Course Creation and Launch Checklist

A course launch checklist works best when it follows the order in which the work actually happens: validate the idea, plan the content, build it, prepare the sales page, build an audience, launch and then look after your first students. The tables below break each phase into tasks you can tick off. They cover the building and launching of the course itself, while the emails you send during launch week are covered in a separate post on the launch email sequence. For the emails themselves, use our course launch email sequence.

Treat the timings as a starting point. A short course on a topic you already teach may need weeks, and a large programme with video and community may need months.

Phase 1: Validate the idea

Before you record anything, check that people want what you plan to teach and will pay for it.

Task	Notes	Done
Write the one-sentence promise	"[Audience] will be able to [specific result] by [method]"	[ ]
List ten people in your audience and talk to them	Ask about their problem, not your course	[ ]
Check what already exists	Courses, books and free content on the topic	[ ]
Decide your angle	What you cover that others do not	[ ]
Test interest	Ask people to join a waiting list or answer a short survey	[ ]
Set a price range	Based on the result, not the number of videos	[ ]

A waiting list is a good early test because it asks for a small commitment. If few people respond, adjust the promise before you build anything.

Phase 2: Plan the course

Task	Notes	Done
Define the starting point and the end point	What students know before and can do after	[ ]
List the modules in order	Each module should lead to the next	[ ]
Break each module into lessons	One idea per lesson	[ ]
Choose lesson formats	Video, audio, text, worksheets, live sessions	[ ]
Plan one action per lesson	A task students complete before moving on	[ ]
Decide on support	Q and A calls, a community, email support	[ ]
Set the delivery pace	All at once or released weekly	[ ]

Phase 3: Build the course

Task	Notes	Done
Write lesson outlines or scripts	Keep each lesson to its single idea	[ ]
Record or write the first module	Test it with two or three people	[ ]
Make worksheets and templates	Give students something to use	[ ]
Record or write the remaining modules	Batch similar work to save time	[ ]
Edit and add captions or transcripts	Helps accessibility	[ ]
Choose a platform and upload content	Check payment, access and email features	[ ]
Run a full test as a student	Buy it, log in, complete a lesson, get a receipt	[ ]

Consider releasing to a small founding group first. Early students will find unclear lessons that you have stopped noticing.

Phase 4: Prepare the sales page

Task	Notes	Done
Write the headline around the result	Use the audience's own words	[ ]
Describe who it is for and who it is not for	Honest fit reduces refunds	[ ]
List modules and what each delivers	Concrete and brief	[ ]
Add your background	Why you are credible on this topic	[ ]
Include real student feedback if you have it	Only genuine words, never invented	[ ]
Answer common questions	Price, access length, support, refunds	[ ]
State the refund policy clearly	Check local consumer rules	[ ]
Set up checkout and confirmation emails	Test with a real payment	[ ]

Phase 5: Build an audience before launch

A course needs people to see it. Start building an email list four to eight weeks before launch if you can.

Task	Notes	Done
Create a free resource related to the course topic	A checklist, guide or template	[ ]
Put the resource on a branded page that collects email addresses	Keep the page focused on one offer	[ ]
Share the page where your audience already is	Social posts, your website, newsletters, communities	[ ]
Send a short welcome message to new subscribers	Tell them what to expect	[ ]
Share useful content weekly	Teach something before you sell something	[ ]
Announce the launch date	Give people time to plan	[ ]

This is where a lead magnet page does most of its work. Gatedleads has templates for course creators, and you can have a branded page live in under 10 minutes on the free plan, which is enough for a single launch resource. Our post on lead magnets for course creators has ideas for the resource itself.

Phase 6: Launch

Task	Notes	Done
Confirm the open and close dates	Put them on every page	[ ]
Schedule your launch emails	Use your email tool's scheduling feature	[ ]
Plan social posts and any live session	Q and A or a demonstration	[ ]
Check the sales page on mobile	Many buyers will arrive on a phone	[ ]
Test checkout again	Before the doors open	[ ]
Prepare a support inbox and reply templates	Expect questions on day one	[ ]
Record sales and questions daily	Spot confusion early	[ ]

Phase 7: After launch

Task	Notes	Done
Send a welcome email with login steps	Within minutes of purchase	[ ]
Check that every buyer can access the course	Fix failures the same day	[ ]
Ask students about their first week	One short question	[ ]
Collect feedback and permission to quote it	Keep consent in writing	[ ]
Review what worked	Page visits, sign-ups, sales, questions	[ ]
Decide whether to reopen, run live or create an evergreen version	Based on what you saw	[ ]

Keep a launch log

Record dates, decisions and numbers in one place. Next time you launch, the log will tell you how long each phase really took, and your own history is a better planning tool than any template. If you would like to offer a checklist like this to your own audience, the course creator checklist template and course creator email scripts template are ready-made pages.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to create and launch a course?

It depends on length and format. A short course on familiar material may take a few weeks, while a larger programme can take several months. Your own launch log will give the best estimate for future courses.

What should I do first when creating a course?

Validate demand by speaking to people in your audience and testing interest with a waiting list, before you record any lessons.

When should I start building an email list?

As early as you can, ideally four to eight weeks before launch, so that people have time to hear from you and trust your teaching.

Do I need a finished course before I sell it?

Not necessarily. Some creators pre-sell to a founding group and build with their feedback, though you should be clear about delivery dates and honour them.