Use an On-request course when customers choose or request a time instead of booking one of your scheduled course dates. You can offer different durations, prices and delivery locations, which suits bespoke training arrangements.
This guide is for course providers setting up the course. Depending on the price and calendar settings, a customer either sends a request for you to review or makes an instant booking. On-request does not mean every booking must be negotiated.
The video above shows how to set up an On-request course. Where it differs from what you see in your account, follow the written steps below.
Permission needed: Use a System Admin account or Course Owner access to the course. A Facilitator cannot open the course editor. Ask a System Admin to check your role if the editor is unavailable.
Create an On-request course
Open the Cademy admin dashboard and select Courses.
Select Create New.
Under Which keyword best describes this service?, choose the word your business uses, such as course or workshop. This is the course’s service keyword. Then, under What is the format?, select On-request.
The course editor opens in Description. Add the title, images and description below.
Older example of the format choices with On-request marked. The short descriptions under each format are worded differently today.
An On-request course has no Dates or Contents section. Its editor shows Description, Pricing & Delivery and Settings, and Share after the first save.
To return to an existing course, open Courses → List View, use the course’s three-dot menu and select Edit. If you have already opened the course, select Edit Course.
Selecting another editor section saves a new course before opening that section. Within an existing course editor, navigating between sections saves outstanding changes. Review your choices before switching, and resolve any save error. Saving does not publish a new course.
Add a title and images
Whatever the delivery method, dates or price, give the course a title and an image.
In Description, enter the title where you see Add your title here. Use a clear name that describes the course.
Select Add Course Images, or Manage Images if images are already present. Choose images from the media library or upload your own.
Select Confirm and check that the images appear. The first image is the cover; a 16:9 shape works best.
Example of a course title with its cover image and the smaller images below it.
For image ordering and other image controls, see Add and Manage Course Images.
Describe the course
Replace the description placeholder with what the course covers, who it is for, what learners will do and what they should bring. Explain which parts can be arranged with the customer. Use headings, lists, tables and links where they help the reader.
Example of a description with headings, bullet lists, a table and links.
Add FAQs
Use FAQs to answer the common questions customers have about your course.
In Description, select FAQs in the suggestions below the description editor if the course does not already have an FAQs section.
In that section, select Add FAQ. Use Search FAQs... to select an existing question, or select Create New FAQ.
For a new FAQ, optionally enter an Internal Name, then enter the Question and Answer / details. Select Create FAQ.
Check that the question appears, then select Save and wait for Course saved.
Example of a course’s FAQ list with Add FAQ at the top right.
Editing a reused FAQ changes it on every course that uses it. Read Add FAQs to a Course Page before changing shared answers.
Set search details and organise the course
Open Settings → Advanced Settings.
Use Search Details for the level, short search/social description and service keyword.
Use Categories & Tags to organise the course.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
Older example in which categories, tags, level, description and keyword share one Search Details box. Today the categories and tags are in their own Categories and Tags box on the same page.
Use accurate descriptions and categories. See Organise Courses with Categories, Tags and Collections for creating and managing categories and tags.
Choose the pricing model
Open Pricing & Delivery. Work down the page in this order: Pricing, Duration, Delivery, then Booking Flow. Under Pricing there are four choices. The initial choices include Free, 60 minutes and in-person delivery with UK-wide travel. Review these defaults before saving.
Before changing an existing pricing model: Selecting another model replaces that model’s current configuration. Check the new prices and options before saving or switching editor sections.
Free
Choose Free for the base course price. Check any Extra Cost added to a duration option separately. A free price alone does not decide whether the customer sends a request or books a calendar time.
Example of the four pricing choices with Free selected. Additional duration costs are configured separately.
Price on enquiry
Choose Price on enquiry when you need to agree the price with the customer after receiving their request. It does not create a fixed public price.
Agree the price with the customer
The customer asks about the price by sending a request. You can then negotiate, or tailor the price to what they need, when you handle that request.
Example of Price on enquiry. The From field is a hidden reference price, not a price quoted to the customer.
Set starting price
Under Set starting price, enter the reference amount in From:. It is used as a reference when sorting by price. This amount is not displayed to customers as their quote. Agree the actual price when handling the request.
Example reference amount of 100. Entering it does not tell the customer that their course will cost 100.
Show the customer a price range
Choose Show the customer a price range, then complete From: and To: in the displayed currency. The range gives customers an indication of cost, which can reflect differences in location, duration or other parts of the course you tailor. The final arrangement still needs to be agreed through their request.
Example customer-visible range. Check both amounts and the course currency.
Set pricing
Choose Set pricing.
Enter the base Price in the displayed currency. Selecting Set pricing without entering a price leaves the course without an offer.
For named offers or optional extras, open Custom Offers & Add-ons and select Add Price. Choose Create an Offer or Create an Add-on.
Enter the Name and Price, plus a Description if useful. Select Create Price. To change an existing offer, open its card and select Update Price after editing.
Check the resulting prices, then select Save and wait for Course saved.
Older example with several offers and add-ons already created. In the current editor, open Custom Offers and Add-ons to reach these controls.
An offer is a price option, for example a special price for a particular group. An add-on is an optional extra, such as supplementary materials, sold at an extra cost. Naming an offer for a particular audience does not check that the customer belongs to that audience. For availability rules and other options, read Create Price Offers and Add-ons.
Set the duration
You can set the duration in minutes, hours, days or weeks. You can also add several durations so that the customer chooses one, each with its own extra cost.
Default duration
Under Duration in Pricing & Delivery, enter how long the course lasts.
Choose Minutes, Hours, Days or Weeks. Check the unit as well as the number.
Example duration of 60 Minutes. The unit menu also offers Hours, Days and Weeks.
Offer different durations
Select Add Duration Option.
Give each option a clear Label, such as Half-day workshop. Add a Description if customers need help choosing.
Set each option’s duration and unit. For options after the first, enter any Extra Cost above the base price.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
Example of labelled duration options. Extra Cost belongs to options after the first and is added once to the total.
Extra Cost is added once to the checkout total, not once for each participant. For example, an extra duration cost of 50 adds 50 to the total even when two people are included.
Choose how and where you deliver the course
Under Delivery, choose Online, In Person, or both. The delivery choices appear in the highlights on the course page. When you offer more than one, the customer selects the one they prefer during checkout.
Older Delivery example showing online, in-person and travel choices. The current Online option also includes Select Zoom Account.
Online
Select Online for a live online session, such as a webinar or virtual workshop, which customers can join from any location. If you want Cademy to create meeting links through a connected account, choose it under Select Zoom Account. Follow Connect Zoom for Online Course Sessions first if the account is not connected, then save the course. Check the resulting session’s joining details separately.
Online here means live delivery. For self-paced lessons or prerecorded content, use Create and Set Up an On-Demand Course instead.
In Person
Select In Person for face-to-face delivery, then choose at least one of the travel arrangements below.
Customer comes to me
Choose this when you host the course at your own location. You must choose an address.
Select Customer comes to me.
Open At one of these addresses and choose at least one saved address.
If the address is missing, use Create A New Location +, or type its name and select the matching Create option. Enter the address, postcode, city and country in the location dialog. Add a name if useful. Public note is shown to students; Private / internal note is for admins. Select Save Location. Set Course Locations and Joining Details explains saved locations.
Check that the intended address is selected on the course.
The course page highlights show the city of the address you choose.
I will travel to the customer
Choose this to deliver the course at a place that suits the customer. Select I will travel to the customer, then choose Happy to travel UK wide, Happy to travel internationally, or Only allow requests within these cities. For the city option, select the relevant cities in Pick which cities you allow requests from. The cities you pick are not listed in the course page highlights. Check the customer’s actual address before agreeing an arrangement.
Select Save and wait for Course saved after completing the delivery settings.
Choose requests or calendar availability
In Pricing & Delivery → Booking Flow, find Allow Bookings. Choose how customers select dates.
Choose one mode: On Any Date for preferred-date requests, or Based On My Calendar Availability for times based on connected calendars and working hours. A preferred-date request does not reserve a time.
If you chose calendar availability, use Check availability based on these calendars: to select the calendars to check.
For calendar availability, under Available times:, select Customise Availability. In Weekly Hours, review the days and time ranges, then close the dialog.
Separately review When someone books, create an event in this calendar:. Choose the calendar that should receive booking events. This is separate from the calendars checked for availability.
Select Save and check for Course saved.
If your calendars are missing, follow Sync Course Sessions with Google or Outlook Calendar to connect the account through Apps → Calendar Sync, then return to the course.
Check settings after switching modes: Choosing calendar availability resets working hours to Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:00. Switching to On Any Date clears the selected availability calendars and resets existing working hours. Review them again before saving.
When the customer books immediately
A customer can book immediately when the course uses Free or Set pricing, uses calendar availability, and the customer chooses an available time for a duration of 24 hours (1 day) or less without skipping the available dates. If the total is payable, checkout continues to payment; a zero total completes without a payment step.
Price on enquiry and price-range courses still create requests. On Any Date, skipped available dates and durations longer than 24 hours also lead to requests. A request needs your review even if the customer selected a preferred date.
Forms
When someone orders a course on Cademy, they are asked for their name, email address and phone number, so that a confirmation email can be sent to them. The default booking form is enough for most course providers. If you need more information, such as an address, age or accessibility requirements, create a custom booking form and apply it to the courses that need it.
Older example of a checkout for a course with set dates, with the contact details highlighted. The On-request checkout has different steps; use it only as an illustration of the contact fields.
Open Settings → Forms & Participants to review the information collected for bookings and participants. Follow Create and Use Checkout Forms for form selection and custom fields. The booker and participants can have different forms; do not assume everyone is asked the same questions.
Emails
An email template is the base email Cademy uses for automatic emails such as booking confirmations. Use templates to change what an automatic email says, or when you find yourself sending the same email repeatedly.
Older example of a course’s Emails settings, with a template chosen for each automatic email. The tabs at the top are laid out differently today.
Open Settings → Emails to review automatic course emails. A template supplies the content, but it must be assigned to the relevant email. Creating a template does not send it. Read Create and Reuse Email Templates and Set Up Automatic Course Emails.
Course owners and notification recipients
Course owners are useful when several people deliver particular courses, or when particular people are responsible for them.
Older example of choosing course owners. The sentence in the picture about who receives emails is older wording; notification recipients are a separate setting today.
Open Settings and select the owners card. It is named after the course’s service keyword, for example Course Owners or Workshop Owners. Course Facilitators / Owners controls assignments, while Admin Email Recipients controls which administrators receive relevant notifications. These are separate settings.
Read Invite Team Members and Manage Their Access for access and Choose Team Notifications and Calendar Invitations for notification settings.
Save and check before publishing
Review the title, description, pricing, currency, durations, delivery and Booking Flow.
If Set pricing is selected, check that an offer exists. For In Person, check the travel arrangement and any required address or city selection.
Review forms, emails and notification recipients.
Select Save and wait for Course saved. Resolve any validation error.
When ready to make the course available, follow Publish and Share a Course. Share appears after the first save. Check the account’s allowance, required payment setup and intended visibility before publishing. Understand Cademy Plans, Limits and Fees explains plan allowances.
Saving, publishing and receiving a successful customer booking are separate results. Follow Test a Course Before Launch before testing checkout; testing can create records and send emails.
What customers see
How a customer sends a request or books
The main button on an On-request course page reads Book. You can change its wording with a custom Booking Button label; see Rename Course Buttons and Forum Names.
An On-request course has no Booking Options card in its settings, so you cannot set an external booking website for it in the course editor. If the course already has a saved external booking address and your plan includes external bookings, the button opens that website instead of creating a request in Cademy. If your plan does not include them, the button opens the Cademy checkout. Manage the request and any resulting booking in the external system. To check or change a saved address, contact Cademy Support. See Send Customers to an External Booking Website.
For Cademy checkout, the customer journey is:
Choose the delivery details, duration and any available prices or extras.
Choose dates. With On Any Date, the customer can suggest up to three preferred dates. With calendar availability and a suitable duration, they can select an available time or use the request alternative.
Optionally add a message, then complete the contact information.
For an instant booking with a payable total, complete the payment step. This step has no field for a promo code. A request does not use this instant-payment step.
Read the confirmation. It is headed Request Sent for a request and Booking Confirmed for an instant booking.
A request asks you to arrange the course. It is not a confirmed place or proof of payment. An instant booking follows the selected calendar time and checkout outcome. Check the resulting record before telling the customer that their place is confirmed.
A request does not award CPD. Submitting a request does not create the participant’s completed Registration. After agreeing the course details, the participant needs an actual Registration for the arranged course and must meet its attendance requirements before CPD can be awarded.
An instant booking does not award Continuing Professional Development (CPD) either. A Registration is one participant’s individual place on the course; CPD depends on that Registration’s completion and the account and course CPD settings. See Record Attendance and Set Up and Award CPD Points and Hours.
Older example of an On-request course page with a price range and highlights. The button pictured as Request a Date reads Book today unless you set a custom label. The line about payment under the button is no longer shown; an instant booking with a payable total is paid in the checkout.
To read more about how customers place a request, see Choose How Customers Book or Apply.
Handle incoming requests
When a customer submits a request, Cademy sends a confirmation email to the customer and a notification email to the admin email recipients for the course. The request also appears on the course’s Requests tab and in Inbox. Email delivery depends on your notification settings and on delivery itself, so check the Requests tab or Inbox even when no email has arrived.
From the notification email you have two options.
First, select View & Handle Request. It opens the request’s conversation in Cademy’s Inbox, where you manage the request. Review the requested dates, duration, location and price. Review & Accept opens the review process; selecting it alone does not finish acceptance.
Older Inbox example showing request details and Review and Accept. The dashboard layout differs; use the current request review procedure before confirming an arrangement.
Second, reply to the notification email to arrange the details with the customer. Your reply is added to the same conversation in Cademy’s Inbox.
Example request notification email. It illustrates the request details and link, not a guarantee that every recipient receives an email.
Accepting a request creates an order and a new private course date for the agreed session. It does not take payment: an order with a total above zero awaits payment. Declining a request triggers a decline email to the customer.
For agreeing the details, replying, accepting or declining, and for the payment and confirmation emails that follow acceptance, follow Handle Course Requests and Applications. Keep request handling separate from approving an existing order, which is covered in Approve or Reject an Order.
Frequently asked questions
Does submitting an on-request course request award CPD?
No. A request starts a conversation with the course provider. It does not create a completed Registration or award CPD. An instant booking also does not award CPD merely because it was booked.
When can an on-request participant earn CPD?
When their own Registration reaches Completed and the account and course are eligible and enabled for CPD. For completion based on attendance, every required session must be marked Attended. Declared completion is a separate supported route; follow Set Up and Award CPD Points and Hours for the award requirements.
Why is CPD still missing after handling the request?
Check that the participant has their own Registration, check its completion and attendance evidence, and check that CPD is enabled under Settings → CPD for the account and under Edit Course → Settings → Certificates & CPD for the course, with an award value. Handling a request does not complete those checks. Follow Set Up and Award CPD Points and Hours and Record Attendance for the full procedures.