Uploading Content

This article outlines troubleshooting steps instructors can take if they’re encountering issues uploading videos to their courses. 

For example, if it’s taking an extremely long time to upload a video to your course, or you’re encountering an error message while attempting to do so.

Review troubleshooting steps for the video processing stage: the processing stage occurs after videos have been uploaded to your course.  

How to troubleshoot video uploading issues 

Check your internet connection: most uploading issues are caused by a poor internet connection. If you experience issues while the video is being uploaded it could be due to the following:

• A slow internet connection speed. Try uploading the videos  when your internet connection is faster. Or, try uploading the video from a different internet connection.

• The data limit for your internet provider has been reached. Try uploading the video from a different internet connection. 

• You are connected to the internet through a VPN and your connection provider has blocked uploads. Try uploading the video from a different internet connection. 

Ensure the video file name doesn’t contain special characters or symbols: make sure that the file name for the video does not contain any special characters or symbols. Remove any spaces or underscores from the file name. Once you’ve edited the video’s file name, try uploading the video again.

Make sure the video meets the requirements: in order for the video to upload the video must have a resolution of at least 720p and the file must be less than 4.0 GB in size. 

You’re encountering error messages: if you are receiving one of the following messages, there may be an issue with the Udemy platform. 

• “System couldn’t initiate their upload”

• ​“Signature is not correct”

• “Problem initiating upload request”

• "Invalid according to Policy: Policy expired"

These issues can often be resolved by deleting the lecture and uploading the file again from a different browser like Google Chrome. You can also try uploading your file using the Bulk File Uploader.

If you are still having trouble, please contact our support team and include the following information:

• The lecture file

• The operating system you're using

• Your internet connection speed

This article includes troubleshooting steps instructors can follow after they have uploaded a video to their course, but have encountered delays or issues in the processing stage.

Learn more about troubleshooting steps for video uploading issues. 

The troubleshooting steps below should help resolve the video processing issue, so you can resume building or editing your course. 

Troubleshooting video processing problems

After the video has been uploaded to your course, and the upload bar has filled completely, the file will begin processing and it should finish processing on its own. 

The video file is taking hours to finish processing: if the file is still processing after 5 hours, however, please delete the lecture and start again.

You encounter an error message: if an error message informs you there’s an issue with the file that’s preventing it from processing correctly, then please perform the recommended action. Here are some of the troubleshooting steps you may need to take:

• Make sure that the video file name does not contain any special characters or symbols. Try removing spaces and underscores.
• Change the video format. The preferred format is .MP4 codec H.264 (with an AAC or MP3 audio codec).
• Reduce the size of the video file. Uploads should not be larger than 4 GB.
• Reduce the resolution of the file. Videos up to 1080p are preferred.

We also recommend checking that you can open and view your file on your computer and it is the correct file.

Still need help?

If you’re still having trouble, please contact our Support Team and we'll be happy to help. Please include the following information, as it will help our team investigate and resolve the issue for you.

• The video file
• The operating system you're using
• Your internet connection speed
• A screenshot of the error message
• The troubleshooting steps you've tried

By using the bulk file uploader not only can you can upload multiple files to your course at once, you can access files you may have stored with services like Facebook and Google Drive. The bulk file uploader also lists all the files that have been uploaded, when they were uploaded and whether the upload was successful. 

Accessing the Bulk File Uploader

You can access the new file uploader by clicking on the course you wish to edit, on the Instructor Dashboard. The Bulk Uploader icon is posted on the right hand side of the Course Roadmap page.

Uploading Files From Your Computer

You can select the files you wish to upload from your computer, and begin the uploading process, by clicking on Choose Files or by dragging the files onto the file uploader page. For more information on what files are supported by the platform, and whether they can be added as a lecture or an additional resource, please click here.

Adding Files From External Hosts

You can also access files you may have stored with services like Facebook and Google Drive, and then add them to course library via the Bulk Uploader. Click on the location where the file is, and you will be prompted to establish a connection to the file's host. 



Once you have selected the file you would like to add to the course, click on Upload on the bottom right. If the upload is successful, an Upload Complete notification will appear.

Un-linking Integrated Apps From the Bulk Uploader​

After you have linked an external host to the Bulk Uploader, you may decide you wish to unlink it. You can do this for all the services the uploader supports [Dropbox, Facebook, Google Drive, Box, Amazon Cloud Drive, OneDrive], by logging into any of the apps you granted the bulk uploader access to [integrated app]. Then you can revoke the Bulk Uploader's access from there.

Adding Files Using the Click and Drag Option

Files can also be added to your library by clicking on the file you wish to add, and then by dragging it onto the bulk file uploader page where it says Drag files here. To complete the process, click on Upload on the bottom right. Please note: it may take a moment or two before the Upload option appears, after you drag the files onto the page. If the upload is successful, an Upload Complete notification will appear.

File Management 

The filenames that have been added to your library will be listed below the uploading options.The file's type and upload date is also included to the right of the filename. There is also a Status column, which lists whether a file uploaded correctly by stating Success or Failed. If the upload has not been finalized yet you will see Processing.

To delete a file from your library, click on the trash can icon on the right hand side. Please note that deleting a file from your library cannot be undone.

For more information on how to manage your library please click here.

Adding Files From Your Library to Your Course

You can access your library to add content to your course, by clicking on Add From Library as you create or edit your lectures. For more information on creating a new lecture, please click here. To learn how to edit or update the content of an existing lecture, please click here.

Please note that Mashup lectures are created using the browser uploader, and as a result, the files in your library cannot be accessed to build this type of lecture. For instructions on how to create a Mashup lecture please refer to this article. 

Closed captioning files are also added to lectures using the browser uploader, and cannot be added to a lecture from your library. 

For additional information on how to add closed captions to your lectures, please click here.

Files and resources that have been added to your account via the Bulk Uploader, can quickly be accessed and managed in your library. You can move these files to a specific lecture or store them in your library for future use. 

Adding Files to Your Library

You can add files to your library by using the Bulk Uploader, which is located on the right hand side of the Curriculum page.

For more information on how to use the Bulk Uploader, please refer to this article.

Sorting Your Files

You can sort through your files by, Filename, Type and Date Uploaded by clicking on the arrow that appears to the right of each category. 

Checking the File Status

You can also see whether a file has been successfully added to your library by checking the Status column. 

If the file has been uploaded to the library, and is ready to use, you will see Success posted in this column. You will see Processing if the file is still being prepared for use, and Failed, if the file was not successfully uploaded. 
For additional information on uploading issues please click here. For troubleshooting steps regarding video processing issues, please review this article.

Deleting a File

To delete a file from your library, click on the trash can icon on the right hand side.
Please note that deleting a file from your library cannot be undone.

Moving Files From Your Library to Your Course

To add videos and other resources to your lectures from your library, head to the Curriculum page of the course you would like to edit. Next, you can access your library and add content to your course, by clicking on Add From Library as you create or edit your lectures. 

Please note that once you add the file to your course, it will no longer be stored in your library.  As a result, if you wish to use the same file in another lecture, then it will need to be uploaded again. 
For more information on creating a new lecture, please click here. To learn how to edit or update the content of an existing lecture, click here.

This article explains how to submit a test video, a free service to review the quality of your audio, video, and delivery. 

Talk about anything you want for 1-3 minutes and receive personalized tips from a video expert on our team. You can send test videos as often as needed.

• Learn about test videos in our Teaching Center article.

Udemy video requirements

Learn about Udemy’s minimum video standards.

How to submit a test video

1. After accessing your Instructor account, click the Test Video page.

2. Follow the instructions on the page to include more information about your video. 

3. On the “Lights, camera, action” page, upload your test video by clicking on Select File button.

Receiving feedback

After you upload your test video, you can see its status on the My test videos page. You will also receive an email within two business days letting you know when feedback is complete. 

Click on Feedback ready to receive your feedback. 

You can respond or ask a question by entering it into the section that appears below. Please allow some time for a video expert on our team to review your sample and provide you with personalized feedback on the quality of your audio, video, and delivery.

After reviewing, you can create a new test video or delete an existing one you’ve uploaded.

The Udemy platform supports several different types of files for lectures, and many types of files for additional resources, if you wish to include more content that students can download.

Supported Files for Lectures

Udemy courses can include article, video and mashup lectures, and these can be created using several different types of files.

• Article lectures can be created using the platform’s built in, text editor, and .JPG, .PNG .BMP and .GIF files can be inserted into the article using the add image option. Please note that the image files must be smaller than 1 MB.
• Video lectures can be built by uploading .AVI, .MGP, .MPEG, .FLV, .M2V, .M4V, .MP4, .WMV, .OGV, .WEBM and .MOV files. We recommend using MP4 files if possible, however, as we have found the uploading process works best with these.
• Mashup lectures combine videos and slides to create a compelling lecture. The video files must be in a .MP4 or .MOV format. The slides, on the other hand, must be in .PDF format. So, if you’re using software like Powerpoint or Keynote to create the slides, you will need to export them as PDFs.

Supported Files for Additional Resources

Adding additional resources can be a great way to enhance the lecture, and provide students with a more comprehensive learning experience. Please note: these resources must be available for free, related to the lecture topic, and not promotional in any manner.

The additional resources section features nearly any kind of file type, including .JPG, .PDF, .ZIP, .XLS, .MOV, .MP3, .PPT, and .DOC, among others. 

Source code like .HTML, .JS, etc., however, cannot be uploaded directly, but these files can be uploaded in a .ZIP file. 

Source Code for Development Courses

Only Python and Ruby files can be uploaded at this time.

Uploading the Files

Files can be uploaded to the lecture by using the browser uploader, or by adding them from your library using the bulk file uploader. 

Please note: .MP3 files for additional resources must be uploaded using the browser uploader. 

This article outlines the error notifications instructors might encounter while attempting to add closed captions to your course lectures, and how can you resolve the issue.

For steps on how to add closed captions to your course videos, please click here.

Incorrectly Formatted Timing Information

If your caption entry includes timing information the system cannot read, then you will see an error notification reporting one or more of the entries has incorrectly formatted timing info.

In order for your .vtt closed caption entry to be accepted, it must be formatted with one of the timing formations below:

00:00:00 (HH:MM:SS)

00:00 (MM:SS)

00 (SS)

00:00:00.000 (HH:MM:SS.mmm)

00:00.000 (MM:SS.mmm)

00.000 (SS.mmm)

Please note: ‘m’ stands for microseconds

In addition, caption entries must have a start time that is earlier than the end time that’s been entered, in order for it to upload successfully. Accordingly, the caption entries also require a start time that is later than the previous entry’s start time.

If you receive an error sign indicating this is not the case, then you will need to edit the entry’s times.

Missing Timing Information

If the .vtt file has a correct header, but doesn’t have any timing information, or it can’t be recognised due to incorrect formatting, you will see an error sign reporting that one or more of the caption entries has text but no times.

The correct formatting for the timing information looks like “00:03:00.000 --> 00:05:00.00”. Please note that the separating arrow must have one or two space or tab characters on each side.

Missing WEBVTT Header

If the caption entry is missing the WEBVTT header, which is required for valid vtt files, you will see an error warning indicating this. Please add WEBVTT to the first line of the file in order to resolve the issue, as shown below:

Missing Track Text

If one of the caption entries has timing information but no text, you will be notified via an error sign. Each caption entry should have a start time, end time and some text in the following format:

No Caption Entries

Each caption entry should have a start time, end time and some text, and each caption entry must be separated from another with at least two line breaks. If the entry doesn’t, an error sign will appear indicating that there are no recognisable caption entries in the file.

Caption entries should be created with the following format:

A course image gives students a snapshot of your course content, and can be a great way to grab a student's attention.

Course images should be in high resolution, and sized no smaller than 750 x 422 pixels. We recommend using the RGB color model while creating your course image, and not the CMYK color mode, since it is designed for computer screens and electronic devices. 

Please note: to avoid confusion, each Udemy course must have its own, unique image. The same image cannot be used for more than one course. Textual information such as the name of the course is not permitted within the course image. For more information on the quality guidelines for course images, please click here.

Add an Image to a Course

1. Navigate to the course management page (steps on how to can be viewed here).

2. On the left-hand side click Course Landing Page and scroll down to Course Image.

3. Click choose an image file to upload an image.

4. When it's finished uploading, adjust the crop image box as necessary and click Crop image.

5. Click Save at the top of the page.

Students will see your promo video and form a first impression about you and your course. Students who watch a good promo video are 5X more likely to enroll in your course.

How to Upload a Promo Video

1.  Navigate to the course management page (steps on how to can be viewed here).

2.  On the left-hand side, select Course Landing Page.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see Promotional Video and click Upload video.

4. Click Save at the top right of the page once the upload is complete.

For tips on how to create a great promo video click here.