Vibe Code an Online Course Website (LMS)
Free vibe coding prompt to build a WordPress LMS. Courses, lessons, quizzes, certificates, student dashboard, and Course schema. Full plugin stack and architecture.
Plan and produce a complete WordPress LMS architecture for an online course
platform, including data model, theme, plugin stack, and learner UX.
Output should be production-ready.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
BUSINESS DETAILS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Brand name: [BRAND]
- Subject taught: [TOPIC, e.g., AI fundamentals / web design / writing]
- Format: video + downloadable workbook + community discussion + quizzes
- Audience: [BEGINNERS / INTERMEDIATE / PROFESSIONAL]
- Pricing model: per-course OR all-access subscription (recommend the
better one and justify in 2 lines)
- Goals: maximize completion rate, generate testimonials, retain
subscribers
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
BRAND
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Brand colors: warm cream surface (#f8f4ee) + deep ink text (#101213) +
single brand accent (electric coral #ec5b46 OR brand color user
provides) + signal-green for "completed" (#1cc984). Override if user
provides; AA-contrast for body.
- Type: display sans for headings (Manrope, Söhne alternative, Inter
Tight) + Inter for body + monospace for code/exercises.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
LMS STACK
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- LMS plugin: LearnDash OR LifterLMS OR Tutor LMS, recommend ONE based on:
drip content, quizzes, certificates, group cohorts, integrations, price.
Justify in 3 lines.
- Other plugins (WP-CLI):
wp plugin install --activate
learndash
learndash-stripe-add-on
buddyboss-platform
fluent-crm
wordpress-seo
wp-rocket
shortpixel-image-optimiser
- Video hosting: Vimeo (recommended) OR Bunny.net, NEVER host video on
the WP server
- Community: BuddyBoss for forums/groups (LMS-integrated)
- Email/CRM: FluentCRM or ConvertKit
- Payments: Stripe + PayPal; subscriptions handled by LMS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
COURSE DATA MODEL
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Course → Module → Lesson → Topic → Quiz/Assignment → Certificate
- ACF on Course: hero_promo_video (Vimeo URL), what_youll_learn (repeater
of 6-8 outcomes), curriculum_overview (text), instructor (relationship
to user), level (taxonomy), duration_total (text), prerequisites
(relationship to other courses)
- ACF on Lesson: video_url, transcript (textarea), resources (file
repeater), discussion_thread_id (text)
- Taxonomies: `level` (Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced), `topic`,
`instructor`
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SITE MAP
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. Home (sells the brand)
2. Browse Courses (filterable)
3. Course detail (with promo video, curriculum, instructor)
4. Lesson view (focus mode, minimal nav, just content)
5. Pricing (per-course OR subscription tiers)
6. Free Trial / Free Course (lead magnet)
7. About + Instructors
8. Blog (SEO + lead nurturing)
9. Student Dashboard (continue learning, progress, certificates, account)
10. Community (BuddyBoss)
11. Login / Register
12. Support / FAQ
13. Affiliate program landing (if used)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
COURSE DETAIL PAGE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Hero: promo video (autoplay muted, fallback to image), course title
(display sans), 2-line outcome promise, price + enroll CTA, course meta
row (duration • level • students enrolled • last updated)
- "What you'll learn", 8-item grid with check icons (prose, not bullets)
- Curriculum accordion: modules + lessons, with duration per lesson;
locked indicator if drip
- Instructor card with bio + other courses link
- Reviews / testimonials with photo + first name + last initial + course
taken; vary length
- FAQ accordion (8 items): refund policy, prerequisites, certificate,
drip schedule, mobile access, lifetime access, group rates, support
- Money-back guarantee callout (clearly stated, e.g., "30-day no
questions")
- Sticky bottom enroll bar (mobile)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
LESSON UX (the most critical screen)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Distraction-free mode: hide main site nav, replace with mini course nav
- Video player (Vimeo embed) + transcript tab (toggle below player)
- Notes panel (per-user notes, sticky on right, saved to user meta)
- Resources panel (downloadable files)
- "Mark complete" button (large, brand-accent, with completion animation)
- Next lesson auto-load on completion (with 5s countdown to skip)
- Progress bar at top of course (X of Y lessons completed)
- Lesson discussion (BuddyBoss thread per lesson), collapsible at bottom
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
STUDENT DASHBOARD
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- "Continue learning" card: last lesson + jump-back button
- Enrolled courses grid with progress %
- Achievements / badges (LearnDash gamification add-on)
- Earned certificates (downloadable PDF)
- Order history + billing
- Account settings + email preferences
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
EMAIL AUTOMATION (FluentCRM or ConvertKit)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Welcome series after signup (3 emails over 5 days)
- Lesson-completion nudges if no activity in 7 days
- Course-complete email with certificate + ask for review
- Re-engagement series at 30/60/90 days inactive
- Monthly newsletter: new courses + student wins + sneak peeks
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Object cache (Redis), required for LMS performance
- WP Rocket + ShortPixel
- Video on external CDN (Vimeo/Bunny), never WP uploads
- LCP under 2s on course detail page
- Database query monitoring: LMS plugins are heavy on student-progress
queries, index custom tables, monitor with Query Monitor
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
SEO & SCHEMA
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- Schema: Course (with hasCourseInstance, instructor, provider, offers),
Article (blog), FAQPage, BreadcrumbList
- Course detail pages should rank for "[course topic] online course"
- Blog content matched to course topics, internal linking strategy
ADDITIONAL SEO REQUIREMENTS (implement all of these):
On-Page SEO for Every Page:
- Yoast/RankMath meta title template: "[Page Title] | [Site Name]" (under 60 chars)
- Meta description per page: 150-160 chars, include primary keyword + CTA
- Exactly ONE H1 per page — use the real, human headline; keep keywords in the title and meta, not the visible H1
- Logical H2 > H3 heading hierarchy, never skip a level
- Headings should include secondary keywords naturally,
keep the section's real, human label (keywords in title and meta, not stuffed headings)
- Every image must have a descriptive alt attribute with keywords
- Internal links between related content using descriptive anchor text
Structured Data (JSON-LD via Yoast/RankMath + manual where needed):
- Primary schema types: Course, EducationalOrganization
- BreadcrumbList on all pages
- FAQPage schema on any page with an FAQ/accordion section
- Article schema on all blog posts (auto via Yoast)
- Validate schema with Google Rich Results Test before launch
Open Graph & Social Sharing:
- og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url on every page
- twitter:card=summary_large_image on every page
- Default OG image set in Yoast; per-page overrides for key landing pages
- OG images should be 1200x630px, branded, with clear text
Content SEO:
- Write real, useful body copy for every page (not just headings and CTAs).
Every major section needs at least 2-3 sentences of descriptive text
that search engines can index.
- Blog content strategy: 10 seed articles targeting long-tail keywords
related to "online course platform". List the titles and target keywords.
- Use the primary keyword once or twice where it reads naturally; keep the rest in titles and meta, never stuffed.
- Every CTA should use descriptive anchor text with the service keyword.
Technical SEO:
- XML sitemap split by post type (auto via Yoast)
- Canonical tags on all pages (auto via Yoast)
- robots.txt: allow all, point to sitemap
- 301 redirects plan for any renamed/moved content
- Breadcrumbs enabled via Yoast + schema
- Clean permalinks: pick one post-permalink base that fits the site (do not force /blog/ on a post-centric site); /%postname%/ is fine for pages
- Lazy load all images below the fold, eager load hero/LCP image
- Core Web Vitals targets: LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200ms
SECURITY, ACCESSIBILITY & HONESTY (required):
- Escape all output (esc_html/esc_url/esc_attr), sanitize all input (sanitize_text_field + wp_unslash), and use a nonce + current_user_can() on every form handler and custom action. Emit JSON-LD with wp_json_encode().
- Target WCAG 2.2 AA: visible :focus-visible states, <label for> on every field, full keyboard operability, and @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) around all motion.
- Never fabricate business data, testimonials, ratings, credentials, or stats; leave labeled {{TODO}} placeholders for anything the user has not supplied.
- PLUGIN INSTALL: some listed plugins are premium or not in the wordpress.org directory, so a single `wp plugin install` will error out. Split the list into free (wp.org) vs premium (upload/license), verify each slug, and note that gallery/group ACF fields and ACF Blocks need ACF Pro.
- Commit to ONE paradigm: a block theme (theme.json + block templates) OR a classic theme/builder — never mix them. If a plugin already owns a post type or feed (inventory, sermons, courses, job listings, podcast feeds), extend it — do not re-declare that CPT or emit a second, conflicting schema block.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ANTI-PATTERNS TO AVOID
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
- No countdown timers screaming "Enroll in the next 12 minutes!"
- No fake "[name] just enrolled" social-proof popups (unless real)
- No emojis in course titles
- No autoplay video with audio in hero
- No "MASTERCLASS" / "ULTIMATE" / "DEFINITIVE" in titles
- No course screenshots that show outdated UI (date them clearly)
- No fake testimonials, initials only if you can't get full names
- No script fonts in headlines
- No PDF-only courses billed as "video course"
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DELIVERABLE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. LMS plugin choice + justification
2. WP-CLI install + activate commands
3. theme.json (complete)
4. Course/Lesson ACF JSON + register PHP
5. Course detail page block markup
6. Lesson UX template structure
7. Email automation flow specs
8. Pricing + Stripe setup
9. Launch checklist (20 items)
This prompt gives ChatGPT or Claude a full WordPress build plan for an online course platform — a real LMS where students enroll, watch lessons, take quizzes, and earn a certificate, not a page with a video embed. It specifies the course catalog, the course and lesson templates, quizzes, progress tracking, a student dashboard, and instructor profiles as Gutenberg block markup on top of LearnDash or LifterLMS. You get a plan for a platform you can sell seats on from launch day.
What does the online course website prompt build?
The plan covers a homepage with a course catalog, course landing pages with a curriculum outline and enrollment button, lesson pages with video and downloadable resources, quizzes, and completion certificates. It specifies a student dashboard with progress tracking, instructor profile pages, drip scheduling so lessons unlock on a timeline, and a checkout wired through WooCommerce. Course and EducationalOrganization structured data is built in so your classes can appear in Google’s course listings. If building the LMS yourself is more than you want to take on, our WordPress build service delivers the same platform for a flat fee.
Who is this online course prompt for?
It is written for independent course creators, subject-matter experts productizing their knowledge, coaches packaging a curriculum, and small training companies that need certificates and student records. It assumes structured courses with lessons and assessments, not a single downloadable video.
What’s inside the prompt?
- A business details block for your topic, course lineup, price points, and the outcome each course promises
- An LMS plugin stack built on LearnDash or LifterLMS with WooCommerce for checkout
- A data model for courses, lessons, topics, quizzes, and certificates
- Gutenberg block markup for the catalog, course landing page, lesson layout, and student dashboard
- Drip-content scheduling, quiz configuration, and a coupon system for launches
- Course and EducationalOrganization structured data, plus a keyword plan around your subject
- Core Web Vitals targets for video-heavy lessons and a launch checklist
Frequently asked questions
Does the platform track student progress and issue certificates?
Yes. The LMS spec records completion at the lesson and course level, shows each student a progress bar on their dashboard, and issues a certificate when a course is finished. Certificates are templated so your name and logo appear on every one.
Can I sell courses and offer coupons?
The plan wires enrollment through WooCommerce, so you can sell courses individually, as bundles, or as a subscription, and run coupon codes for launches. It handles one-time purchases and payment plans; a full recurring-access model is closer to the membership-site prompt.
Does it include quizzes and drip-scheduled lessons?
Yes. The spec configures quizzes with multiple question types and a pass mark, and drip scheduling so lessons unlock on a fixed date or a set number of days after enrollment. That pacing keeps a cohort moving together instead of binge-watching and dropping off.
Will my courses show up in Google’s course listings?
The SEO section adds Course and EducationalOrganization structured data with the course name, provider, description, and delivery mode. That is the markup Google uses for its course experience, and it is what lets a class appear as a rich result rather than a plain blue link.
Which AI tools work with this prompt?
ChatGPT and Claude both return the full LMS spec in one pass. An LMS is one of the heavier WordPress builds, so if you are budgeting the DIY route against hiring out, what a WordPress build costs is worth a look first.
How to actually run this.
Copy the whole thing
All of it. Do not trim it down, every line is in there for a reason.
Swap in your details
Find the BUSINESS DETAILS part and drop in the real business. Name, what they do, all of it.
Paste and wait
Drop it into Claude for the first pass, or v0 if it is a landing page. Give it a minute.
Clean it up
Tweak the boring 10 percent. Spacing, mobile, that one cringe line. Ship it.
What’s next: from generated code to a website that works
The prompt did the hard 90 percent. What’s left is the boring 10 percent that turns a folder of code into a site people can actually find and trust. Here’s the whole checklist, in order.
1. Buy a domain
Grab your name at a registrar like Namecheap, Cloudflare, or Porkbun — about $10 to $15 a year for a .com. Skip the ten-year prepay and the upsells; you just need the domain and, ideally, the free WHOIS privacy most registrars now include.
2. Put it online
If the AI built you a static site (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), you can host it for free: drag the folder into Netlify or Vercel, or connect a GitHub repo, then point your domain at it. If it built a WordPress theme, you need WordPress hosting — pick a managed host, install WordPress, upload the theme, and connect the domain. Either way, turn on HTTPS; it’s free and automatic on every modern host.
3. Wire up the parts AI skips
Generated sites almost always ship with a contact form that goes nowhere and a fake “success” message. Connect it to a real endpoint (Formspree, Web3Forms, or a plain mailto link) so leads actually reach you. While you’re in there: add a favicon, swap the placeholder images for your own compressed photos, and open the site on your phone to catch whatever breaks on a small screen.
4. Do the basic SEO and AI-search setup
This is what gets you found on Google and cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews. The essentials: a unique title tag and meta description on every page, one clear topic per page, an XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console, basic structured data (Organization and FAQ schema), and an llms.txt file so AI crawlers can read you. If that reads like a foreign language, our SEO optimization service does it as a flat-fee pass, and our free SEO checklist walks the DIY route step by step.
5. Make it fast
AI builders love shipping four-megabyte images and render-blocking scripts. Compress your images, lazy-load anything below the fold, and run the page through PageSpeed Insights until Core Web Vitals turn green — speed lifts both rankings and conversions, so it’s the rare fix that pays twice. Our speed optimization service handles it if you’d rather not.
6. Get found locally, and measure it
Add analytics (GA4, or a lighter option like Plausible) so you can see what’s working instead of guessing. If you serve a local area, set up a Google Business Profile and use the exact same business name, address, and phone number everywhere — that consistency is what lands you in the map pack and in local AI answers.
7. Keep it alive
A website isn’t set-and-forget, especially on WordPress. Budget for backups, security, and updates so a routine plugin update doesn’t take the site down six months from now. Our care plans cover all of it from $290 a month, or you can do it yourself — you own all the code either way.
When it’s worth handing off
If any of these steps stall you — and hosting, DNS, and SEO stall a lot of people — that’s exactly what we’re for. We build the whole thing at a flat fee, ship it live, and hand you the code on GitHub, having read every line the AI wrote. Or take the free prompts and run with it yourself. Both outcomes are genuinely fine with us.
More from the stash.
Vibe Code a Membership Website
Free vibe coding prompt to build a WordPress membership site. Subscription tiers, gated content, forum, onboarding flow, and member analytics. Complete community architecture.
Vibe Code a Real Estate Agent Website
Free vibe coding prompt to build a real estate agent website. Featured listings, neighborhood guides, sold properties, and lead capture forms. One HTML file…
Vibe Code a Marketing Agency Website
Free vibe coding prompt to build a WordPress marketing agency site. Services, case studies, team, free audit funnel, blog, and ProfessionalService schema. Full agency…
No free weekend? We will build it for you.
This is the exact prompt we would use. Flat fee, real deadline, code is yours.