Why did my course progress disappear?

There's no account on this site, so course progress isn't stored on a server. The course page saves it in your browser's local storage (under the key pdu-progress), on that device only. That includes the parts of the video you've watched, your recorded learning time, your knowledge check result, and your pass date. The video itself starts when you click play on the course page.

The name you type for a certificate also stays in your browser. It's used to draw the PDF and never sent anywhere, and it's saved only if you tick the option to remember it. See the Privacy Policy for everything the site stores.

Common reasons progress disappears

• You switched device or browser. Progress doesn't sync, so a different browser, computer, or phone starts the course from zero.
• You used a private or incognito window. The browser discards its stored data when the window closes.
• Site data was cleared. Clearing browsing data, or "cookies and site data", for all sites or for selfmadepm.com removes it. Cleanup tools and some privacy extensions do this too.
• You changed browser profile. Each profile has its own storage.

There's no way to restore lost progress, because no copy exists anywhere else. You'll need to watch the course again in the browser you plan to keep using.

How to keep your progress

1. Take each course in the same browser and profile, in a normal window.
2. If you clear browsing data, exclude selfmadepm.com or skip "cookies and other site data".
3. Finish a course in one or two sittings when you can.
4. Download your certificate as soon as you pass, and save the PDF outside your browser.

What if I already passed?

As long as your progress is still in that browser, you can return to the course page and download the certificate again at any time. See How do I fix or re-download my certificate?

If the progress is gone, your saved PDF is your record. That's why it's worth keeping every certificate somewhere safe. Read What should I keep in case of a PMI audit?

LocalPM stores its data in the browser the same way. Where does LocalPM store my data? explains the idea in more depth.