The SCORM Packaging Checklist That Prevents

The SCORM Packaging Checklist That Prevents “It Works on My Machine” Problems

If you’ve shipped enough eLearning, you’ve seen the SCORM nightmare pattern:

It launches perfectly in preview. It works on your machine. It works in Review 360. It works in the test LMS.

Then it hits the real LMS… and suddenly:

• completion doesn’t trigger
  
• progress doesn’t save
  
• the score doesn’t report
  
• the Next button breaks
  
• videos don’t play
  
• the course opens in a tiny window or a blank screen
  

The frustrating part is that these failures are rarely mysterious. They’re usually predictable—and preventable—if you validate the right things before you ship.

This post is a practical SCORM packaging and rollout checklist designed to stop “it works on my machine” issues before they reach learners.

Why SCORM failures happen (and why they’re usually predictable)

SCORM is not one problem—it’s an ecosystem interaction.

Your course can be perfectly built and still fail because:

• the package structure is off (manifest, paths, launch file)
  
• the LMS is configured differently than you assumed (completion rules, tracking, status)
  
• the browser blocks something (autoplay, mixed content, popups, third-party cookies)
  

Most issues come from mismatches between what the course is sending and what the LMS expects. That’s why debugging often feels random—until you break it into the right zones.

The 3 failure zones

1) Packaging issues (manifest, file paths)

These are “won’t launch” or “missing asset” problems. Common symptoms:

• blank screen on launch
  
• course loads but interactions/media are missing
  
• weird errors tied to a specific slide or asset
  

Typical root causes:

• broken imsmanifest.xml structure
  
• incorrect relative file paths (especially after moving assets)
  
• launch file mismatch (LMS points to the wrong entry)
  
• overly long file names / odd characters causing path issues
  

2) LMS settings mismatches (tracking + completion rules)

These are “it plays but doesn’t complete” problems. Common symptoms:

• user finishes but still shows “in progress”
  
• score doesn’t appear or always reports 0
  
• resume behaves inconsistently
  
• completion triggers for some users but not others
  

Typical root causes:

• LMS expects completion by passed/failed but course reports completed/incomplete
  
• course tracks by slides viewed but LMS is set to require quiz score
  
• multiple completion criteria conflict (view + quiz + status)
  
• retake settings reset completion unexpectedly
  

3) Browser / media issues (autoplay, blocked content)

These are “it launches but pieces don’t work” problems. Common symptoms:

• video/audio doesn’t play
  
• blocked content warnings
  
• buttons don’t respond
  
• embedded web objects don’t load
  
• course won’t resume in Safari / iOS
  
• pop-up blockers break the launch flow
  

Typical root causes:

• autoplay restrictions (especially on mobile/Safari)
  
• mixed content (http inside https)
  
• blocked iframes / cross-domain embeds
  
• pop-up or new window launch blocked
  
• file size / memory constraints on mobile
  

The “pre-export” checklist (before you publish anything)

Before you publish, lock the decisions that most often cause failures later.

Player and navigation settings

• ✅ Decide whether you allow free navigation or enforce gating
  
• ✅ Confirm menu/seekbar behavior matches the intended completion rule
  
• ✅ Confirm resource links open as intended (same window vs new tab)
  

Resume behavior (critical)

• ✅ Set and validate resume behavior: “Resume saved state” (or equivalent)
  
• ✅ Confirm what happens on relaunch: return to last location, not the beginning
  
• ✅ Confirm whether a completed course should resume or restart
  

Tracking choice (SCORM reporting strategy)

• ✅ Decide what you’re tracking: slides viewed, a quiz result, or a completion trigger
  
• ✅ Ensure the course design supports that choice (don’t pick quiz tracking if there is no real assessment)
  

Quiz reporting (if applicable)

• ✅ Confirm passing score and attempts logic
  
• ✅ Confirm whether completion requires pass/fail or just completion
  
• ✅ Confirm which quiz is the “reporting quiz” (final result)
  
• ✅ Confirm result slide logic if used (or hidden result behavior)
  

Media settings and constraints

• ✅ Avoid autoplay dependency; require user interaction to start audio/video
  
• ✅ Compress video appropriately (especially for mobile / low bandwidth)
  
• ✅ Confirm no external assets are required unless the site explicitly allows it
  

The “post-export” checklist (what to verify inside the zip)

After export, treat the zip like a deployable artifact. Verify it like you would software.

Manifest and launch validation

• ✅ Confirm imsmanifest.xml exists at the root of the zip
  
• ✅ Confirm the manifest references the correct launch file
  
• ✅ Confirm the launch file exists and opens locally (where possible)
  

File structure sanity check

• ✅ Ensure all referenced folders/assets are included
  
• ✅ Confirm relative paths are intact (no missing fonts/images/media)
  
• ✅ Avoid spaces/special characters in critical file names where possible
  
• ✅ Keep naming conventions consistent and predictable
  

Version labeling

• ✅ Include version/date in the package name (e.g., CourseName_v1.3_2026-01-11.zip)
  
• ✅ Keep old versions archived (never overwrite without traceability)
  

The “LMS smoke test” (15-minute test flow)

Do not rely on Preview or Review links as your “LMS test.” Do a real upload into a staging environment (or a test course shell).

Here’s the fastest flow that catches most failures:

1. Launch
   
   • Does it open cleanly? Correct window size? No blank screen?
     
2. Resume
   
   • Exit mid-module → relaunch → does it resume correctly?
     
3. Completion
   
   • Complete per your intended rule → does LMS mark complete?
     
4. Score (if used)
   
   • Complete assessment → does the score report correctly?
     
5. Reporting
   
   • Check LMS reporting fields (status, score, time, attempts)
     
   • Confirm what admins will actually see
     

This takes 15 minutes and prevents days of firefighting after rollout.

Compatibility checklist

SCORM issues often show up only in specific browser environments. Validate the combinations that match your audience.

Browser behavior

• ✅ Chrome: baseline behavior, but watch autoplay and popups
  
• ✅ Edge: usually similar to Chrome, but still test launch and resume
  
• ✅ Safari: highest risk for media/resume quirks; test thoroughly
  
• ✅ iOS Safari: strict autoplay and memory constraints; keep media lightweight
  

Mobile constraints

• ✅ Confirm responsive behavior expectations (Rise vs Storyline differences)
  
• ✅ Avoid tiny click targets; confirm interactions are usable
  
• ✅ Expect some limitations with popups and embedded content
  

Popups / windowing

• ✅ If LMS launches in a new window, confirm popups are allowed
  
• ✅ Prefer same-window launch unless your LMS requires otherwise
  

The single decision that prevents 80% of issues

If you want to eliminate most SCORM drama, make one decision explicit before development and before export:

“What is the LMS using as the source of completion: views, quiz, or status?”

If the LMS expects quiz pass, but your course reports completion by slides, you will get “in progress forever.”

If the LMS expects completion status, but your course only reports a score, you will get inconsistent reporting.

If you don’t decide this upfront, you’ll accidentally build logic that conflicts with LMS settings—and then spend time debugging something that was never aligned.

Make it visible: how teams prevent SCORM regressions

The best way to reduce SCORM failures over time is to make your standards visible and reusable.

SCORM export standard

Create a one-page standard that defines:

• SCORM version (1.2 vs 2004)
  
• completion rule (views vs quiz vs status)
  
• pass/fail expectations
  
• resume behavior
  
• naming/versioning convention
  
• supported browser list
  

Test log template

Use a simple log to record each upload test:

• package version
  
• LMS environment (staging/prod)
  
• browser/device tested
  
• launch/resume/completion/score results
  
• issues found + resolution
  

Known LMS quirks tracker

Every LMS has quirks—especially with SCORM. Track them:

• required completion settings
  
• popup/window requirements
  
• SCORM 1.2 vs 2004 preferences
  
• resume behavior quirks
  
• media restrictions
  

When this knowledge is captured, teams stop relearning the same painful lessons on every rollout.