Udemy Courses

A Node.js + Puppeteer.js automation tool that automatically discovers and enrolls in free Udemy courses using coupon codes from coupon websites.

Built in December 2020. This JavaScript application scrapes free course coupons from coupon websites, validates them on Udemy, and automatically enrolls you in truly free courses, helping you build your learning library effortlessly.

Features

Core Capabilities

🔍 Automated Course Discovery: Scrapes free course coupon links from coupon websites
🎓 Auto-Enrollment: Automatically enrolls in free Udemy courses with valid coupons
✅ Smart Validation: Validates course data and ensures courses are truly free before enrollment
🔄 Session Management: Retry failed courses automatically with session support
💾 Backup Functionality: Built-in backup system for project files

Technical Excellence

🛡️ Robust Error Handling: Comprehensive error tracking with automatic retries
📊 Structured Logging: Detailed logs with statistics for all operations
🔐 Secure Management: Keeps credentials in separate JSON files away from source code
🚀 Optimized Puppeteer: Uses stealth plugins and custom user agents to avoid detection
📈 Real-time Analytics: Live console status with detailed processing statistics

Developer Experience

🛠️ Sandbox Testing: Dedicated environment for testing new features safely
📝 Detailed Documentation: Clear instructions for setup and configuration
⚙️ Configurable Environment: Flexible settings for fine-tuning automation behavior
📂 Organized Structure: Clean project layout for easy maintenance and extension
🎯 Targeted Filtering: Keyword-based filtering to focus on relevant topics

Architecture Overview

graph TB
    Start([npm start]) --> Init[Initialize Services]
    Init --> Validate[Validate Settings & URLs]
    Validate --> Confirm{User Confirms?}
    Confirm -->|No| Exit1([Exit: Aborted])
    Confirm -->|Yes| CreatePhase[Create Courses Phase]

    CreatePhase --> ScrapePages[Scrape Coupon Pages]
    ScrapePages --> ExtractLinks[Extract Course Links]
    ExtractLinks --> LogCreate[Log Created Courses]

    LogCreate --> UpdatePhase[Update Courses Phase]
    UpdatePhase --> FetchUdemy[Fetch Course Data from Udemy]
    FetchUdemy --> ValidateCourse{Validate Course Data}
    ValidateCourse -->|Invalid| LogInvalid1[Log Invalid Course]
    ValidateCourse -->|Valid| UpdateCourseData[Update Course Data]
    UpdateCourseData --> LogUpdate[Log Updated Course]

    LogUpdate --> PurchasePhase[Purchase Courses Phase]
    PurchasePhase --> LoginUdemy[Login to Udemy via Puppeteer]
    LoginUdemy --> OpenCourse[Open Course with Coupon]
    OpenCourse --> CheckPrice{Is Free?}
    CheckPrice -->|No| LogInvalid2[Log Not Free]
    CheckPrice -->|Yes| CheckEnrolled{Already Enrolled?}
    CheckEnrolled -->|Yes| LogDuplicate[Log Already Enrolled]
    CheckEnrolled -->|No| Enroll[Click Enroll Button]
    Enroll --> VerifyEnrollment{Enrollment Successful?}
    VerifyEnrollment -->|No| LogFail[Log Failed Enrollment]
    VerifyEnrollment -->|Yes| LogSuccess[Log Successful Enrollment]

    LogFail --> CheckRetry{More Courses?}
    LogSuccess --> CheckRetry
    LogInvalid2 --> CheckRetry
    LogDuplicate --> CheckRetry
    CheckRetry -->|Yes| OpenCourse
    CheckRetry -->|No| CheckSession{More Sessions?}
    CheckSession -->|Yes| CreatePhase
    CheckSession -->|No| GenerateStats[Generate Statistics]

    GenerateStats --> SaveLogs[Save All Logs to Dist]
    SaveLogs --> Exit2([Exit: Completed])

    LogInvalid1 --> UpdatePhase

    style Start fill:#90EE90
    style Exit1 fill:#FFB6C1
    style Exit2 fill:#90EE90
    style CreatePhase fill:#87CEEB
    style UpdatePhase fill:#87CEEB
    style PurchasePhase fill:#87CEEB
    style LogSuccess fill:#90EE90
    style LogFail fill:#FFB6C1

Architecture Principles

This project follows clean code and modular architecture principles:

Service-Oriented Design: Business logic is encapsulated in dedicated services (Puppeteer, Course, Account, etc.).
Data Modeling: Uses structured models to ensure data consistency across the application.
Separation of Concerns: Clear distinction between scripts (entry points), services (logic), and utilities (helpers).
Stateless Utilities: Helper functions are kept pure and stateless for better testability.
Robust Error Handling: Centralized error management to ensure automation continuity.

Design Patterns

Service Pattern: Centralizes business logic and promotes reusability.
Model Pattern: Defines clear structures for application data.
Singleton-like Services: Services are designed to be initialized once and used throughout the application.
Script-Service-Util: A layered approach to organize execution flow, logic, and helpers.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js (v12.20.0, v14.13.1, or v16+)
npm (comes with Node.js)
A Udemy account
Internet connection

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/orassayag/udemy-courses.git
cd udemy-courses

Install dependencies:

npm install

Configure your Udemy account:
- Create a JSON file with your credentials:
```
{
  "email": "your-email@example.com",
  "password": "your-password"
}
```
- Update ACCOUNT_FILE_PATH in src/settings/settings.js
Configure settings in src/settings/settings.js:

// Basic configuration
PAGES_COUNT: 2,                       // Pages to scrape
MAXIMUM_COURSES_PURCHASE_COUNT: 3000, // Max enrollments
IS_PRODUCTION_ENVIRONMENT: false,     // Use false for testing
KEYWORDS_FILTER_LIST: [],             // Filter by keywords (empty = all)

Usage

Standard Automation

Run the full process from scraping to enrollment:

npm start

Session Recovery

Retry failed courses from previous sessions:

npm run session

Creating Backups

Create a timestamped archive of the project:

npm run backup

Development Testing

Run sandbox tests for specific features:

npm run sand

Available Scripts

Start - Main Automation

Run the full automation process:

npm start

Backup - Create Project Backup

Create a timestamped backup of the project:

npm run backup

Session - Retry Failed Courses

Test or retry specific course URLs:

npm run session

Sandbox - Development Testing

Run sandbox tests for development:

npm run sand

Configuration

Key Settings in `src/settings/settings.js`

General Settings

Setting	Description	Default
`MODE`	Application mode (STANDARD/SESSION/SILENT)	`STANDARD`
`COURSES_BASE_URL`	Coupon website URL	`https://www.idownloadcoupon.com`
`UDEMY_BASE_URL`	Udemy base URL	`https://www.udemy.com`
`PAGES_COUNT`	Number of pages to scrape	`2`
`KEYWORDS_FILTER_LIST`	Filter courses by keywords	`[]`

Feature Flags

Setting	Description	Default
`IS_CREATE_COURSES_METHOD_ACTIVE`	Enable course scraping	`true`
`IS_UPDATE_COURSES_METHOD_ACTIVE`	Enable course updates	`true`
`IS_PURCHASE_COURSES_METHOD_ACTIVE`	Enable auto-enrollment	`true`

Limits & Timeouts

Setting	Description	Default
`MAXIMUM_COURSES_PURCHASE_COUNT`	Maximum enrollments	`3000`
`MAXIMUM_SESSIONS_COUNT`	Retry sessions	`5`
`MILLISECONDS_TIMEOUT_BETWEEN_COURSES_PURCHASE`	Delay between enrollments	`5000ms`

Directory Structure

udemy-courses/
├── src/
│   ├── core/
│   │   ├── enums/          # Application enums and constants
│   │   └── models/         # Data models for consistency
│   ├── scripts/            # Entry point scripts (start, backup, initiate)
│   ├── services/           # Core business logic services
│   ├── settings/           # Configuration management
│   ├── tests/              # Sandbox and session tests
│   └── utils/              # General helper functions
├── dist/                   # Generated logs and session data
└── package.json            # Project dependencies and scripts

Support

For questions, issues, or contributions:

GitHub Issues: https://github.com/orassayag/udemy-courses/issues
Author: Or Assayag
Email: orassayag@gmail.com

How It Works

1. Create Courses Phase

Scrapes configured number of pages from coupon website
Extracts course URLs and coupon codes
Validates and stores course information
Logs all discovered courses

2. Update Courses Phase

Validates each course URL on Udemy
Fetches detailed course information
Checks if course is accessible and free with coupon
Updates course data and filters invalid courses

3. Purchase Courses Phase

Logs into Udemy using Puppeteer (headless browser)
Navigates to each course with its coupon code
Verifies the course is truly free (₪0 / $0)
Clicks "Enroll" button if not already enrolled
Logs success/failure for each enrollment

Output Files

All logs are saved in the dist/ directory with the following structure:

dist/
└── [SESSION_ID]_[DATE]_[TIME]/
    ├── create_courses_method_valid.txt      # Successfully scraped courses
    ├── create_courses_method_invalid.txt    # Failed scraping attempts
    ├── update_courses_method_valid.txt      # Valid course data from Udemy
    ├── update_courses_method_invalid.txt    # Invalid/inaccessible courses
    ├── purchase_courses_method_valid.txt    # Successfully enrolled courses
    └── purchase_courses_method_invalid.txt  # Failed enrollment attempts

Console Output Example

===IMPORTANT SETTINGS===
EMAIL: your****@example.com
MODE: STANDARD
PAGES_COUNT: 2
MAXIMUM_COURSES_PURCHASE_COUNT: 3000
========================

===INITIATE THE SERVICES===
===VALIDATE GENERAL SETTINGS===

===[SETTINGS] Environment: PRODUCTION | Method: PURCHASE COURSES | Pages Count: 2===
===[GENERAL1] Time: 00.00:15:32 | Course: 45/45 (100.00%) | Courses Count: 45===
===[GENERAL2] Total Courses Price: ₪1,250.80 | Total Purchase Price: ₪0.00===
===[ACCOUNT] Email: your****@example.com===
===[PROCESS1] Purchase: ✅ 42 | Fail: ❌ 1 | Filter: 2 | Duplicate: 0===
===[PROCESS2] Create Update Error: 0 | Not Exists: 0 | Page Not Found: 0===
===[PROCESS3] Already Purchase: 0 | Course Price Not Free: 0===
===[NAME] Complete JavaScript Masterclass 2024===
===[UDEMY URL] https://www.udemy.com/course/javascript-complete/?couponCode=ABC123===
===[RESULT] Course has been purchased successfully.===

===EXIT: FINISH===

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
No courses found	Check `COURSES_BASE_URL` is accessible and `PAGES_COUNT` is set
Login failed	Verify credentials in account JSON file
Courses not enrolling	Ensure courses are truly free; check console for errors
Rate limiting	Increase timeouts, reduce `PAGES_COUNT`
Selector errors	Udemy may have updated UI; check for updates or open an issue

Best Practices

✅ Start with PAGES_COUNT: 1 for testing
✅ Use IS_PRODUCTION_ENVIRONMENT: false initially
✅ Set reasonable MAXIMUM_COURSES_PURCHASE_COUNT
✅ Keep credentials in separate JSON file (never commit)
✅ Monitor dist/ logs for detailed information
✅ Run npm run backup before major changes
✅ Respect Udemy's Terms of Service

Legal & Ethical Use

⚠️ Important Notice:

Only use for courses that are legitimately free with valid coupons
Respect Udemy's Terms of Service
Don't abuse the system or use for commercial purposes
Use responsibly to build your personal learning library

Contributing

Contributions to this project are released to the public under the project's open source license.

Everyone is welcome to contribute. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Development

Built with:

Node.js - JavaScript runtime
Puppeteer - Headless browser automation
JSDOM - HTML parsing
fs-extra - Enhanced file system operations

Author

Or Assayag - Initial work - orassayag
Or Assayag orassayag@gmail.com
GitHub: https://github.com/orassayag
StackOverflow: https://stackoverflow.com/users/4442606/or-assayag?tab=profile
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/orassayag

License

This application has an MIT license - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

Built for educational and research purposes
Respects robots.txt and implements rate limiting
Uses user-agent rotation to avoid detection
Implements polite crawling practices

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github/rulesets		.github/rulesets
.vscode		.vscode
misc		misc
src		src
.gitignore		.gitignore
.npmignore		.npmignore
.prettierrc		.prettierrc
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md		CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
INSTRUCTIONS.md		INSTRUCTIONS.md
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
knip.json		knip.json
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

Udemy Courses

Features

Core Capabilities

Technical Excellence

Developer Experience

Architecture Overview

Architecture Principles

Design Patterns

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installation

Usage

Standard Automation

Session Recovery

Creating Backups

Development Testing

Available Scripts

Start - Main Automation

Backup - Create Project Backup

Session - Retry Failed Courses

Sandbox - Development Testing

Configuration

Key Settings in src/settings/settings.js

General Settings

Feature Flags

Limits & Timeouts

Directory Structure

Support

How It Works

1. Create Courses Phase

2. Update Courses Phase

3. Purchase Courses Phase

Output Files

Console Output Example

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Best Practices

Legal & Ethical Use

Contributing

Development

Author

License

Acknowledgments

About

Topics

Resources

Code of conduct

Contributing

Security policy

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Used by

Contributors

Languages

Key Settings in `src/settings/settings.js`