Where can I find previous courses from the Academy?

[Nvi1]

How can I access the previous Academy. I was taking courses that are no longer available. There were a lot of courses/webinars I planned to review that aren’t showing anymore.

[StephensWorld]

This is the link I have saved in my bookmarks (not sure if it's what you're looking for or not):

https://academy.shopify.com/page/catalog# 

[Nvi1]

Thank you for your response. 
No, this isn’t necessarily what I was looking for. I previously had webinars and courses saved in the link to Business Course. I reviewed the link you sent me beforehand and it’s a completely different layout and courses. Some courses are the same but they were mostly Shopify affiliates facilitating the course’s on video. I’ve seen someone say in the discussion (in April) board that it’s no longer available. However, I’ve been on it since then, so I am a little perplexed and disappointed. There was so much knowledge I was looking forward to learning. Thank you. 

[StephensWorld]

Some of those videos/webinars might be on the Shopify YouTube page:

https://www.youtube.com/@shopify/videos 

Otherwise, you can search YouTube for pretty much any topic you want to learn about, and there will most likely be someone who's posted something similar. 

[Nvi1]

Yes, I am aware. Thank you. I prefer the courses that were previously listed in the academy. I appreciate your help. 

[Baij]

We are dissatisfied with recent changes. While it's fine to enhance pricier plans, removing courses and tutorials from the basic plan seems unfair, and without notifying when we're on a paid plan. When following the link that previously led to Shopify Learn, we are now directed to The Academy, labeled as "exclusive to Shopify Plus," which doesn't sit well with us.

[Baij]

Courses provide a unique learning experience, offering a more structured environment. Advising Nviusly to resort to YouTube for answers, especially when she unexpectedly loses access to a course platform she believed was secure due to her paid plan, appears uninformed and presumptive.

[Michelle3691]

I noticed the same thing, that the old courses are no longer available.  

[Baij]

We are dissatisfied with recent changes. While it's fine to enhance pricier plans, removing courses and tutorials from the basic plan seems unfair, and without notifying when we'ew on a paid plan. When following the link that previously led to Shopify Learn, we are now directed to The Academy, labeled as "exclusive to Shopify Plus," which doesn't sit well with us.

[Nvi1]

Couldn’t agree with you more! 
I wish the executives who made this decision could see these discussions. It’s very disappointing! 

[Baij]

Agree with you! Shopify Learn gave us the confidence to build, launch, and grow an online store. Suddenly losing access felt like a stomachache – it even kept me up one night. You can always find the information, but as Maya Angelou said, "you never forget how someone makes you feel." It truly felt disheartening to be on the basic plan, logging into the learning center, only to be redirected to the academy, seemingly reserved for Shopify Plus users.

For your information, since Shopify haven't inform us:

The self-directed courses have been moved from the lower-priced tier to only being available in the higher-priced tier. In my membership site building course, I learned early that it's not a good practice to take away features from the basic membership tier when upgrading. You can enhance it by adding more, but removing features is discouraged.

For the record, Gretta van Riel still offers her 'Grow Your Business with Instagram' course that you might remember from Shopify Learn, but it's now linked to Shopify Academy (see her Instagram account). Unfortunately, as a Basic plan user, you can't access it because the Academy is exclusively for Shopify Plus members.

The Shopify Plus Academy is an online training program with exclusive content for Shopify Plus plan users. It includes self-directed courses covering Shopify Plus, ecommerce best practices, and technical integrations.

[Baij]

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

[Nvi1]

Ok, so they are  still available on Shopify, I will just have to upgrade? Is that correct? 

[Baij]

The self-directed courses have been moved from the lower-priced tier to only being available in the higher-priced tier (Shopify Plus).

It says something, when Gretta van Riel still offers her 'Grow Your Business with Instagram' course that you might remember from Shopify Learn, but her link takes you to Shopify Academy (the link I'm referring to is in her linktree at the very top of her Instagram account). Unfortunately, as a Basic plan user, you can't access it because the Academy is exclusively for Shopify Plus members.

SHOPIFY VS SHOPIFY PLUS:
- Shopify Core plans are ideal for small and midsize businesses, while Shopify Plus caters to larger enterprises with around $1 million in gross merchandise value (GMV).
- The primary difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus is pricing. Shopify Core plans range from $5–$399/month while Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month.

Source is this article, "Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which Version is Right for You?" (Oct 4, 2023).

You can google it 😕

[Baij]

Robinhoodesque ...

[Michelle3691]

I have noticed that the people teaching the lessons on the old way, are advertising that they teach a course for thousands of dollars.  I think this is a move to funnel people to their courses that they own.  

[Michelle3691]

I agree that taking the courses away just so they can charge for them.

[Baij]

Gretta van Riel still offers her 'Grow Your Business with Instagram' course that you might remember from Shopify Learn, she markets it as a free Shopify course, but her link takes you to Shopify Academy (the link I'm referring to is in her linktree at the very top of her Instagram account). Unfortunately, as a Basic plan user, you can't access it because the Academy is exclusively for Shopify Plus members.

SHOPIFY VS SHOPIFY PLUS:
- Shopify Core plans are ideal for small and midsize businesses, while Shopify Plus caters to larger enterprises with around $1 million in gross merchandise value (GMV).
- The primary difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus is pricing. Shopify Core plans range from $5–$399/month while Shopify Plus starts at $2,000/month.

Source is this article, "Shopify vs Shopify Plus: Which Version is Right for You?" (Oct 4, 2023).

You can google it 😕

[Baij]

...

[Michelle3691]

Yes, this seems to be the route they are taking.  I will just move my store. 

[JasonH]

Hi @Baij, @Nvi1, @Michelle3691 

Thank you all for expressing your interest in our learning courses.

I can certainly relate to the frustration or questions that these changes may have caused. To address the questions from learners, we have documented the changes and provided an updated list of available courses in a FAQ post in May 2023. It also includes additional educational resources to expand the various learning goals. 

That said, I’ve reached out to the course team and can confirm the following concerns raised in this thread:

• The content previously available on Shopify Learn has been archived.
• Members of all subscription plans can access the course catalog on Shopify Academy.
• Course registration is free, and the paid exam is optional. Upon passing the exam, members can earn a certification and share the Credly badge on their preferred social media.
• Members can find the entrepreneurship courses within Shopify Academy.

We appreciate suggestions or thoughts about your learning experience and the courses themselves. I’ve passed along your feedback regarding the archived courses to the content management team. This ensures that your interests are heard when considering future content updates or repurposing of archived courses. Please note that there is no guarantee of course restoration or a fixed timeline. 

Feel free to subscribe to the FAQ post or the Education and Certifications board to stay updated on any course-related announcements.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

[Baij]

It appears the Shopify Learn center has been removed, as other customers has pointed out. Receiving a notification beforehand would have been helpful. Could anyone provide insights or guide me to where I can find more details about this significant change? I was engaged in various courses, and alternatives like YouTube videos and blog articles are not suitable replacements. Is there an email or press release I have overlooked? I'm seeking clarity on why this is taking paying customers by surprise.

I'm referring to courses such as:

- 3 Automated Emails That Will Increase Your Sales by Greg Zakowicz

- Build your Brand on Instagram 

- Grow your business with instagram

- Ecommerce Email Marketing 101 by Drew Sanocki

- Product Photography by Jeff Delacruz

- Introduction to Email List Growth by Ben Jabbawy

- Create a consistent content strategy for social media growth

- How to Build a World-Class Brand

- Dropshipping 101: Build your first online store

- Introduction to Google Analytics 

Tutorials such as:

- Launch day checklist

- Introduction to online marketing

- Use your brick & mortar store to get more sales online

Etc.

[Baij]

Shopify Learn gave us the confidence to build, launch, and grow an online store. Suddenly losing access felt like a stomachache – it even kept me up one night. You can always find the information, but as Maya Angelou said, you will never forget how someone made you feel. It truly felt disheartening to be on the basic plan, logging into the learning center, only to be redirected to the academy, seemingly reserved for Shopify Plus users.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

— Maya Angelou

Shopify hasn't informed us; here's what I found:

The self-directed courses have been moved from the lower-priced tier to only being available in the higher-priced tier. In my membership site building course, I learned early that it's not a good practice to take away features from the basic membership tier when upgrading. You can enhance it by adding more, but removing features is discouraged.

For example, Gretta van Riel still offers her 'Grow Your Business with Instagram' course that you might remember from Shopify Learn, but it's now linked to Shopify Academy (see her Instagram account). Unfortunately, as a Basic plan user, you can't access it because the Academy is exclusively for Shopify Plus members.

The Shopify Plus Academy is an online training program with exclusive content for Shopify Plus plan users. It includes self-directed courses covering Shopify Plus, ecommerce best practices, and technical integrations.

[Michelle3691]

This move that they made to cut out stores who are not on the high priced plan says something about their character.  For me I do not want to do business with people who purposefully made a move to funnel money directly to them and cut out anyone who can't afford it.  

[Baij]

I didn't see your comments until now!

I agree that it reveals something about their character. It's not helpful when they try to fix things by avoiding our questions, pretending everything is normal, and claiming they've replaced it with something valuable. The truth is, they haven't. Here are the straightforward facts:

Many of us, including myself, opted for Shopify's Basic Plan because of its valuable strategic courses, providing step-by-step guidance for beginners. It's worrying that changes were made without informing users on a paid plan, and the communication lacks clarity, even in their marketing materials. Suddenly removing content without any email notice to the paid users raises transparency concerns.

The replacement "courses" come off as vague, sales-oriented, more like partner commercials than comprehensive learning material. We're not happy with these recent changes.

While it's fine to make pricier plans better, taking away courses from the basic plan without giving us a heads up isn't cool.

Clicking on the Shopify Learn link now takes us to The Academy, labeled as «exclusive to Shopify Plus,» which doesn't sit well with us. Losing access to content we used to get with our paid plan also makes it less valuable.

«The Shopify Plus Academy is an online training program with exclusive content for Shopify Plus plan users. It includes self-directed courses covering Shopify Plus, ecommerce best practices, and technical integrations.»

(I have asked several times: why wasn't there an email sent in advance about this? Significant changes like these should have been communicated beforehand, yet Shopify deliberatedly chose not to do so. Instead, courses actively used by paying customers were abruptly removed overnight without any prior notice or explanation.)

[Michelle3691]

I think we should start contacting this person. Tobias Lutke, the founder and CEO of Shopfy, owns a substantial portion of the company's voting shares.  Another is angel investor is John H. Phillips.

[Baij]

I, like many users, believed these courses were integral to my paid plan, providing confidence with step-by-step assistance in strategies and execution as someone just starting out. It's disconcerting that users on a paid plan weren't informed about these substantial changes. This type of information is better suited for personal emails, yet even the marketing lacks clarity. Could you shed light on the reasoning behind this? The overnight removal of content without communication suggests a lack of transparency. The replacement courses come across as vague, sales-oriented, resembling commercials for your partners ("learn how experts can help with strategies and execution," as stated within the courses themselves). Are we expected to overlook these concerns?

Maintaining the availability of free beginner courses and introducing a range of advanced paid courses could have prevented this feeling of being let down. For instance, I had unfinished steps in Gretta van Riel's 'Grow Your Business with Instagram' course, and now I'm unable to complete it, resulting in wasted time. If I had known the course would suddenly vanish, I would have diligently noted down everything. This lack of accessibility is truly frustrating.

Furthermore, I've invested significant time planning my next steps, with my Todoist projects structured around specific courses. The abrupt removal of these resources has profoundly disrupted my planning process.

[Nvi1]

You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth. The courses were saved as a plan to review with the hope it would help grow the store and it has left a stuck/uncertain disposition now. It definitely gave confidence beforehand. 

[Nvi1]

Thank you for your response. Could we at least have a list of the archived course subjects to find them elsewhere (like shopify’s youtube channel) if we’d like? Thank you. 

[JasonH]

@Nvi1 

I really appreciate your interest in the learning material. Unfortunately, I regret confirming that the previous content provided by Shopify Learn was moved to an internal archive. 

You can access available Shopify Education resources through the following channels:

• Shopify Academy
• Shopify Help Center
• Shopify YouTube channels
• Shopify blog
• Shopify retail blog
• Shopify Plus blog

[Nvi1]

Thank you for trying to inform us. Also, I’ve been made aware that these discussions are public and can be reviewed via search engines. May I ask, why they are not private boards? 

[JasonH]

@Nvi1 

We've created this public board to provide a welcoming place where members can share their learning experience and knowledge about Shopify. If there are any posts you would prefer not to appear on Google Search, feel free to click on the Report button to inform us. We're more than happy to assist and can submit a request to Google on your behalf.

[Baij]

Once more, I inquire: why wasn't there an email sent in advance about this? Significant changes like these should have been communicated beforehand, yet you deliberatedly chose not to do so. Instead, courses actively used by paying customers were abruptly removed overnight without any prior notice or explanation.

[Nvi1]

It may have been for legal reasons. That’s the main reason that comes to mind. Do you a list of all the courses? If so, do mind sharing it? Thank you 

[Michelle3691]

Who is the person or persons directly over Shopify?  

[Accredentials]

Can we download our previous completions and credentials or are we starting over??

[JasonH]

@Accredentials 

Could you share what previous credentials you're missing and wish to retrieve? If you can share the credential types along with the course names, it will help us look into the options available. 

[Accredentials]

i can’t remember what they were called l, but I did all of them except the developer one since it was too technical. Thank you for your help

[Baij]

Fyi: My reply came double first, but was able to edit it.

[SarahF_Shopify]

Hi @Nvi1 , @Baij , @Michelle3691,

We understand that the loss of Shopify Learn courses has had a negative affect on some merchants. We appreciate hearing from you, and apologize for the lack of communication around the change. The content was unfortunately outdated, and in our merchant’s best interests, it was removed to avoid confusion and miseducation around key commerce topics that support the growth of your business, and not placed behind any paywall. 

Shopify’s education teams are working on creating more free courses this year. We’d love to hear which topics are of most importance to you right now. We’ll do our best to get them on this year’s roadmap. Thanks again for sharing your feedback with us.

[batter]

Doesn't seem like there is an update, why remove something that everyone liked?????

[Nvi1]

They stated it was outdated and archived it.