# Udemy Alternative MCP > The Udemy Alternative MCP Server manages your instructor dashboard directly through your AI agent. Use this server to list courses you teach, track all student reviews, and handle communication without leaving your client window. You can query questions, reply to discussion posts, and manage private messages by listing threads or updating statuses. It’s built for course managers who need a single pane of glass view of student engagement. ## Overview - **Category:** communication-messaging - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** instructor-tools, online-learning, student-engagement, course-management, udemy-api ## Description **The Instructor Dashboard Hub: Managing Student Interaction Without Switching Tabs** Yo, listen up. You're gonna connect your AI client to this server and you'll never wanna leave it. This thing gives your agent the keys to your whole instructor backend—the direct messaging, the Q&A boards, everything. It lets you handle student comms right from where you are talking to your agent. Forget jumping between tabs or logging into another portal; we keep all the threads and questions in one place. **Getting Your Course Picture Straight** Need a list of what courses you're actually teaching? You just run `list_courses`. That spits out every single course on your roster. It's how you make sure your agent knows exactly which class is getting the attention it needs. **Monitoring Student Reviews and Ratings** You gotta keep an eye on what students are saying about your work, right? To track that feedback loop, use `list_reviews`. This pulls all student ratings and reviews for the courses you've published. You can monitor overall class performance and see exactly where you need to tweak things. **Mastering Q&A Discussions** Dealing with questions is a full-time job. The server gives you deep control over your course discussion boards. First, run `list_questions` to get a quick overview of every question that’s been posted—the unanswered stuff or the recent ones pop up here. If a specific student query catches your eye, use `get_question`. This grabs all the initial context and any replies already posted for that single thread. You can check out everything that's gone down there before you chime in. If you gotta respond, you run `create_question_reply` to post your answer directly to the board. Need to shut down a question? Run `delete_question`, and it removes the whole thing from the discussion. To see what advice or answers have already been given on a thread, use `list_question_replies`. And if you've dealt with it, run `update_question` so your dashboard status stays clean—it marks that question as reviewed or read. **Handling Direct Messages (DMs)** Your inbox is where the real action is. To see what’s going on, start by running `list_message_threads`. That shows you every active conversation thread in your direct message area. You can then select a specific thread using `get_message_thread` to pull up all the details for that single chat. Once you're in there, use `list_messages` to see every individual message contained within that specific thread ID. If you need to reply to a student directly, just run `create_message`, and your agent sends it right into the existing conversation. And don’t forget the status updates: if you read a whole bunch of chats or want to flag something for later, use `update_message_thread`. That lets you mark conversations as read or star them up for follow-up. This server is your single source of truth. You've got tools to pull all courses (`list_courses`), check the student feedback (`list_reviews`), manage every question from posting to replying and deleting it (`get_question`, `create_question_reply`, `delete_question`), and you can keep your DMs locked down, reading threads, sending replies, and marking statuses (`list_message_threads`, `update_message_thread`). You're gonna run a tighter ship with this setup. It’s built for course managers who need to see student engagement without leaving their client window. ## Tools ### list_courses Retrieves a list of all courses you are currently teaching on the platform. ### create_message Sends a new message into an existing direct message thread. ### create_question_reply Posts a new reply to a specific student question on the course board. ### delete_question Removes an entire question from the course discussion boards. ### get_message_thread Retrieves all details for a single, specified direct message conversation thread. ### get_question Gets specific details about one student question, including initial context and replies. ### list_message_threads Lists all active direct message conversation threads in your inbox. ### list_messages Retrieves a list of individual messages contained within a specific thread ID. ### list_question_replies Shows all replies already posted for a given student question. ### list_questions Retrieves a list of unanswered or recent questions across your courses. ### list_reviews Fetches and lists all student reviews and ratings for your published courses. ### update_message_thread Changes the status of a message thread, marking it as read or starring it for later follow-up. ### update_question Updates the status of an individual question (e.g., marking it as reviewed/read). ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` List all the courses I am currently teaching on Udemy. ``` **Response:** ``` I've retrieved your course list. You are currently teaching 3 courses: 'Mastering Python' (ID: 101), 'Advanced React Patterns' (ID: 102), and 'Data Science Basics' (ID: 103). ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me the latest unanswered questions from my students. ``` **Response:** ``` I found 2 unanswered questions. Question ID 55432 asks about 'Module 3 setup' and Question ID 55435 asks about 'API Authentication'. Would you like to reply to one of them? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Reply to question 55432 saying 'I will check the setup guide and get back to you.' ``` **Response:** ``` Successfully posted your reply to question 55432. The student will be notified immediately. ``` ## Capabilities ### Manage Q&A Discussions List all questions, get details on specific student inquiries, and reply or delete them directly from the server. ### Handle Direct Messages (DMs) View message threads, read individual messages, and mark conversations as read or starred for follow-up. ### Track Course Reviews List all course reviews and monitor student feedback to understand overall class performance. ### Identify Courses Taught Pull a list of every course associated with your instructor account using the `list_courses` tool. ### Organize Communication Flow Update message thread statuses (`update_message_thread`) or mark questions as read to maintain accurate dashboard status. ## Use Cases ### Student asks a basic setup question. A student posts a question in the 'Advanced React Patterns' course. Instead of navigating to the discussion board, you ask your agent: 'Show me unanswered questions.' The agent runs `list_questions`, finds the ID, and you reply using `create_question_reply` right away. ### You need a status report on DMs. It's end-of-day. You tell your agent: 'What are my open support threads?' It runs `list_message_threads`, giving you the count and IDs of all active conversations, so you know where to start tomorrow. ### A course needs immediate review attention. You suspect a common error is happening. You tell your agent: 'Pull up recent student feedback for Python.' The agent runs `list_reviews`, presenting the latest sentiment and specific issues so you can adjust your curriculum. ### Cleaning up old content. A question was resolved months ago but still shows as active. You ask the agent to clean it up. It runs `delete_question`, removing the stale entry and keeping your dashboard tidy. ## Benefits - Stop switching tabs. You can monitor all course reviews and questions using `list_reviews` and `list_questions`, keeping everything visible in one conversational stream. - Never miss a DM again. Instead of manually checking the inbox, use `list_message_threads` to see exactly which conversations need your attention, and then `get_message_thread` to read the full history. - Tackle course content updates fast. Use `list_courses` first to verify IDs, and then target specific learning gaps using tools like `create_question_reply`. - Stay organized with thread statuses. When you finish a conversation, call `update_message_thread` so your agent knows that the item is handled and doesn't prompt it again. - Maintain accountability by updating records. If you address a student question, run `update_question` immediately to mark it as resolved. ## How It Works The bottom line is: Your AI client handles all the API interaction, letting you talk to your dashboard instead of clicking through it. 1. Subscribe to the server and provide your Udemy Bearer Token. 2. Connect the server to your preferred AI client (Claude, Cursor, etc.). 3. Tell your agent what you need done—for example: 'List my courses' or 'Reply to question 55432 with this text.' The agent runs the necessary tool calls in the background. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How do I get a summary of my courses using list_courses?** Run `list_courses` to pull all your course titles and their unique IDs. This is the first step for managing any content, as you need those IDs for targeted actions. **Can I reply to a question using create_question_reply?** Yes. You must provide the Question ID when calling `create_question_reply`. This ensures your reply goes to the correct student thread and isn't lost in general messages. **How do I check if a direct message was read?** You can use `list_message_threads` first. Then, run `get_message_thread` to see the full context and status of that conversation ID. **Does update_message_thread work for all message types?** No, it only updates the thread's status (read/starred). To mark a specific question as read or resolved, use `update_question` instead. **If my Bearer Token is expired or invalid, how does the system fail when I use get_message_thread?** The API returns a 401 Unauthorized error code. You must ensure your token remains active and correctly formatted before running any tool to prevent connection failures. **Do I need special permissions or steps before using delete_question?** No, the system executes deletions immediately upon call. Use this tool only when you are absolutely certain that the question must be permanently removed from the platform. **Does list_message_threads pull records for deleted or archived conversations?** It only pulls currently active message threads. For viewing closed discussions, you'll need to use Udemy's native messaging center interface; this tool is strictly for live threads. **What happens if I try to run update_question when another agent modified the question first?** The server handles concurrency conflicts. If the underlying data has changed since your read, it will return a conflict error, letting you know that manual review is needed. **Can I reply to student questions directly through the AI?** Yes! Use the `create_question_reply` tool by providing the Question ID and your response text. Your reply will be posted instantly to the Udemy course discussion board. **How do I check for new direct messages from students?** You can use the `list_message_threads` tool to see all recent conversations. You can then use `get_message_thread` or `list_messages` to read the specific content of any thread. **Is it possible to mark questions as read automatically?** Yes, the `update_question` tool allows you to update the `is_read` status of any question, helping you keep your instructor dashboard organized.