---
title: Give a course cohort a place to talk
sidebarTitle: Course cohort chat
description: >-
  Set up a chat space for the students of a course, even though courses don't
  have built-in chat yet.
audience: luminary
feature: chat-spaces
type: guide
availability: live
last_verified: '2026-10-14'
keywords:
  - course chat
  - cohort chat
  - student discussion
  - course discussion space
  - class group chat
url: >-
  https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/course-cohort-chat
---

# Give a course cohort a place to talk

> Set up a chat space for the students of a course, even though courses don't have built-in chat yet.

**Note:** 
Courses don't have a chat built in yet. Courses and chat spaces are separate, so you create a chat
space and point your students to it. The steps below are the recommended workaround.

## When to use this

- You run a cohort-based or live course and students want to support each other.
- You want a place for questions between lessons.
- You want the group to keep going after the course ends.

## Choose your approach

| Your course is…                             | Use                                                                                                                                |
| ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Free, or you don't mind the link travelling | An Unlisted, Free chat space. Share the link inside the course.                                                                    |
| Paid, and the chat must stay students-only  | An Unlisted, Free chat space, with you checking the member list against your enrolments                                            |
| Run as live sessions with registrations     | An [event with its own chat](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/event-chat-space). Registrants are added and removed automatically. |

## Steps

**Step 1: Create the chat space**

Go to [Offerings → Chat Spaces](https://portal.bringsoul.life/chat-space) and click Create Chat
Space. Name it after the cohort, for example *"Breathwork Foundations: Spring Cohort"*.

**Step 2: Make it Unlisted and Free**

Under Visibility, choose Unlisted (*"Hidden from directory, accessible only via direct link"*).
Under Pricing, keep Free. Students already paid for the course.

**Step 3: Create it and copy the link**

Click Create Chat Space. In the room, click Share → Copy Link.

**Step 4: Put the link inside the course**

Paste the link in the course description and in the first lesson, with a line like *"Join your
cohort's chat here."* Students who aren't enrolled won't see the lessons, so they won't see the
link.

**Step 5: Welcome the cohort**

Post a welcome and Pin it. A good first prompt: *"Introduce yourself and share one thing you
hope to change by the end of the course."*

**Step 6: Check who joined**

Every so often, open Members (N) and compare it with the course's enrolments. Remove anyone who
shouldn't be there. See [Moderate a chat
space](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/moderate-a-chat-space).

## Tips

- One chat space per cohort keeps conversations relevant. When a cohort finishes, [archive](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/archive-a-chat-space) its space so the history stays readable but quiet.
- Don't choose Paid for the chat. That would charge students twice.

**Warning:** 
An unlisted link can be forwarded. Anyone who has it can join. If that matters for a paid course,
check the members list regularly.

## What your members see

Students see your link in the course. Opening it shows the room with Join for Free. After joining, the space appears under Chat spaces in their [Messages](https://bringsoul.life/inbox) like any other chat space.

## Related

- [Courses](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/courses/introduction)
- [Run an unlisted, link-only chat](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/unlisted-invite-only-chat)
- [Add a chat to an event](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/event-chat-space)