How it works
You teach them. They teach you.
Every exchange on SwapUs is a two-way swap: two linked sessions, each at its own time. Here is the whole journey.
The journey
Seven steps, start to finish
- Step 1
List what you teach and what you want to learn
Add at least one skill you can teach (with your level and experience) and at least one skill you want to learn. Both are required, because every exchange on SwapUs is a swap. Add your languages, time zone and weekly availability.
- Step 2
We show only people where it works both ways
A person appears as a match only if they teach something you want to learn and want to learn something you teach. Matches are ranked with clear rules (skill fit, experience level, shared languages, overlapping availability and reliability) and each one lists its reasons, such as “Wants to learn a skill you teach” or “No overlapping availability yet”.
- Step 3
Propose a swap with two sessions
Choose the skill you want from them and the skill you’ll teach in return (one they’ve said they want to learn). Describe your goal, pick a session length from 15 minutes to 4 hours, and propose a time for each half: one where they teach you and one where you teach them. Both times must be between 1 hour and 90 days ahead and can’t overlap.
- Step 4
They accept or suggest other times
The other person can accept, decline, or propose different times for the two sessions. If they suggest new times you can accept or decline them. You can withdraw a request until it’s accepted, and requests expire if their times pass first.
- Step 5
Chat and call inside SwapUs
Once accepted, both sessions appear in your swaps, each at its own time, and chat, voice and video calls open between you. Every session happens right here in SwapUs: there are no in-person meetups or outside meeting links, and no need to swap phone numbers or social media.
- Step 6
Both teach, both learn, both confirm
After each session starts, both of you confirm it happened. If one person confirms and the other neither confirms nor reports a problem within 72 hours of the end time, that session completes automatically. The swap is complete once both sessions are.
- Step 7
Leave feedback
Leave feedback for each other. A member’s average rating is only shown after at least 3 different people have rated them, so one review can’t define anyone. Achievements unlock automatically as your swaps add up.
One account
Everyone teaches. Everyone learns.
There are no separate learner and teacher accounts. Every member brings at least one skill and wants at least one, and all your swaps live in one place.
What you teach
The skills you can share, with your level, experience, session length and any evidence for verification.
What you want to learn
The skills you’re after and your current level. The more you list on both sides, the more two-way matches you’ll find.
My swaps
Requests you’ve sent and received, and both sessions of every swap: the one you teach and the one you learn.
Verification
Self-reported by default. Verified when reviewed.
We’re upfront about what we have and haven’t checked.
Self-reportedDefault
When you add a teaching skill, your stated level and experience are shown as self-reported.
Pending review
Add evidence such as a portfolio link, certificate or sample work and request review.
VerifiedBadge
The platform owner reviews the evidence. If it supports the claim, the skill gets a verified badge. Only the owner review process can change verification status.
When plans change
Cancellations, no-shows and disputes
Clear rules protect everyone’s time.
24-hour cancellation deadline
Either of you can cancel an upcoming session with a short reason. Cancelling less than 24 hours before the start counts as a late cancellation and is recorded against your reliability. There are no fees.
Cancelling one session leaves the other half of the swap unchanged, so talk to your partner about rescheduling.
No-show reporting
If the other person doesn’t turn up, you can report a no-show from 15 minutes after the scheduled start time.
A no-show report is reviewed like a dispute, and the session can’t auto-complete while it is open.
Disputes
If something went wrong, either participant can open a dispute after a session starts and before it completes.
A person reviews it and decides whether the session took place. Each session of a swap is reviewed on its own.
Read more about badges and reliability on the Achievements page and about behaviour expectations in our Community Guidelines.
Safety
Keep it on SwapUs
Swaps happen only inside SwapUs, so your personal details stay private.
Chat, voice and video in the app
Chat and calls open once a swap is accepted. Both sessions take place there, with no outside meeting links.
No contact details
Don’t share phone numbers, emails, links, social media or handles, or ask to talk elsewhere. SwapUs stops them from being sent.
3 warnings, then a 24-hour pause
Each attempt to share contact details is a warning. After 3 warnings, the next attempt pauses your chat, calls and swap requests for 24 hours. You can still sign in and browse.
Ready to swap your first skill?
Create a free account, tell us what you can teach and what you want to learn, and we'll show you people where the swap works both ways.