# Publish a course and update it

> Publish a course so students can take it, publish your later changes as new versions, or unpublish it.

Source: https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/publish  
Plans: Academy  
Last checked: 2026-10-27

When you're done, students can open your course, and they always see a finished version of its lessons,
never your half-done edits.

**Who can do this:** the account owner, and editors you've allowed to publish.

## Publish a course

1. Open the course. If there's a box under the title, read it first.

   ![The editor for the draft course Cakes for Beginners: a box under the title lists things to look at, such as an empty lesson and lessons without a tutor, and the Publish button.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/academy-educators/publish/SS-ACAD-035-02__publish-check__academy__desktop__v01.webp?v=d32b5249ce)

   - Red lines must be fixed before you can publish. For example, a course needs at least one lesson,
     and at least one required lesson, so it can be completed.
   - Gray lines are worth a look but don't stop you, such as an empty lesson or lessons without a
     tutor.
2. [Preview the course](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/preview) if you haven't yet.
3. Click **Publish**.

The course is now **Published · v1**. It appears on your [Academy's pages](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/public-pages) (unless you've
taken it off the course list), and students with a place can start it. Next,
[add students](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/students).

## Update a published course

Changes to lessons, quizzes, tutors and lesson order, and to the course's title, subtitle, description
and cover, don't reach students straight away. The editor says
**You have changes students don't see yet** (1).

![The top of the Bread Basics editor: Published · v2 next to the title, the note You have changes students don't see yet, and the Preview, Unpublish and Publish changes buttons.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/academy-educators/publish/SS-ACAD-035-01__publish-changes__academy__desktop__v01.webp?v=43a2d61a1e)

When your changes are ready, click **Publish changes** (2). Students see the new version (v2, v3 and so
on) from then on. To compare, open the **Preview** and click **See what students see now**.

A few settings in **Course details** work as soon as you save them, without publishing: the course's
**Address**, **How students join**, **Show in the Academy's course list** and
**Certificate on completion**. See [Course details and settings](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/course-settings).

## Unpublish a course

Click **Unpublish** at the top and confirm. Students can't open the course, and its page disappears from
your Academy, until you publish it again. Nothing is deleted.

If you publish again without changing anything, students get the same version back.