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Channels are the fundamental organizing unit in Kolibri Studio. Each channel is a curated collection of educational content that can be published and imported into Kolibri for offline learning.

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Understanding channels

A channel in Studio consists of:
  • Metadata: Name, description, language, license, and thumbnail
  • Content tree: Hierarchical structure of topics and resources
  • Publishing history: Versions of the channel over time
  • Collaborators: Team members with access to edit or view

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Creating a new channel

1

Navigate to your dashboard

Log in to Kolibri Studio and go to your channel dashboard. This shows all channels you have access to.
2

Click New Channel

Click the New Channel button to start the creation process.
3

Enter basic information

Fill in the required fields:
  • Channel name: A clear, descriptive name (e.g., “Grade 8 Science”, “Literacy Resources”, “Teacher Training Materials”)
  • Description: Explain what content is in the channel, who it’s for, and how it should be used
  • Language: The primary language of the content. This helps users discover your channel.
Choose a descriptive name that includes the subject, grade level, or target audience. This helps teachers and content managers find your channel.
4

Set a thumbnail

Upload a representative image for your channel. This appears in:
  • The channel list in Studio
  • The Kolibri channel browser
  • Channel search results
Recommended size: 400x225 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)Supported formats: JPG, PNG
5

Choose a license

Select the default license for content in this channel. All content you add will inherit this license unless you specify otherwise.Common options:
  • CC BY: Free to reuse with attribution
  • CC BY-SA: Free to reuse with attribution and share-alike
  • CC BY-NC: Free for non-commercial use with attribution
  • All Rights Reserved: No reuse allowed without permission
Learn more about licensing.
6

Create the channel

Click Create to generate your new channel. You’ll be redirected to the channel editing page where you can start adding content.

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Channel settings

After creating a channel, you can modify its settings at any time.

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Accessing channel settings

  1. Open your channel in the editor
  2. Click the Channel menu in the top navigation
  3. Select Settings

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Available settings

  • Name: Change the channel name
  • Description: Update the channel description
  • Language: Change the primary language
  • Thumbnail: Replace the channel image
Set default values for all content added to this channel:
  • License: Default license for new resources
  • Author: Default author name
  • Provider: Organization providing the content
  • Aggregator: Organization that compiled the content
  • Copyright holder: Entity that holds the copyright
If your channel imports content from another source:
  • Source channel: Link to the original Studio channel (if applicable)
  • Source domain: Website where content originated
  • Source URL: Direct link to the original content
  • Make channel public: Allow anyone to discover and import your channel in Kolibri
  • Channel token: Unique identifier for importing into Kolibri (auto-generated)

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Channel visibility

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Public channels

When you mark a channel as public, it:
  • Appears in the public channel library in Studio
  • Can be discovered in Kolibri’s channel browser
  • Is indexed by the Studio search engine
Use cases for public channels:
  • Open educational resources (OER) you want to share widely
  • Content aligned to national curricula
  • Community-contributed learning materials

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Private (unlisted) channels

Private channels:
  • Do not appear in public listings
  • Can only be imported into Kolibri using the channel token
  • Are visible only to collaborators in Studio
Use cases for private channels:
  • School-specific content
  • Copyrighted materials with limited distribution rights
  • Work-in-progress channels not ready for public use
  • Content for a specific organization or project
Even private channels can be imported into Kolibri if users have the channel token. The token acts like a password to access unlisted channels.

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Channel templates

Studio doesn’t provide formal templates, but you can create reusable channel structures by:
  1. Creating a “template” channel with your preferred topic structure
  2. Making a copy of it for each new channel
  3. Filling in the actual content under each topic

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Example template structures

By grade level: 
Math Resources
├── Grade 1
├── Grade 2
├── Grade 3
...
By subject and unit: 
Science Curriculum
├── Biology
│   ├── Unit 1: Cells
│   ├── Unit 2: Genetics
│   └── Unit 3: Evolution
├── Chemistry
└── Physics
By resource type: 
Teacher Resources
├── Lesson Plans
├── Video Tutorials
├── Practice Exercises
└── Assessment Tools

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Copying channels

You can create a copy of any channel you have access to.
1

Open the source channel

Navigate to the channel you want to copy.
2

Make a copy

Click Channel → Make a copy.
3

Name the copy

Give the new channel a different name to distinguish it from the original.
4

Edit independently

The copy is now a separate channel. Changes to one won’t affect the other.
Copying creates a duplicate of the channel tree and metadata, but does not duplicate the actual file storage. Both channels reference the same uploaded files.

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Deleting channels

You can delete a channel if you no longer need it.
This action is permanent. Once deleted, a channel cannot be recovered.
1

Open channel settings

Go to Channel → Settings.
2

Scroll to danger zone

At the bottom of the settings page, find the “Delete Channel” section.
3

Confirm deletion

Click Delete Channel and confirm in the dialog.
What happens when you delete a channel:
  • The channel is removed from your dashboard
  • Collaborators lose access
  • If the channel was published, existing Kolibri installations keep their imported copies (but won’t see updates)
  • Files uploaded to this channel may be removed if not used by other channels

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Best practices

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Naming conventions

  • Include the subject and grade level in the name
  • Use consistent naming across related channels
  • Avoid version numbers in the name (use versioning instead)
  • Keep names concise but descriptive
Good examples:
  • “Grade 3 Math: Numbers and Operations”
  • “High School Biology Lab Activities”
  • “Adult Literacy: Reading Comprehension”
Poor examples:
  • “My Channel”
  • “Math”
  • “Science Content v2.1”

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Descriptions

Write clear descriptions that answer:
  • What: What content is included?
  • Who: Who is the target audience?
  • Why: What learning goals does it support?
  • How: How should it be used?
Example description:
This channel contains video lessons and practice exercises for Grade 6 mathematics, aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Topics include fractions, decimals, ratios, and basic geometry. Suitable for independent study or classroom use.

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Licensing

  • Choose the most permissive license that fits your content rights
  • Be consistent with licensing across your channels
  • Always respect copyright and attribution requirements
  • When in doubt, use “All Rights Reserved” and clarify later
Learn more about licensing best practices.

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Organization

  • Plan your topic structure before adding content
  • Keep the tree depth to 2-4 levels for easier navigation
  • Group related content under topics
  • Use clear, descriptive topic names

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Next steps

Add Content

Learn how to add and organize content in your channel

Publish

Make your channel available for import into Kolibri

Collaborate

Invite team members to help build your channel

Channel Concepts

Understand how channels work under the hood

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