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Major online education platforms face significant visitor drops as AI tools reshape learning habits.
According to Similarweb data published on July 6, 2025, leading online course platforms are experiencing substantial traffic declines that highlight the growing influence of artificial intelligence on digital education. The data reveals that Udemy saw a 12.61% decrease in visits, while Coursera experienced a 9.98% drop during the measured period.
The traffic analysis shows that both direct visits and organic search traffic, the two largest channels driving users to these educational websites, registered significant declines. This pattern suggests fundamental changes in how learners discover and consume educational content, with AI-powered tools increasingly serving as alternatives to traditional online course platforms.
ChatGPT emerges as a dominant referral source in the data, accounting for nearly one-fifth of total incoming referral traffic to these platforms. This development presents what Similarweb characterizes as a “double-edged sword” for online education providers. While AI chatbots are generating new referral traffic, they simultaneously threaten to replace the core function that these websites serve.
The referral traffic from AI chatbots to educational platforms, particularly Coursera, shows growth trends. However, this increase fails to offset the broader declining pattern in total referral traffic. The data indicates that while some users are discovering these platforms through AI interactions, the overall visitor volume continues to diminish.
Who: Udemy and Coursera, major online education platforms, experienced traffic declines according to Similarweb analysis. ChatGPT serves as the primary AI referral source affecting these platforms.
What: Udemy saw a 12.61% visitor decrease while Coursera experienced a 9.98% decline. Both direct and organic search traffic, the largest traffic channels, registered significant drops. AI chatbots now account for nearly one-fifth of referral traffic.
When: The traffic analysis was published by Similarweb on July 6, 2025, reflecting recent measurement periods that coincide with increased AI tool adoption throughout 2024 and early 2025.
Where: The impact affects leading online course platforms globally, with ChatGPT serving as the dominant AI referral source. The trend reflects broader changes in digital learning behavior across international markets.
Why: AI chatbots provide instant, personalized learning assistance that competes directly with traditional structured online courses. Users increasingly prefer immediate AI responses over enrolling in comprehensive course programs, fundamentally altering educational content discovery and consumption patterns.
Educational platforms now compete directly with AI tools that can provide instant answers and explanations on virtually any topic. Unlike traditional courses that require structured time commitments and often monetary investment, AI chatbots offer immediate, personalized responses to specific learning queries.
The prompts users make to these educational websites reflect specific intent for “trusted, comprehensive online courses” that differ from the offerings provided by generative AI tools. This distinction represents how traditional online education platforms are positioning themselves in an AI-dominated information landscape.
Udemy, which hosts over 204,000 courses according to recent platform comparisons, has seen a 60% increase in AI-related training on its platform over the past year. Course enrollments in ChatGPT-related topics have experienced significant spikes, indicating that the platform is adapting by offering education about the very technology that poses competitive challenges.
Coursera’s partnership model with universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale provides accredited courses and degrees that AI chatbots cannot replicate. The platform offers over 2,654 free courses and maintains structured, university-level content that differs from the informal, conversational learning experience provided by AI tools.
The traffic decline presents significant challenges for educational platforms’ online visibility. Google’s introduction of AI Overviews in search results has demonstrated how AI-generated content can impact organic traffic patterns. The feature, launched in October 2024, shows information within AI-generated search summaries, potentially affecting how educational content appears in search results.
Educational platforms now face competition for visibility in an environment where AI-powered search systems provide direct answers to learning queries. Users seeking quick explanations or tutorials may receive AI-generated responses without visiting educational websites.
The decline in direct traffic suggests that user habits for accessing educational content are changing. People who previously visited Udemy or Coursera directly may now default to AI tools for immediate learning needs, only returning to formal course platforms for structured, credential-bearing education.
The traffic data reflects broader changes in learning preferences and behaviors driven by AI accessibility. ChatGPT and similar tools provide instant access to explanations, examples, and guidance without requiring course enrollment or payment. This immediacy contrasts with traditional online courses that involve browsing, purchasing decisions, and time commitments.
AI chatbots excel at providing personalized, context-aware responses to specific questions. A user seeking to understand a programming concept can receive immediate, tailored explanations rather than enrolling in a comprehensive course. This granular, on-demand learning approach appeals to users who need quick solutions to specific problems.
However, AI tools currently lack the structured curriculum design, peer interaction, and credentialing that formal online courses provide. Educational platforms can differentiate themselves by emphasizing these advantages while adapting their content and delivery methods to complement AI-assisted learning.
The data suggests that successful educational platforms will need to integrate AI capabilities rather than compete directly against them. This might involve using AI to enhance course discovery, provide personalized learning paths, or offer AI-powered tutoring within structured course frameworks.
The shift toward AI-mediated learning creates new challenges for how educational platforms reach users. Perplexity AI’s approach, introduced in November 2024, demonstrates how AI platforms are developing their own content ecosystems that may not prominently feature traditional educational providers.
User discovery patterns become more complex when people find courses through AI interactions rather than direct searches. Traditional methods of tracking how users discover and enroll in courses may not capture the full influence of AI tools in the learning decision process.
Educational platforms face competition not only for user attention but also for prominence within AI-generated responses. AI-powered platforms like X, which launched automated systems in October 2024, demonstrate how technology companies are developing new approaches to content promotion that may affect educational content visibility.
The traffic decline data forces educational platforms to reconsider their positioning within the broader learning ecosystem. Rather than serving as comprehensive learning destinations, these platforms may evolve into specialized providers of credentialed, project-based, or deeply structured educational experiences.
The growth in referral traffic from AI chatbots, despite overall traffic declines, suggests potential collaboration opportunities. Educational platforms might develop partnerships with AI tool providers to ensure their courses appear in relevant AI-generated learning recommendations.
Certification and accreditation remain key differentiators that AI tools cannot provide. Coursera’s university partnerships and Udemy’s completion certificates offer formal recognition that AI chatbots cannot match, representing sustainable competitive advantages in the evolving landscape.
The question of whether educational platforms can maintain their differentiation advantage depends largely on their ability to adapt content delivery and user experience to complement rather than compete with AI tools. Success may require reimagining the role of structured online education in an era of instant, AI-powered learning assistance.

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