Udemy Affiliate Program
ActiveOnline course marketplace with an Impact-run affiliate program that keeps its rate private, bans paid ads and asks for 500 monthly visitors or followers.
Quick answer
Yes. Udemy runs an affiliate program on Impact, but it does not publish the commission rate; you see it in your publisher account after approval. Payouts are monthly through Impact once you have a $10 balance, and applicants need at least 500 monthly visitors or 500 social followers.
At a glance
- Commission
- Not publicly disclosed
- Recurring
- Not publicly disclosed
- Cookie window
- Not publicly disclosed
- Minimum payout
- $10
- Network
- Impact
About Udemy
Udemy is a marketplace of instructor-made video courses, with a catalogue its pricing page puts at 250,000+ courses, plus Personal, Team and Enterprise subscription plans. Its affiliate program runs on Impact, which Udemy's help centre names as the only network new publishers can apply through. Affiliates can promote courses, subscriptions and publisher-exclusive promotions with course-specific, sitewide and deep links, in content, on social media or in email newsletters. Udemy does not publish its commission rate. The affiliate page promises only competitive rates, the Affiliate Terms say the commission is set in the offers inside your publisher account, and rate questions go to a dedicated affiliate-team address. What is published is the payment side: commissions are paid monthly through Impact's payment system, you need a $10 balance to withdraw, and US-linked partners must have an approved tax document first. The entry bar is higher than most course programs. Applicants need a live site or social page with at least 500 unique monthly visitors over the last three months, or at least 500 social followers, plus an audience that fits Udemy's courses. Paid ads of any kind are not accepted, and sites that only talk about Udemy are turned away. Commissions are also lost on free-course enrolments, free promo codes and buyers who touched an instructor's own referral link or coupon.
Listed in: New SaaS affiliate programs
Commission details
Rate not published: Udemy advertises "competitive commission rates" and sets the commission in the offers shown in your Impact publisher account
- Commission type
- Undisclosed
- Recurring
- No — one-time payment per sale
- Commission currency
- USD
Payouts and tracking
- Payout frequency
- Monthly
- Payment methods
- Not publicly disclosed
- Payout currency
- USD
Attribution window. Udemy does not publish a cookie window on any page we could read. The Affiliate Terms only forbid cookie stuffing, and the referral period is left to the offer in your Impact account.
Promotional rules
What Udemy allows and forbids before you promote it.
- No paid ads of any kind, including Google Ads, Facebook boosted posts, Instagram and Twitter ads; the Affiliate Terms add that brand-keyword bidding needs Udemy's direct approval, but the help centre lists it as banned outright.
- No direct linking, no domain forwarding and no "Udemy" in your domain name; it may appear in a subdomain.
- Only coupon codes Udemy has expressly approved for affiliate use may be published, and browser extensions need Udemy's direct approval.
- Free-course enrolments, free promo codes and customers who used an instructor's referral link or code earn no commission.
- Course preview videos and course materials may not be re-uploaded; you may make your own review videos.
- Sub-affiliate networks are allowed, but you are responsible for their compliance.
Requirements
Every application is reviewed by hand against audience size, traffic consistency, site content, topic fit and brand alignment, and Udemy may ask for more information. The two official pages disagree on timing: the affiliate page promises a review within 3 to 4 business days, while the Impact help article says it may take over a week because of application volume. There is no exclusivity contract, but you must accept Impact's terms and Udemy's Affiliate Operating Agreement.
- Traffic minimum
- At least 500 unique monthly visitors over the last 3 months; social media pages need at least 500 followers
- A live website, blog or social media page; brand-new sites may be declined
- At least 500 unique monthly visitors over the last 3 months, or at least 500 social media followers
- An audience that fits Udemy's courses and a brand that aligns with Udemy's
- Not a site that talks only about Udemy, and not a paid-advertising affiliate
- An approved tax document on Impact before payouts if you are US-based or work with US brands
Who this is best for
Good fit
- Established tech, career and hobby blogs with steady traffic above the 500-visitor bar and readers who buy single courses
- Email newsletters, which Udemy names as an allowed place for its tracking links
- Course-review creators who make their own videos rather than reusing Udemy previews
Poor fit
- New sites and small accounts under 500 monthly visitors or 500 followers
- Media buyers and PPC affiliates, since Udemy accepts no paid advertising
- Coupon and deal sites that rely on free or instructor-issued codes, which earn nothing
Pros and limitations
Pros
- Monthly payouts through Impact with a low $10 withdrawal threshold
- Deep links, course-specific links and sitewide links, with banners in several languages and currencies
- Access to publisher-exclusive promotions on top of the regular catalogue
- No exclusivity: approved affiliates can promote competing course platforms
Limitations
- Commission rate and cookie window are both unpublished until you are inside Impact
- Traffic minimum of 500 monthly visitors or 500 followers shuts out new publishers
- Paid ads, brand bidding and direct linking are all banned
- Instructor-referred and free-course sales are carved out of commission
How to join
- 1Check the requirements article on Udemy's partner help centre against your traffic and audience
- 2Apply to Udemy's campaign on Impact via the Join Now link at udemy.com/affiliate, listing every site or channel you will use
- 3Wait for the manual review, then submit your tax document on Impact before your first payout
Udemy vs the Creator Platforms median
| Term | Udemy | Category median | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurring term | One-time | 12 mo | 8 |
| Minimum payout | $10 | $25 | 3 |
Medians across published Creator Platforms programs that disclose each term. Undisclosed terms are left out, not counted as zero.
Sources and verification
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
- Official
Frequently asked questions
What commission does the Udemy affiliate program pay?
Udemy does not publish a rate. Its affiliate page says only that rates are competitive, and its Affiliate Terms say the commission is set in the offers in your Impact publisher account; rate questions go to [email protected].
Do I need traffic to join Udemy's affiliate program?
Yes. Udemy's requirements article asks for at least 500 unique monthly visitors over the last three months, or at least 500 followers on social media, and says brand-new sites may be declined.
Can I run Google or Facebook ads for Udemy?
No. Udemy's help centre says it does not accept paid ads, naming Google Ads, Facebook Ads, boosted posts, Instagram and Twitter ads, and it also bans bidding on Udemy trademarks and direct linking.
How are Udemy affiliates paid?
Monthly, through Impact's payment system rather than by Udemy directly. You need a balance of at least $10 to withdraw, and US-linked partners must have an approved tax document first.
Alternatives to Udemy
Open programs in the same category. Each row shows the one published term that differs most in the affiliate's favour.
