How to Create an Evergreen Course to Sell Online in 2025 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Did you know that the global e-learning market is projected to hit $457 billion by 2026 (Source)? That’s massive—and a big reason why more creators are turning to evergreen courses. Unlike live cohorts, evergreen courses sell while you sleep. Sounds dreamy, right?

In this guide, I’ll walk you through every step to create, automate, and sell an evergreen course online. 

Whether you're starting from scratch or turning your live training into a self-paced product, this process can help you build something that works on autopilot—while still delivering real value to your audience.

What is an Evergreen Course?

An evergreen course is a self-paced online course that’s always available for purchase. It runs on autopilot, meaning students can enroll and start learning anytime—no waiting for a start date. The content stays mostly the same and doesn’t need frequent updates or live sessions.

This is different from live or cohort-based courses. Those usually have a set start and end date, a group of students learning together, and live calls or check-ins with the instructor. With evergreen, the learning is flexible and independent.

Each format has benefits and drawbacks:

Evergreen Course Pros

• Scales easily: Once it’s built, you can enroll unlimited students without extra work
• Sells year-round: No launch deadlines—people can buy anytime
• Fits any schedule: Great for learners in different time zones or with busy lives
• Less pressure: You don’t have to show up live or stick to a teaching calendar
• Easier to automate: Works well with email funnels and self-paced platforms

Evergreen Course Cons

• Less personal support: No live calls means students might feel alone
• Harder to keep students engaged: Without check-ins, some may drop off
• Needs strong content: Since you’re not live, your videos and lessons must be clear and helpful
• Less urgency to buy: Without a deadline, people may put off enrolling

Live/Cohort Course Pros

• Higher engagement: Students show up and participate more with live interaction
• Real-time feedback: You can adjust your teaching as you go
• Built-in community: Students often support each other and stay motivated
• Faster improvements: You learn quickly what works and what doesn’t

Live/Cohort Course Cons

• Time-consuming: You have to commit to a schedule and be present
• Harder to repeat often: Running cohorts too frequently can lead to burnout
• Limited scale: You may need to cap enrollment to manage live support
• Requires planning: You can’t just “set it and forget it” like evergreen courses

Many course creators have built strong businesses with evergreen models. Gillian Perkins teaches business and marketing through evergreen systems. Mariah Coz built her entire funnel using automated sales. They both use tools like ConvertKit and Teachable to make it work.

If you want to create a course that sells without being tied to your calendar, evergreen might be the way to go. Just know it takes planning upfront to make sure it delivers real value even without live interaction.

7 Steps to Create an Evergreen Course to Sell Online

1. Validating Your Course Idea Before You Build

Before you build your course, make sure people actually want it. This step is called validating your course idea. It helps you avoid wasting time on something that won’t sell.

Start by choosing a topic that solves a real, long-term problem. Evergreen topics are usually tied to skills, habits, or challenges people face year after year—like time management, nutrition, or freelance writing.

Next, look for what your audience is already struggling with. Search forums, Facebook groups, or Reddit threads. Use keyword tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to see what people are searching for. Look for phrases that keep popping up.

The best way to test your idea is to pre-sell it or run a beta round. This means offering the course early—either as a paid preview or at a discount. You’ll see if people are willing to pay, and you’ll get feedback fast.

Here are some simple tools to help validate:

• Google Trends: See if interest in your topic is growing or stable
• Surveys: Ask your audience directly (Google Forms works well)
• Reddit and forums: Look for repeated questions and frustrations
• Email replies: Ask your list to hit “reply” and share what they need help with

Validation helps you build with confidence, not guesses.

2. Structuring and Planning Your Evergreen Course

A strong evergreen course starts with a clear outcome. Ask yourself, What will someone be able to do or understand after they finish this? That’s the transformation. It should be simple, specific, and useful—like “write your first blog post” or “create a weekly meal plan.”

Once you have the outcome, build your outline backward. What steps does someone need to take to get there? Break the process into clear lessons. Each one should move the learner forward without extra fluff.

Then choose the right format. Evergreen courses often use:

• Video: Good for teaching concepts, demos, or step-by-step instructions
• Audio: Great for lessons people can listen to on the go
• PDFs: Useful for worksheets, checklists, or summaries

Keep it simple. Evergreen content works best when it’s easy to follow. You don’t need to say everything—just what helps them take action. Avoid long videos or complicated language that could confuse someone watching a year from now.

Here’s a quick checklist:

• Choose one clear outcome
• Break it into small, focused lessons
• Mix formats to match the content
• Keep the pace steady and digestible
• Focus on progress, not perfection

Planning well makes your course more helpful—and easier to finish.

3. Recording and Creating Your Course Content

You don’t need fancy gear to record a solid evergreen course. A clear webcam, a decent microphone (like the Blue Yeti), and natural lighting can go a long way. Tools like Loom, ScreenFlow (Mac), or OBS Studio (free) make it easy to record your screen and voice at the same time.

Since this course will be watched over time, keep the content timeless. Avoid things like “last year” or naming trends that might fade. Use general, lasting examples. Focus on clear steps and concepts that stay relevant.

To keep things organized, create short intros and outros. These can be the same for every video to save time. Transitions between sections also help things flow and feel polished.

Even if you're not live, you can still be engaging. Talk like you would to a friend. Look into the camera. Use stories, examples, and questions to keep it interesting.

Here are a few tips to make your content shine:

• Use simple tools to record clearly
• Stick to evergreen language and examples
• Keep each video short—5 to 10 minutes is ideal
• Reuse branded intros and outros
• Vary your tone and pace to keep attention

Consistency and clarity matter more than perfection.

4. Setting Up a Sales Funnel for Evergreen Sales

An evergreen sales funnel helps you sell your course automatically. It starts with a lead magnet—a free resource like a checklist or short video. People sign up with their email to get it. From there, an email sequence guides them toward buying your course.

Your emails should feel personal and helpful. Start by teaching something useful. Then explain how your course takes them further. A good sequence has 5–7 emails spread over a few days.

To create urgency, you can use evergreen timers. These give each subscriber a limited-time offer based on when they join. It’s not fake—it’s just automated. Tools like Deadline Funnel or ThriveCart help with this.

You’ll also need a platform to host your funnel. Here are a few options:

• ConvertKit: Great for email sequences and simple landing pages
• ThriveCart: One-time payment tool with timers and checkout pages
• MailerLite: Budget-friendly option with automation
• Kajabi: All-in-one platform for emails and course hosting

Here’s the basic funnel:

• Free lead magnet
• Automated email series
• Time-limited offer
• Simple checkout and course access

A good funnel does the selling for you, while still feeling real and helpful to your audience.

5. Choosing the Right Platform to Host Your Course

Picking the right platform to host your course matters. It affects how easy it is to manage, how your students learn, and how your course grows over time.

Here are five popular platforms:

• Thinkific: Good for drip content and student progress tracking
• Teachable: Simple to set up, with built-in payment tools
• Kajabi: All-in-one solution with email, funnels, and course hosting
• Podia: Clean design and easy to use, with basic email features
• Coursebox.ai: Great for creating and selling your course fast—with AI to help you build it, plus tools for quizzes, certificates, and student tracking

When choosing, look for features that support evergreen courses:

• Drip content: Release lessons over time
• Email integration: Connect to your email tool or send from the platform
• Analytics: See who’s watching, finishing, or dropping off

Each platform has pros and cons:

• Thinkific: Strong learning tools but limited built-in email
• Teachable: Easy to use but fewer advanced marketing features
• Kajabi: Powerful but higher price point
• Podia: Affordable and user-friendly, but less flexible for funnels
• Coursebox.ai: Smart automation and a free plan, but still growing its feature set

Choose based on your goals. If you want everything in one place, Kajabi or Coursebox.ai may be worth it. If you're on a tight budget, Podia, Thinkific, or Coursebox’s free plan can do the job.

Start with what fits your needs now. You can always switch later as you grow.

6. Marketing Your Evergreen Course Consistently

Once your course is live, the next step is keeping traffic coming in. Evergreen doesn’t mean you “set it and forget it.” You still need steady marketing—just not daily launches.

Start with SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This means adding keywords to your sales page and blog posts so people can find your course through Google. Use tools like Ubersuggest or Keysearch to find what your audience is searching for.

Next, think about Pinterest and YouTube. These are search-based platforms that work well for passive traffic. Create helpful videos or pins that link back to your course or lead magnet.

Paid ads can also keep traffic flowing. A small budget on Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads can work well once your funnel converts.

And don’t forget about content you already have. Repurpose it. A blog post can become a YouTube script. A video can become short clips for Instagram.

Here are simple ways to market long-term:

• Use SEO to grow organic search traffic
• Post pins and videos regularly for search-based platforms
• Run low-budget ads to test results
• Reuse and refresh content to stay visible
• Link back to your course in everything you publish

Marketing consistently keeps your course alive and selling.

7. Measuring Success and Updating Over Time

To keep your evergreen course successful, you need to check in on how it's doing. This doesn’t have to be complicated—but it does need to be consistent.

Start by tracking a few key numbers:

• Conversion rate: How many people buy after seeing your offer
• Completion rate: How many students finish your course
• Refund rate: How many people ask for their money back

These numbers show what’s working and what might need fixing.

Sometimes, you’ll need to update your content. If tools change, links break, or students get confused, it’s a sign to refresh a lesson. You don’t have to redo the whole course—just tweak what’s outdated.

It also helps to collect feedback automatically. You can add a short form at the end of your course or send a quick email asking, “What helped you most?” or “What was missing?” If you're using a platform like Coursebox.ai, it’s easy to add feedback forms and track student progress without extra tools.

Here are a few simple ways to keep your course valuable:

• Track key metrics monthly or quarterly
• Fix lessons that confuse or slow down learners
• Add fresh examples or updated tools when needed
• Automate feedback through email or surveys
• Make small changes without re-recording everything

Keeping your course useful over time builds trust—and keeps people coming back.

Conclusion

Creating an evergreen course takes work upfront—but the payoff is worth it. From validating your idea to building a sales system that runs 24/7, every step brings you closer to scalable income and more freedom in your business.

Start simple, track your results, and improve over time. Once it's set up, your course becomes a valuable asset that can grow with you.