2026 Product updates at Riipen

March 2026

Global search improvements.

Finding what matters is now faster and more intuitive. Global Search has been enhanced to surface more relevant results based on your role, while allowing you to search across both your own content and marketplace options simultaneously. With typeahead suggestions, grouped results, filters, and recent search history, it is easier to quickly navigate to projects, experiences, teams, and more.

Visit Riipen’s Help Center for more tips & tricks.

More relevant and consistent search results.

Search results are now more accurate and reliable across the platform. Improvements to how content is ranked mean that the most relevant matches appear first, while filtering and sorting behave more consistently. These updates make it easier to trust the results you see and find what you are looking for with confidence.

Application status visibility in the projects tab.

Experience admins can now quickly see whether project applications are open or closed directly within the Projects tab. This makes it easier to understand which opportunities are still accepting learners without needing to open each project individually.

Learn more about Projects with Riipen.

Improved learner view of matched projects.

Learners now see only open projects for applications by default, helping them focus on opportunities they can act on right away. The updated “View all” experience also clearly shows how many open matches are available, with the option to explore closed projects if needed.

Visit our learner Help Center now!

Private notes on learner applications.

Employers can now add private notes directly to learner applications. This makes it easier to track observations, capture context, and make more informed decisions during the review process.

Unlock more helpful hints on our employer Help Center page.

Pending application badge.

An orange badge now highlights when learner applications are pending in the “My learners” tab. This helps employers quickly identify where attention is needed and stay on top of application reviews.

Read more about learner applications now.

Editable team milestones.

Team-level milestones can now be edited or deleted by users with the appropriate permissions. This provides more flexibility to adjust timelines and requirements as projects evolve.

Learn all about milestones at our Help Center.

Project settings interface improvements.

Updates to the project settings interface make it easier to configure and manage projects. Improved layouts, clearer text, updated inputs, and helpful tooltips create a more intuitive experience, particularly within the Marketplace tab.

Read more about the Riipen marketplace here.

AI project generation formatting improvements.

AI-generated project drafts now follow a more consistent structure, making it easier for employers to quickly review and refine project details before publishing.

Discover more about AI-generated projects now!

Application shortlisting.

Employers can now shortlist applications using a star icon to track candidates for further review without changing their status. Shortlisted applications are clearly labeled and can be filtered, making it easier to organize and prioritize applicants.

Learn everything you need to know about applications.

HeyMilo integration.

Portal and experience admins can now integrate HeyMilo into their workflows. Learners complete a HeyMilo video interview as part of a milestone, which is automatically marked complete with an assessment summary. This creates a more seamless connection between external assessments and project milestones.

Check out more updates at our Help Center!

Individual milestone completion.

Educators can now require milestones to be completed individually, even within team-based projects. This allows for more accurate assessment of each learner’s contribution, with clear expectations, updated progress tracking, and individual recognition.

Visit our educator and institution Help Center.

Binding milestone deadlines.

Binding deadlines for milestones are now available. Educators can enforce deadlines that, if missed, may result in teams being marked incomplete or learners losing access to the project. This helps maintain accountability and ensures project timelines are respected.

Learn more about milestone deadlines now.

Improved Stripe customer email handling.

Billing records now use the email associated with the payment method when available. This improves accuracy and consistency in customer records.

Read more about payments here.

February 2026

Clearer exit from portals

On the Portal access required page, employers now see a clearer Exit portal button alongside Request access. This makes it easier to leave a portal when needed and helps prevent users from getting stuck on the access screen.

Read more about portal navigation now.

Survey response task timing.

Survey response reminder tasks now appear four days before the due date. This change makes reminders more timely and relevant, helping respondents take action closer to the actual survey due dates.

Learn more about surveys here.

Grace period for automatic team incompletion.

Automatic rules that mark teams as incomplete now include a three-day grace period for newly activated teams. Teams activated within the last three days will remain active even if they meet incompletion criteria, giving learners time to get started and log the required activity. After three days, existing incompletion rules apply as usual. This helps prevent teams from being marked incomplete before they have a fair chance to begin work.

Visit the Riipen Help Center for more tips and tricks.

Learner experience page improvements.

Learners who are members of an experience now see a View projects button at the top of the experience page. Clicking the button jumps directly to the Projects section, making available projects easier to find and reducing the need to scroll.

Get started with projects on Riipen.

Conversation membership updates for reactivated teams.

When teams are reactivated after being marked incomplete, membership in All Teams and All Teams + Employer conversations now sync automatically. Members of reactivated teams are added back into existing conversations, ensuring active teams stay fully included and up to date.

Read all about conversations now!

Match request page updates.

Match request acceptance pages now display a Pending status pill below the header to maintain consistency across match workflows. The header text has also been updated to “Confirmation required: Accept request”, providing clearer guidance before confirming a match. Additional updates to improve action visibility are coming soon.

Learn more about match requests configurations here.

Navigation menu updates.

The navigation menu is being updated to make it easier to find and use portals, companies, and marketplaces. Portal and company headers have been replaced with compact nametags for a cleaner layout. Sections can now be expanded or collapsed and will stay open or closed as users navigate. Company and portal switchers have been relocated into their respective sections for easier access, and new marketplace links for matching with projects or experiences will appear based on user type and context.

Click here to learn more about basic navigation with Riipen.

Improved visibility for actions and activity across the platform.

Several updates have been introduced to make it easier to see outstanding actions and overall activity at a glance, improving workflow efficiency across projects and experiences. Tab counts have been expanded and refined to show totals and pending items more clearly. Matches tabs now display the number of matches, Requests tabs highlight pending requests when applicable, Learners tabs show team and application counts, and Applications tabs prioritize pending applications before total counts.

Learn more at the Riipen Help Center!

January 2026

Learner milestone notifications

Learners will now receive an email whenever a new milestone is created for their team, including due date details, a direct link to the milestone, and options to manage notification preferences in User Settings. This helps students stay on track and ensures they never miss a milestone update.

Read more about milestones now.

Navigation updates

The "My Achievements" section has been removed from the main navigation menus for both employers and educators to simplify navigation. Achievements can still be accessed on user profiles, making it easier to focus on the main content.

Check out our navigation Help Center.

Experience admin notes in closed-flag emails

Learners will now see experience admin notes directly in the Closed flag email. This provides more context and clarity on actions taken, without needing to view the flag in-platform.

Visit our learner Help Center for more tips and tricks.

Marketplace filters

New minimum and maximum project hours filters have been added to both the project and experience marketplaces. This allows users to filter projects more efficiently and find opportunities that best match their availability and skills.

Discover more about projects here!

Main contact included in match and request emails

Educators and employers will now see the main contact for a project or experience in the match and match request emails. This ensures clearer communication and helps reduce confusion when dealing with multiple requests from the same company or portal.

Learn about match request configurations now.

Deposit information added to canceled application emails

Employers will now see deposit details in the email when a learner cancels an application or the application expires for paid in-platform projects. The email will clarify that the funds are no longer reserved and are available for use in the employer’s wallet.

Visit our employer Help Center to learn more!

Experience talent pool updates

When the Experience talent pool (Learners tab) is enabled and has more than 10 learners, a "View all" button will appear, linking to a searchable marketplace-style interface. This feature helps educators manage larger groups more effectively.

Read more about the Experience talent pool now.

Invite learners to projects

Employers can now invite learners directly from their preview or profile page. By clicking ‘Invite learner’, they can select a match, add a custom message, and send an invite to the learner, including application deadlines. This new feature streamlines the process of connecting with potential candidates.

Unlock how to start a project here.

Bookmark learners

Employers can now bookmark learners they’re interested in but not yet ready to invite. The bookmark icon appears on both the profile preview and full profile pages, making it easier to revisit potential candidates later.

Get more platform help now.

Calendar integration reminder

New users will now receive a reminder to sync their calendar when they first sign up. This helps them stay organized and on top of project deadlines, ensuring they never miss an important milestone.

Read up about calendar integration!

Team-created milestones in team tracker

A new column in the Team Tracker now shows the count of team-created milestones and how many have submissions. This makes it easier to track the team’s progress at a glance and stay aligned with project timelines.

Learn more about team management.

Video resources

Resource creators can now add videos as a resource type. Embedded videos will display directly on the resource page, providing an enhanced learning experience for students and employers.

Plus, the rich text editor in the milestone creation form now supports embedding videos. Additionally, new users will receive a task prompting them to integrate their preferred video conferencing tools, improving meeting setup efficiency.

Visit our Help Center for more tips and tricks.

Match request confirmation emails

Educators and employers will now receive a confirmation email when they submit a match request. This gives them peace of mind that the request was successfully sent, provides a record for tracking, and can be managed via notification settings.

Check out the educator Help Center for more!

Avatar upload guidance

Users uploading avatars on their profile pages will now see a hint recommending a square PNG (e.g., 512×512) for best results. This ensures a cleaner, more consistent display across the platform.

Read more about general profile set up here.

Extend application expiry dates

Employers and experience admins can now extend the expiry date for team applications directly from the application page. Simply click "Edit" next to the current expiry date to extend it, making it easier to manage timelines without recreating applications.

Unlock more about applications.

Automated application reply

Employers can now configure an automated message for incoming applications via the Applications tab in match settings. This automated response will appear in the application chat, saving time for employers managing multiple applications.

Visit our applications page for more.

Undo application acceptance

Employers can now undo acceptance of a pending application when two-sided acceptance is enabled. This action releases any deposit that was reserved, allowing employers to re-evaluate applications if needed, ensuring smooth application management.

Check out our employer Help Center for more tips!

Automatic incompletion for inactive teams

Educators can now configure experiences to automatically mark teams as incomplete after a set number of days without a work log. Teams will receive warning notifications before being marked as incomplete, helping educators stay on top of inactive teams.

Learn more about experiences on our platform now.