SME Review
SME review lets you open your course for feedback from subject matter experts, stakeholders, or colleagues. Reviewers browse a snapshot of your course and leave comments directly on the content, without affecting your working version.
Starting a review
Section titled “Starting a review”- Open your course and go to Course Overview
- Click Start Review
- Enter a name for the review (e.g., “SME Review - Round 1”)
- A snapshot of your course is automatically created, freezing the content for review
The review snapshot is separate from your working version. You can continue editing your course while a review is in progress.
Sharing the review link
Section titled “Sharing the review link”- In the review sidebar, the share link is displayed at the top
- Click the copy button to copy the link, or click the QR code icon to display a scannable version
- Send the link or QR code to your reviewers
Each review has one shareable link. Anyone with the link can access the review and leave feedback.
Password protection
Section titled “Password protection”You can add a password to your review link to restrict access to authorized stakeholders.
- Below the share link in the sidebar, click Add password
- Enter a password and click Set Password
- Reviewers will need to enter this password before they can view the course or leave feedback
To update or remove the password, click Protected below the share link. Passwords are hashed server-side and never stored in plain text.
QR codes
Section titled “QR codes”The share link bar in the review sidebar includes a small QR code icon next to the link itself. Click it to display a scannable code along with options to Copy image or Download PNG.
QR codes are useful for in-person review sessions, printed handouts at workshops, or kiosks where reviewers can scan with their phone and start reviewing on their own device.
QR codes require a Standard or Pro plan.
Reviewer experience
Section titled “Reviewer experience”Reviewers don’t need a Slate account. When a reviewer opens the review link:
- If the link is password-protected, they enter the password first
- They can browse all course content freely
- When they click on content to leave their first comment, they’re asked for their name and email
- Their identity is remembered for the rest of the browser session
- They can leave comments, reply to threads, and view AI-generated summaries
What reviewers can do
Section titled “What reviewers can do”| Action | Course author | Reviewer |
|---|---|---|
| Browse course content | Yes | Yes |
| Leave comments | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to threads | Yes | Yes |
| View AI summary and checklist | Yes | Yes (read-only) |
| Generate AI summary or checklist | Yes | No |
| Modify checklist items | Yes | No |
| Close or reopen the review | Yes | No |
Review snapshots
Section titled “Review snapshots”When you start a review, Slate captures a snapshot of your course at that moment. Review snapshots:
- Appear in your Version History with a distinct badge
- Are preserved separately from regular version snapshots
- Do not count against your flagged version limit
- Ensure reviewers always see the same content, even if you continue editing
Managing reviews
Section titled “Managing reviews”From Course Overview, you can see all reviews for a course. Each review card shows the review name, date, number of comments, and their statuses. You can start multiple review rounds for the same course.
To close a review, click the gear icon in the review sidebar and select Close Review. Closed reviews can be reopened from the same menu.