YouTube Courses are structured learning playlists with extra features: a Course badge, progress tracking, quizzes, a dedicated channel tab and course comments. Eligible creators make them in YouTube Studio on desktop, and a Course must teach something, suit all ages and contain at least 3 videos from your own channel.
If you already publish tutorials, this is a free upgrade to how they're presented. And YouTube has widened access a lot: it says that as of 15 October 2025, viewers can find ad-supported courses from millions of additional creators globally.
Here's what a Course includes, the rules YouTube sets and how to make one, from YouTube Help, read in October 2026.
What viewers get from a YouTube Course
| Feature | What YouTube says it does |
|---|---|
| Course badge | Appears on the Watch and Playlist pages so people can spot structured learning |
| Progress tracking | An information panel shows progress, with a completion badge in the Library when every video is finished |
| Quizzes | Creators can add quizzes to test knowledge on specific videos |
| Courses tab | A dedicated tab on the creator's channel page |
| Course comments | A discussion space specific to the course |
YouTube says ad-supported courses are free to watch and available to all users, with ads unless the viewer has YouTube Premium. Premium subscribers watch without ads, and this guide to every YouTube Premium plan explains what they get.
The rules a Course has to meet
- It must teach something. YouTube's test is simple: what will viewers learn or be able to do after finishing?
- It must suit all ages. No age-restricted content.
- It must offer extended learning. At least 3 videos, no repeated videos and no videos from another channel.
Break the rules and YouTube may convert your Course back to a standard playlist and remove the Course features. YouTube adds that repeatedly creating Courses that don't qualify can cost your channel the ability to create them at all.
Who can create a YouTube Course
YouTube says Courses are available to eligible creators globally, and the feature currently needs access to advanced features in YouTube Studio. There's one practical limit: you can only create or manage Courses in YouTube Studio on desktop. You can upload videos from any mobile app, but you'll need a computer to add them to a Course.
How to create a YouTube Course
- Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer.
- In the top-right corner, click CREATE, then New course.
- Choose Create a new course.
- Enter a course title, a description and the visibility: Public, Unlisted or Private.
- Select Create to save.
You can also turn an existing playlist into a Course in YouTube Studio. And YouTube says it sometimes classifies a playlist as a Course automatically when it's structured to teach, has 3 or more videos and suits all ages. If that happens and you'd rather it didn't, you can remove the Course features from the playlist.
How to add videos to a Course
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Go to Content, then Courses.
- On the Course you want, click Videos.
- Click Add videos in the top right.
- Choose Upload new videos, or Choose existing videos and select them.
Adding worksheets and PDFs
This is the feature that makes a Course feel like a course. You can attach resources such as worksheets or study guides to Course videos, with these limits:
- PDF files only.
- A maximum of 5 files per video.
- The files must be in the Google Drive account linked to the same email as your YouTube channel.
- Sharing in Google Drive must be set to Anyone with the link, or viewers can't open them.
Add files during upload from the Video elements tab, in the Files section, or later from the video's details page using Add files from Google Drive.
How to plan a Course people finish
- Pick one outcome. Write down what a viewer will be able to do at the end, in one sentence.
- Break it into steps, one video per step, and put them in the order someone needs them.
- Open with a short video that tells people what the Course covers and who it's for.
- Add a quiz to the videos where people most often get stuck, so they can check themselves.
- Attach one PDF per video: a checklist, a worksheet or a summary.
- Finish with a video that ties it together and points to what to learn next.
The progress panel and completion badge reward people for reaching the end, so a tight, clearly ordered Course will usually serve viewers better than a long one that wanders.
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Is a Course better than a playlist?
For teaching content, yes. A playlist is a list. A Course tells viewers they're starting something with an end, shows them how far they've got and rewards them for finishing. If you'd like to share it widely, the steps in my guide to sharing a YouTube playlist work the same way for a Course.
My verdict
If you make tutorials, turn your best series into a YouTube Course. The rules are easy to meet if you teach, keep it suitable for all ages and use at least 3 of your own videos. Build it on a computer, add a PDF worksheet to each video, and check that Google Drive sharing is set to Anyone with the link. That last step is the one most creators forget.
Frequently asked questions
Are YouTube Courses free?
YouTube says ad-supported courses are free to watch and available to all users, with ads unless the viewer has YouTube Premium.
How many videos does a YouTube Course need?
At least 3. YouTube also says a Course can't repeat videos or include videos from another channel.
Can I create a YouTube Course on my phone?
No. YouTube says you can only create or manage Courses in YouTube Studio on desktop, although you can upload videos from any mobile app.
What files can I add to a YouTube Course?
PDF files only, up to 5 per video, stored in the Google Drive account linked to your channel's email and shared with Anyone with the link.
Why did my YouTube playlist become a Course?
YouTube says it may automatically classify playlists that are structured to teach, have 3 or more videos and suit all ages as Courses. You can remove the Course features if you don't want it.
