How to Sell an Online Course on Teachable: Setup to First Sale

You can sell an online course on Teachable without writing code or hiring a developer. The whole job fits into seven steps: choose a plan, create your school, outline a small course, build lessons, set a price, publish a sales page, and send traffic to it. Most first-time creators go from signup to a live checkout in a few days. The first sale depends on how early you start talking to buyers.

Bottom line

• Start with a narrow course (one problem, one outcome) and launch it before you record everything.
• Use Teachable’s built-in sales page and checkout. Custom design can wait until after your first sales.
• Get your first buyers through an email list, pre-sale, or warm audience. Don’t wait on SEO or ads.

Step 1: Choose the right Teachable plan

Start on the lowest plan that includes the features you need for launch, and upgrade once sales cover the cost. Teachable has no free plan. Every tier is paid, with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Higher tiers unlock more published products, remove the transaction fee, and add extras like coupons and custom domains.

When you compare tiers, look at three things:

• Transaction fees. Lower plans take a cut of each sale on top of payment processing. Higher plans reduce or remove that cut.
• Number of published products. Some tiers limit how many courses you can publish. That matters once you add a second course or a bundle.
• Marketing tools. Coupons, order bumps, upsells, and affiliate management may sit on specific tiers.

As of September 2026, Starter is $39/month ($29/month billed annually) with a 7.5% transaction fee, and Builder is $89/month ($69/month billed annually) with no transaction fee. Plans and fees change, so check the current pricing page before you commit. See Teachable’s current plans.

If you’re still deciding between platforms, our Teachable review covers the strengths and trade-offs in more depth.

Step 2: Set up your school the right way

A Teachable “school” is your branded storefront: the site that holds your courses, sales pages, checkout, and student logins. Getting it right up front saves you cleanup later.

In the first session, do these things:

1. Name the school after the outcome or your brand, not the first course. You’ll add more products later.
2. Upload a logo and set brand colors. A simple text logo is fine.
3. Connect payouts. Teachable’s payments setup asks for business and bank details so it can pay out your sales. Finish this before launch, since verification can take time.
4. Review the tax settings. Teachable can collect and remit sales tax or VAT on eligible sales. Check how that applies to your account and location.
5. Connect a custom domain if your plan includes one. A domain like learn.yourname.com looks more trustworthy than the default subdomain.

Step 3: Outline a course people will actually buy

The best first course solves one specific problem for one specific person in a few hours of content. Buyers pay for an outcome, not for hours of video.

A useful test: can you finish this sentence? “After this course, you will be able to ___ .” If the blank needs more than one clause, the course is too broad.

Build the outline like this:

• Module 1: Quick win. Something the student can do in the first 20 minutes. Early wins reduce refunds.
• Modules 2-4: The core method. Three to five steps that get the student to the promised outcome.
• Final module: Next steps. Templates, checklists, and a pointer to your next offer.

Aim for 15 to 30 lessons of 3 to 10 minutes each. Short lessons are easier to record, easier to update, and easier for students to finish. For help picking a topic and validating demand, see our guide on how to start selling online courses.

Step 4: Build your lessons in Teachable

Teachable’s course builder organizes content as sections (modules) that contain lectures (lessons). Each lecture can hold video, text, downloadable files, quizzes, or a mix.

Practical tips for the build:

• Upload video directly. Teachable hosts video, so you don’t need a separate video host to start.
• Add a text summary under each video. Some students skim, and it makes lessons easier to search.
• Attach the worksheet or template in the lesson where it’s used, not in one big resources folder.
• Mark one or two lessons as free previews. Previews let visitors sample your teaching before they buy.
• Use drip scheduling for cohort-style launches. Drip releases lessons on a schedule, which helps when you’re still recording.

Teachable also offers AI-assisted tools that can draft outlines, lesson text, and quiz questions. Treat the output as a first draft. Your examples and point of view are what students are paying for.

Do you need the whole course recorded before launch?

No. Many creators pre-sell a course with the outline and first module finished, then release the rest on a drip schedule. Tell buyers the release dates on the sales page so expectations are clear.

Step 5: Price your first course

Most first courses that solve a concrete problem sell for somewhere between $49 and $299. Where you land depends on the outcome and the audience. A course that helps someone earn or save money can charge more than one about a hobby.

Teachable supports several pricing models:

Two tactics work well for a first launch:

• Founding-member price. Offer a lower price to the first buyers in exchange for feedback and a testimonial.
• Coupon with a deadline. A real deadline gives people a reason to buy now. Teachable coupons can expire on a set date or after a set number of uses.

Don’t underprice to “get anyone to buy.” A $9 course draws buyers who rarely finish and rarely leave strong reviews.

Step 6: Publish a sales page that converts

Teachable’s page builder lets you build a sales page from pre-made blocks with no design skills. A sales page doesn’t need to be long. It needs to answer every question a buyer has before they click the button.

Use this order:

1. Headline with the outcome. “Build a Profitable Etsy Shop in 30 Days,” not “Etsy Masterclass.”
2. Who it’s for (and who it’s not for). This line alone cuts refunds.
3. What’s inside. List modules as results, not topics.
4. About you. Two or three sentences on why you’re qualified to teach this.
5. Testimonials. Early reviews or beta student feedback, used with permission.
6. Price and guarantee. State your refund policy plainly.
7. FAQ. Access length, format, time needed.
8. Repeat the buy button after the FAQ.

At checkout, add an order bump, a small add-on like a template pack at a modest price, if your plan supports it. Order bumps raise the average order value without extra marketing.

Before you announce, buy your own course with a 100% coupon. Walk through checkout, the welcome email, and the first lesson on a phone and a laptop.

Step 7: Get your first sale

Your first sale almost always comes from people who already know you, not from strangers finding the page. Teachable handles checkout and delivery, but you bring the traffic.

The fastest paths to a first buyer:

• Email your list. Even 50 subscribers can produce a first sale. Send a short sequence: the problem, the course, and a deadline reminder.
• Pre-sell to your audience. Post the offer where you already have followers and link straight to the sales page.
• Offer a free mini-course. Teachable can host a free course that captures emails, then pitch the paid course inside it.
• Recruit affiliates. Teachable includes an affiliate tool on eligible plans, so past students and peers can promote your course for a share of sales.
• Pinterest for evergreen traffic. Pins keep sending visitors for months. See our guide to Pinterest marketing for digital products.

If you don’t have a list yet, start one before launch day. Put a free lesson or checklist in exchange for an email, and send your first launch email to whoever signs up.

Who should sell courses on Teachable

Teachable fits creators who want courses to be the main product and don’t want to maintain a website stack.

• Pick Teachable if you want a dedicated course platform with built-in checkout, student management, and a straightforward course builder.
• Pick Teachable if you plan to sell coaching or digital downloads alongside courses from the same storefront.
• Pick Teachable if you want tax handling and payouts managed inside the platform rather than wiring up separate tools.

Who should look elsewhere

• Creators who need an all-in-one marketing suite. If you want email sequences, funnels, and a community on one bill, compare options in Kajabi vs Teachable.
• Creators whose main product is a community. Discussion-first memberships usually fit better on a community platform.
• Creators on a zero budget with many products. Starter’s 7.5% transaction fee and product limits add up quickly once you have several offers.

FAQ

How long does it take to sell a course on Teachable?

You can set up a school and publish a sales page in a day or two. Building the course usually takes a few weeks, depending on how much you record before launch. The first sale depends on whether you already have an audience to announce it to.

Can I sell a course on Teachable for free?

No. Teachable is paid only. You get a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can build and test before you pay. Check the current pricing page for the latest plans.

Do I need my own website to sell on Teachable?

No. Teachable hosts your school, sales pages, checkout, and course content. You can connect a custom domain on eligible plans, or link to your Teachable school from an existing website.

How do I get paid from Teachable?

Teachable collects payment from students at checkout and pays out to the bank account you connect in your payment settings. Payout timing and fees depend on your plan and location, so review the payments section of your account before launch.

Start building your first course

The hard part of selling a course isn’t the software. It’s picking a narrow topic, launching before you feel ready, and asking your audience to buy. Teachable takes care of the hosting, checkout, and student access, so you can spend your time on the course and the launch.

Open your school, outline one outcome-focused course, and get a sales page live this week. Start your Teachable school and aim for your first sale before you finish recording the last module.