WhatsApp group for course students: how to run online course cohorts
A guide for course creators, online schools and mentors who serve hundreds or thousands of students per cohort and need to control who has access to the group.
How it works in practice
Direct answer: A student group on WhatsApp works best with one group per cohort, entry only for enrolled students, an access period equal to the course length and removal of students who have finished. Repeated questions, such as the class link, the certificate and the schedule, can be answered by commands, which frees tutors for questions about the content. Each WhatsApp group holds up to 1,024 participants, so larger cohorts need to be split.
In short:
- One group per cohort, with access that lasts as long as the course.
- Automatic removal of students who finished or did not renew.
- Commands answer repeated questions; the planner estimates groups and support hours.
How to structure the student group
| Decision | Recommendation | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| One group or several | One group per cohort | Each cohort has its own calendar, deadline and questions |
| Who joins | Only enrolled students, through join approval | Stops the link from reaching people who did not buy |
| Who posts | Students and tutors; pinned notices only from staff | Keeps important messages visible |
| When they leave | At the end of the access period | The next cohort starts with a clean group |
| Size | Up to 1,024 participants per group | The current WhatsApp limit |
For very large cohorts, a WhatsApp community gathers several groups of the same cohort under one announcement group. See the participant limit per group.
Cohort planner
Enter how many students enroll per year, in how many cohorts, how long each cohort keeps access and how many tutors answer questions. The share of repeated questions is the part a command or auto reply can cover; measure it in your own group before relying on it.
Estimate based on the numbers you enter. Assumes 1,024 participants per group and cohorts spread over the year.
What to automate in a student group
- Time-limited access: each student gets a notice before the deadline and is removed when access ends.
- Join approval with filters and a daily limit, so only enrolled students get in.
- Welcome messages and commands such as .classes and .certificate that answer repeated questions.
- Scheduling of live class notices, assignment reminders and polls, with results exported to PDF.
- Reports on active and inactive members, joins and departures, to see who stopped following.
9bot runs on your own number and is not for bulk messaging. It has a single plan, Basic Pro, with a 7-day free trial. To charge for access, see paid WhatsApp community and VIP WhatsApp group.
Read also
FAQ
Is a WhatsApp group a good idea for course students?
How many students fit in one group?
How do I remove students when the course ends?
Does the group replace the course platform?
How do I stop the group link from leaking?
