • Have support plan ready

Group selection:

  • Choose appropriate groups
  • Consider audience fit
  • Start conservative if uncertain
  • Can expand later
  • Match content to group purpose
  • Or release invitation-only for private distribution

Invitation-only releases:

  • Use when you want controlled access
  • Perfect for private studies
  • Can add groups later if desired
  • Members won’t discover it accidentally
  • You maintain full control over who accesses it

After releasing your study:

Monitor usage:

  • Check for shared answers (future feature)
  • Watch for feedback
  • Track engagement (future feature)
  • Learn from usage patterns

Create more studies:

  • Build on your success
  • Offer related topics
  • Develop study series
  • Serve your community
  • Grow as creator

Engage with community:

  • Join discussions about your study
  • Support members using it
  • Answer questions
  • Incorporate feedback
  • Build relationships

Improve your craft:

  • Learn from this release
  • Refine your process
  • Study what works well
  • Develop better questions
  • Create higher quality content

Plan future editions:

  • Note improvements to make
  • Gather feedback
  • Plan enhancements
  • Create new editions (future feature)
  • Keep studies current

Choose your path forward:

Need help? Contact support at rich@bookfellows.net