Asking for help (help-seeking) is a recognized and effective problem-solving strategy. Thanks to their convenience and scalability, automated hints may be provided to help students. This study investigates students’ interaction with on-demand hints (automated hints requested by students) and assesses their impact on learning progress. We conducted an A/B experiment in a third-year database course, offering hints for selected SQL problems with different hint designs. We collected data on students’ submissions, grades, and hint requests, and we administered a survey to gather feedback and gauge student perception of the hints. Most students accessed hints immediately without attempting the problem first, often requesting multiple hints in quick succession. While students perceived the hints to be valuable, we did not detect an impact on student problem-solving. Those insights could inform future studies on possible students’ interactions with the hints, and how different design choices might impact the uptake of hints.