Forum Discussion
Reach360 creates a new course every time I republish my Storyline update
Hi Everyone,
I’m trying to update an existing Storyline 360 course that is already published in Reach360, but Reach360 never gives me the “Publish Updates” option for the original course. Instead, every time I republish, it creates a completely new course.
Here’s exactly what’s happening:
- I made some adjustments in my Storyline file (changes to triggers so slides resume their saved state when revisiting).
- When I republish the course using Publish → Reach360, Reach360 treats it as a brand‑new course, not an update.
- The existing training in Reach360 never shows a “Publish Updates” button.
- As a test, I created a copy of the Storyline project and changed the title. When I published that copy to Reach360, it also saved as a new course, which I expected.
- Then I republished the same copy again, and in that case, Reach360 did show the “Publish Updates” option — so updates do work on the copy.
- But when I open the original Storyline file (the one that created the active course in Reach360) and republish, Reach360 always creates a new course. It never offers the “Publish Updates” option for the existing one.
So, my test shows that the update workflow works correctly on the copy, but not on the original project that is already live in Reach360.
Why is Reach360 unable to recognize the republish from my original Storyline project as an update, when it does recognize updates from the copied project?
Any insight into what conditions must match for Reach360 to treat a republish as an update (instead of a new course) would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance!
Michael
Hi MHill88,
Great to see that Kelly has been helping you. Happy to jump in here!
Reach 360 does not determine whether a published course is an "update" based on the file name or course title. Instead, it relies on a unique internal identifier tied to the Storyline project itself. When all credentials line up, Reach recognizes the file and offers the Publish Updates option.
In your case, the behavior suggests that the file currently being used as your original is no longer the same project (internally) that Reach associates with the existing course. When you created copies of your project for testing and published them, one of those copies became the last file successfully linked to the Reach course. At some point, the internal project identity between your original file and the version tied to Reach, diverged.
As a result, when you publish from your original file now, Reach no longer recognizes it as the source of that course and instead creates a new one. Your copied file showing the Publish Updates option indicates that Reach currently recognizes that file as the source of the course.
To continue updating your existing training, I suggest using the Storyline file that successfully shows the Publish Updates option as your primary file. If you're ever unsure which file that is, open each version and try publishing to Reach. The correct item will display Publish Updates instead of creating a new course.
Unfortunately, once the link between a Storyline file and a Reach course is lost, there isn't a way to reconnect a different file to that existing course. So identifying and continuing with the recognized file is the suggested workflow. To avoid hiccups like this in the future, I recommend:
- Maintaining a single master Storyline file for publishing to Reach 360.
- If you create copies for testing, avoid publishing those to Reach unless you intend to create a completely new course.
- Use version naming conventions (e.g. v1, v2) instead of multiple working copies when possible.
Please let me know if you need anything else.
3 Replies
Hi MHill88,
Thanks for reaching out!
I understand you're trying to update an existing training in Reach 360, but you're not seeing the Publish Updates option.
When a course is recognized as an update, it should move to the top of your training list under unpublished changes and display a New Changes button. From there, you can select Publish Updates.
In the case you described, Reach 360 is treating your original Storyline file as a new course rather than an update, which is why you're seeing a new course created each time. Since your copied file allows updates, it suggests the system no longer recognizes the original file as the source of the existing training.
To help narrow down why that’s happening, I have a few questions:
- Are you the original owner of the course or was it shared with you?
- Can you please confirm that this exact file was used when initially published to Reach 360?
- Is the file saved the course on your local hard drive or a network drive?
While we narrow down the cause, you may want to use the course copy as the working version in Reach 360 since you're able to publish updates. I'll look out for your reply!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for getting back to me and for outlining how Reach360 normally detects updates.
To answer your questions:
- Am I the original owner of the course? - Yes, I am the original owner of the course in Reach 360.
- Can I confirm that the exact Storyline file was used when I first published to Reach 360?
Yes, the original Storyline file was used for the initial publication, and I successfully updated that same Reach 360 course once already.
After the first publish, I needed to fix an issue with quiz score reporting. I created a copy of the file, adjusted the tracking settings, and published that copy under a different title for testing. Once confirmed, I applied the same changes to the original file and published it, and Reach 360 recognized it correctly as an update.
A couple of weeks later, we found another issue where learners who exited midway couldn’t progress after resuming. To test adjustments to slide revisit properties, I created what I believed was another copy of the original file. The fix worked in the test version. But when I returned to the original file to apply the same changes and publish, Reach 360 no longer recognized it as the source of the existing training and treated it as a new course instead.
- Is the file stored locally or on a network drive. The file is stored locally on my hard drive.
Given the sequence of using copies for testing and then returning to the original file, it’s possible Reach 360 may have lost the link between the original file and the existing course.
Best,
MichaelHi MHill88,
Great to see that Kelly has been helping you. Happy to jump in here!
Reach 360 does not determine whether a published course is an "update" based on the file name or course title. Instead, it relies on a unique internal identifier tied to the Storyline project itself. When all credentials line up, Reach recognizes the file and offers the Publish Updates option.
In your case, the behavior suggests that the file currently being used as your original is no longer the same project (internally) that Reach associates with the existing course. When you created copies of your project for testing and published them, one of those copies became the last file successfully linked to the Reach course. At some point, the internal project identity between your original file and the version tied to Reach, diverged.
As a result, when you publish from your original file now, Reach no longer recognizes it as the source of that course and instead creates a new one. Your copied file showing the Publish Updates option indicates that Reach currently recognizes that file as the source of the course.
To continue updating your existing training, I suggest using the Storyline file that successfully shows the Publish Updates option as your primary file. If you're ever unsure which file that is, open each version and try publishing to Reach. The correct item will display Publish Updates instead of creating a new course.
Unfortunately, once the link between a Storyline file and a Reach course is lost, there isn't a way to reconnect a different file to that existing course. So identifying and continuing with the recognized file is the suggested workflow. To avoid hiccups like this in the future, I recommend:
- Maintaining a single master Storyline file for publishing to Reach 360.
- If you create copies for testing, avoid publishing those to Reach unless you intend to create a completely new course.
- Use version naming conventions (e.g. v1, v2) instead of multiple working copies when possible.
Please let me know if you need anything else.
