Lab Details

The Details tab is where you configure the fundamental settings for your lab. This includes basic information like the title and description, appearance options, and important controls like time limits and idle behavior. For secrets, variables, locals, and outputs, see the Dynamic Values tab instead.

Basic Settings

Configure the core information and appearance of your lab.

Setting	Description
Title	The lab title displayed to users (255 characters maximum). Use clear, descriptive titles that accurately reflect the lab content.
Description	The description will be displayed to learners when the lab is starting. It should provide context about what users will learn. Supports markdown formatting including bold, italic, headings, lists, links, and code blocks. Drag the handle at the bottom of the editor to resize it vertically.
Theme	Visual appearance of the lab interface. Options: Modern dark (default, contemporary dark theme with improved readability) or Original (classic Instruqt theme).
Stop button visibility	Controls whether users can see the stop button to manually end their lab session. Enabled by default. Disable for guided experiences where you want users to complete the entire lab.

The lab’s icon — the image shown for the lab in the catalog — isn’t set from this table. Upload it by clicking the lab’s icon in the top-left of the editor, next to the lab title, and using the upload button that appears.

For more details on these settings, see the lab resource reference.

Time Controls

Manage lab duration and automatic shutdown behavior. Turning on toggles reveals additional configuration fields for each setting.

Setting	Description
Time limit	Maximum duration the lab can run before automatically shutting down (e.g., 30m, 1h30m, 2h). Default: 15m (15 minutes). Set a realistic time based on completion time plus buffer.
Timer visibility	Controls whether users see a countdown timer showing remaining time. Enabled by default. Helps users pace themselves.
Idle time	Automatically stops the lab after a period of user inactivity. Enabled by default with 5-minute timeout. Helps conserve resources when labs are left unattended. The Timeout field has an info tooltip with this same explanation.
Time extension	Allows users to request additional time when running low. Disabled by default. When enabled, specify the extension amount users can request.

Duration String Format

Duration values use a compact, human-readable syntax consisting of one or more number + unit pairs written together without spaces.

Syntax

<value><unit> [<value><unit>] ...

Each pair defines a time component. You can combine multiple pairs to form longer durations.

Units

Unit	Meaning	Example
ms	milliseconds	100ms
s	seconds	30s
m	minutes	5m
h	hours	2h

Examples

Input	Meaning
500ms	500 milliseconds
2s	2 seconds
2m15s	2 minutes, 15 seconds
4h30s	4 hours, 30 seconds
1h2m3s	1 hour, 2 minutes, 3 seconds

Rules

• Order doesn’t matter, but shorter units usually follow larger ones for readability (e.g. 1h30m, not 30m1h).
• Spaces are not allowed between numbers and units.
• Decimal values are supported (e.g. 1.5h = 1 hour 30 minutes).

For more details on time control settings, see the lab resource reference.

Saving Changes

After configuring settings, use the buttons at the bottom:

• Discard changes: Reverts to previously saved settings
• Add changes: Saves your configuration

Best Practices

1. Set realistic time limits: Base time limits on actual completion time plus 25-50% buffer
2. Use descriptive content: Clear titles and descriptions help users understand the lab’s purpose
3. Enable idle timeout: Automatically clean up unused resources unless you have a specific reason not to

Summary

The Details tab provides centralized control over your lab’s core configuration. Use it to set the title and description, choose the visual theme, configure time limits, and control idle behavior. These settings apply to the entire lab and help create an effective learning experience while managing resource usage efficiently.