Update for instructors: improving free coupons: better targeting, higher quality learning

Free Coupons and promotional tools are crucial parts of the instructor success toolkit. From launching new courses to building initial audiences to sharing content with your professional network, we know these tools help you connect with learners and grow your business on Udemy.

Since our last updates to the coupon system in 2021, we’ve appreciated hearing extensive feedback from you through surveys, community discussions, and direct conversations. In addition to your feedback, we’ve conducted comprehensive research over the last year to better understand how learners engage with free coupons, and to measure the effects of current coupon usage on both learner success and instructor businesses.

We’re announcing several upcoming changes designed to make free coupons more effective at reaching engaged learners while maintaining promotional flexibility.

1. Today, we plan to adjust free coupon limits and introduce quality-based eligibility to better connect you with students who want to learn.

Free coupons were designed to give new instructors a way to build initial audiences and to provide established instructors with tools for targeted sharing with communities, beta testers, and professional networks. They also give learners a chance to experience quality Udemy content.

Current “open” free coupons aren’t effectively helping who they’re meant to help. When it comes to targeted coupons, we heard from instructors that existing limits can be restrictive for legitimate use cases like client sharing or community building.

So, to encourage better targeting toward people who genuinely want to learn, we’re adjusting free coupon parameters. Starting this month, open free coupons will be limited to 10 redemptions, down from the current 1,000 redemptions.  However, we’ve preserved flexibility and will allow instructors to create 3 coupons per course, per month.

2. We plan for Phase 2 of the redesign to build on these changes with additional improvements to support learner conversion and course discovery, targeted for Q2. We’ll share more details as we finalize these features.

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we’ve heard is that current free coupons create lifetime access without encouraging meaningful engagement. Today, learners can stockpile unlimited free courses without ever watching content or converting to paid enrollments.

To help address this, we’re looking into developing trial-based access that provides learners with time-limited course previews rather than permanent enrollment. These trials will let students experience your teaching style through 24-48 hour access periods, with clear pathways to purchase the full course or subscribe to Personal Plan.

• Experience before commitment: Learners get meaningful course access to evaluate fit
• Higher intent audience: Trial requires account creation and payment method setup
• Multiple conversion paths: Students can purchase individually or try Personal Plan subscription

We also plan to introduce rescue flows for expired or fully-redeemed coupons, showing attractive discounts and subscription trial offers when learners encounter unavailable promotions.

We expect to add this functionality to your toolkit by the end of Q2 2026, with enhanced analytics that separate engagement metrics by enrollment type, helping you understand which promotional strategies drive the most engaged students.

Have questions about these changes? Join the conversation in the Instructor Community, and learn more about Coupons and Referral Links in our Help Center..