How to sell a course on Instagram without a website
A website used to be step one for any course. Domain, hosting, a sales page, a login area, a payment plugin. Most creators never finished it, and the course never launched.
You can skip all of that. Your Instagram profile is the home page, your Reels are the ads, the DM is the sales chat, and a platform you sign up for handles payment and access. This guide shows how to put those pieces together, from first idea to launch day.
Do you need a website to sell a course?
| Website job | What replaces it |
|---|---|
| Home page | Your Instagram profile and pinned Reels |
| Ads and traffic | Reels that end in one comment keyword |
| Email signup | Email capture inside the DM |
| Free preview | A free lesson or workbook sent in the DM |
| Sales page and checkout | Your course platform, or a theZio course page on Max Pro |
| Student login | The same platform (theZio: email code at thezio.co/learn) |
| Support | Your Instagram DMs |
One honest line on roles. theZio sends DMs, delivers free files and sends links on every plan. Since 19 October 2026, Max Pro (₹899 a month) can also host the course itself: video lessons, a sales page at thezio.co/yourname/c/course-name, checkout through Razorpay, a 0% theZio fee until notice and weekly payouts. It has no DRM and no student app, so a dedicated course platform still fits some creators better. Either way, the course is sold in your name.
Where to host the course
Indian creators usually pick one of three setups. Each gives you a link to send by DM, which is all the Instagram side needs.
- A course platform such as Graphy or Exly. Built for video lessons, student logins and progress. Best for a full recorded course.
- A creator storefront such as Topmate or Gumroad. Quick to set up, good for a mini-course, a cohort or a live workshop.
- A payment page such as Razorpay Payment Pages or Instamojo, for a live batch where you send the class link after payment.
Before you choose, check four things: fees per sale (read them on the platform's own pricing page, they change), whether access is given automatically after payment, whether it works well on a phone, and whether you can export your student list. Selling courses can also bring GST questions, so speak to a CA before you scale. This guide is not tax advice.
Validate the course before you record it
Recording a course nobody wants is the most expensive mistake in this game. BCG estimates India has 2 to 2.5 million monetised creators (BCG), so your topic has to earn attention. Test demand with a waitlist first.
- Post a Reel about the problem your course solves. "Why your squat stalls at 40 kg."
- End with a keyword. "Comment COURSE to join the waitlist and get my free form checklist."
- Collect emails in the DM. theZio's email capture is on every plan, including Free (up to 1,000 contacts).
- Count. If a few Reels bring a real waitlist, record. If not, change the angle or the topic before you spend a month on video.
The waitlist is also your launch list. Those people raised their hand already. Our guide to collecting emails on Instagram goes deeper.
Make a free lesson that sells the course
The free lesson is your sales page. A fan who gets a real win from it trusts the paid course. Good options: a PDF workbook, a one-page plan, a checklist, or a link to one preview lesson on your course platform.
Files go in theZio's Products. Every commenter gets a private download link valid for 30 days and 10 downloads, so the workbook does not end up on a public Drive link. The Free plan holds 3 products and Pro has no limit. A preview video can stay on your course platform; the DM just sends its link.
Keep the paid lessons on the course platform. The private link is for free files only. Paid access should open after payment, and that is the platform's job.
A two-week Reel plan for a course launch
| When | Reel | Keyword |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1, day 1 | The common mistake your course fixes | COURSE (waitlist) |
| Week 1, day 3 | One free tip from module 1 | COURSE (waitlist) |
| Week 1, day 5 | A student or your own result, with proof | COURSE (waitlist) |
| Week 2, day 1 | Launch: what is inside and who it is for | JOIN (sales link) |
| Week 2, day 3 | Answers to the top DM questions | JOIN (sales link) |
| Week 2, day 6 | Last day of the launch price | JOIN (sales link) |
Most Reels should teach. The launch Reels work because the teaching Reels built trust. Each Reel gets one keyword, said out loud and shown on screen. Not sure what a keyword trigger is? It is the word that starts the DM.
The DM that sells the course
FanJOIN
Creator (auto)Hey! Here's the free form checklist 💪 Where should I send launch updates? Reply with your email.
Fanarjun@example.com
Creator (auto)Got it! Checklist: [private download link]. The 6-week strength course is open now, launch price till Sunday: [your course page]
- Give before you ask. The free file arrives in the same chat, no extra tap.
- One link. Send the course page, not your whole link list.
- Say who it is for. "For beginners who train at home" saves you ten DMs of questions.
- Invite a follow after the free file. theZio's Ask For Follow invite asks fans to follow you, and the file is delivered either way.
- Answer questions by hand. "Is this for women?" "Can I do it without a gym?" Those replies close sales.
Running a waitlist keyword and a sales keyword at once? With per-keyword delivery, one automation can send a different file or link for each keyword, while the message stays the same. Or set up two automations, one per Reel.
Reach people who commented before you launched
Your old Reels already have comments from people who asked "Do you have a course?" theZio lets you choose which comments an automation answers:
- New comments only, the default, on every plan.
- The last 24 hours plus new, on every plan.
- All old comments plus new, on Pro. Comments older than 7 days get a public reply only, because Instagram does not allow a private reply that late.
Everything is paced within Instagram's limits, so a busy launch never looks like spam. Read Instagram DM limits explained for the details.
What this setup costs
- Website: nothing, because you do not build one.
- Course or payment platform: its own fees per sale or per month. Check its pricing page.
- theZio: the Free plan covers 1,000 auto DMs a month. Pro is ₹499 a month, or ₹399 a month billed yearly, and adds smart match, unlimited products and replies to all old comments.
Selling ebooks before a full course? Start with how to sell an ebook on Instagram. A small product is a good way to test a topic.
What theZio does today
- Comment-to-DM automationA fan comments your keyword, theZio sends the DM with your link and replies publicly, within Instagram's limits. Free up to 1,000 DMs a month.
- Story reply automationsA fan replies to any of your Stories with your keyword, theZio sends the DM with your link, file or image. One DM per fan per Story, on every plan. Any reply without a keyword, and a thank-you DM when a fan tags you in their Story, on Pro.
- Digital product deliveryUpload your ebook, PDF, preset or template once. Every fan who comments gets a private download link that works for 30 days and 10 downloads. 3 products free, unlimited on Pro.
- Email capture in the DMAsk for an email before sending the freebie, then export your contacts any time.
- Replies to old comments and smart matchReach fans who commented before you set it up, and catch typos and variations of your keyword with AI (Pro).
- AI replies to your commentsThe Comment Agent answers the comments your automations skip, like thank-yous and quick questions, following rules you write. Criticism always comes to you (Pro).
- Your own page and store on theZioA link-in-bio page at thezio.co/yourname with your links, paid products and video courses. Fans pay through Razorpay, you are paid every Monday (Max Pro).
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell a course on Instagram without a website?
Yes. Host the course on a course platform or payment page, sell it with Reels that end in a comment keyword, and send a free lesson and the sales link by DM. The platform handles payment and student access.
Does theZio host or sell my course?
It can, on Max Pro (₹899 a month): build the course with video lessons, sell it through Razorpay with a 0% theZio fee until notice, and get paid every Monday. On every plan, theZio sends the DM, delivers free files like a workbook and sends your course page link, wherever the course lives.
What should the free lesson be?
One complete, quick win from the course: a workbook, a one-page plan, a checklist or one preview video. It should make the fan want the next step, not give the whole course away.
How many Reels do I need for a course launch?
There is no fixed number. A common pattern is a week of teaching Reels that build a waitlist, then a week of launch Reels with a sales keyword. Watch your waitlist and DM replies to decide.
Can I DM people who commented on my old Reels?
Yes. On every plan theZio can answer the last 24 hours of comments plus new ones. Pro can answer all old comments; anything older than 7 days gets a public reply instead of a DM.
Instagram se course kaise bechein?
Course ko kisi course platform ya payment page par rakho. Reel mein ek keyword bolo, DM mein free lesson aur course page ka link bhejo. Payment aur access platform sambhalta hai.
