One of the most common questions from instructors is: "Can my course be downloaded, shared, or accessed by multiple people using one account?" Kanorio provides four layers of protection for your course files, most of which require no additional setup. This guide explains what each layer blocks, what it cannot prevent, and how you can further reduce the risk of leakage.
All course files and download packages are protected files, stored separately from the public files used on your website pages:
| Protected files (for courses) | Public files (for website pages) | |
|---|---|---|
| URL | No fixed URL; cannot be crawled by search engines and is not guessable | Has a public URL; accessible to anyone with the link |
| Who can view | Only students enrolled in the course after logging in (except for preview lessons) | Anyone |
| Where to host | Course and download bundle lessons | Website pages, blog posts, and collections |
| Picker | Course lessons only list protected files; they are hidden in the picker for website pages and posts | Cannot be selected in course lessons |
Because the file pickers for these two areas are isolated, you or your team members won't accidentally place paid materials on public pages or use public videos as paid course content. If you need to change an already uploaded video or PDF to a protected status, there is no need to re-upload; simply toggle the setting in the Media Library. For rules, see .
When a student clicks play or download, the system verifies their login status and access permissions (ensuring they are authorized, not expired, not revoked, and compliant with access schedules and learning rules) before generating a unique, temporary link on the fly:
Once the link expires, it becomes invalid. Even if someone shares the link in a group or forum, others will not be able to open it. If the student returns to the course and clicks again, the system will generate a new link. Once you revoke a student's access, they will be denied the next time they try to open the content, and any video already playing will stop once the link expires.
"Allow file downloads" for units is disabled by default. Students can only watch videos in the built-in player or view PDFs in the reader. There is no download button on the screen, so they cannot obtain the original MP4 or PDF files. You only need to enable this for files that require downloading, such as Word, Excel, or ZIP files. For setup instructions, see .
In "Website Settings › Customer Accounts", you can limit the number of concurrent devices (1 to 20, default is 3). When a student logs in on a new device exceeding the limit, the oldest session is automatically logged out, making it difficult for one account to be shared among a group. If a student reports that their account has been used by someone else, you can also log them out of all devices. See .
Student accounts are based on their email addresses and require verification codes to log in, so there are no passwords to share.
No online course platform can 100% prevent leakage. Kanorio cannot prevent the following:
Best practices to reduce risk:
Yes. Students can log in via their mobile browser to watch in full screen, adjust playback speed, use picture-in-picture mode, and AirPlay. The system also remembers their last watched position. All protection mechanisms remain effective on mobile devices.
Preview units also use short-lived links and have no fixed URLs. However, since anyone can click to watch them on your sales page, please only set content suitable for public viewing as a preview.
Once the old link expires, it becomes invalid. When the student opens the course again, they will receive the new version. For instructions on replacing files, see Managing and Replacing Files in the Media Library.