Duration metadata allows Administrators to capture and display the length of training content across Modules, Courses, and Learning Paths. This structured field improves catalog discoverability, supports accurate reporting on training hours, and gives learners clear expectations before they begin a course. With duration visible on content cards and detail pages, learners can make informed decisions about what to start, plan longer courses across multiple sessions, and find short-form content when time is limited. 

How Duration Works 

Duration is captured at the Module level and automatically calculated at the Course and Learning Path levels. 

Layer	How Duration Is Set	Editable?
Module	Entered manually via Settings, set via API, or Bulk Import	Yes
Course	Calculated automatically (sum of Module durations)	No, calculated field
Learning Path	Calculated automatically (sum of all Course/Module durations)	No, calculated field

Example: A Course with three 10-minute modules will display a course duration of 30 minutes. 

NOTE:  Duration is calculated by aggregating the duration values of all active Modules within a Course or Learning Path. Adding, removing, or deactivating a module triggers an automatic recalculation, so the duration displayed to Learners always reflects the current content. 

Setting a Duration on a Module, Course, or Learning Path 

Administrators can set duration in a Module, Course, or Learning Path Settings.

How to Manually Calculate Course Duration 

To calculate the duration for a Module, tally up all individual screen durations using a reading speed of 180 words per minute. 

• Select (highlight) the text that will appear on a particular screen or in a video. 
• Check the word count. 180 words equals roughly one minute of content. 

Videos and audio components may be closer to 150 words per minute due to slower narration. 

Use the table below to convert word count to a duration value: 

Words	Duration
360	2:00
315	1:45
270	1:30
225	1:15
180	1:00
135	0:45
90	0:30
45	0:15
30	0:10
15	0:05

Duration can also be set or updated programmatically via the Litmos API. Refer to:

• Courses via API
• Date Range Delta Queries via API
• Learning Paths via API
• User Assignments Results via API

Where Duration Displays 

Once set, duration appears in the following locations: 

• Content Flyout Cards: Learners and Admins see duration at a glance while browsing the catalog, without needing to open the content. 
• Content Detail Pages: Full duration is displayed on the Course and Learning Path detail views. 
• Admin Library: Admins can search and filter content by duration. 
• Learner Library: Learners can search and filter the catalog by duration to find content that fits their available time. NOTE: The V3 Learner Library/Search should be enabled for this feature to work in Account Settings. 

Searching and Filtering by Duration 

Duration is available as a search and filter criterion in both the Admin Library and the Learner Library. Admins can use duration filters to locate content for reporting, catalog management, or assignment workflows. Learners can filter the catalog to find courses that fit a specific time window — for example, finding all courses under 30 minutes.  If there is no duration listed on a Course, the Course will be excluded from the search results.  

Reporting on Duration 

Duration metadata is available in the Litmos Reporting Engine and V2 Course Quick Reports. Administrators can generate reports on total training hours completed across their organization, filter completion data by course duration, and track duration-based catalog adoption metrics. 

Important Notes 

• Duration at the Module level must be entered manually or via API. It is not automatically detected from the content file. 
• Duration at the Course and Learning Path level is always calculated and cannot be overridden manually. 
• If a Module duration is updated, the Course and Learning path totals will update to reflect the change. 
• Copy Persistence, the ability for duration metadata to carry over when Courses are copied across multi-account tenants, is not yet supported. Verify duration values after copying content to a new tenant.