Certificates are much more than a nice-to-have. They are visible proof of learning, compliance, and professional credibility - both internally and externally.
When managed effectively, certificates enhance compliance, streamline audits, and deliver value to employees, managers, and customers. But when managed poorly, they lead to confusion, expired qualifications, and wasted admin time.
Before implementing them, it's recommended that you read the best practices below for a great, scalable, and long-term solution.
This shifts certificates from being static documents to dynamic business assets that reinforce your company’s partnership value.
Follow along in the video below, so you can see it for yourself🍿
If you need to learn the functionalities behind certificates, you can find what you need here.
Questions to ask before implementing Certificates
The first steps in implementing certificates on your content should be finding out what purpose they should serve. This would both indicate that users are certified in the tasks they are performing and identify when they need to be retrained, but it can also be used to issue a downloadable certificate to users who have completed a special course. Summed up:
Staying compliant
Rewarding users
Staying compliant
Depending on the learning the user achieves, it may be a certificate that needs to be revalidated from time to time. This is also a factor you should think of prior to issuing them, by asking yourself:
Should they be revalidated?
If yes, how often?
Once you have answers to that, it will be beneficial for you to know that the certificate overview allows you to easily view expired and soon-to-expire certificates, as well as send users reminders to retake the training.
Quick tip💡 If a user completed an external course, you can add the certificate manually on the upload button on the user's profile. This allows you to view it in the overview together with all your other certificates.
Rewarding users
Certificates are more than just compliance tools - they also enhance the user experience by providing the opportunity to view their accomplishments and, if needed, download a custom certificate.
This is all about using certificates as a way to demonstrate value and progress for users.
Standardize Custom Certificate Templates
When you start implementing your certificates, it will be beneficial to design one that can be used repeatedly for effective certificate issuance. Then you know what information they include and what they will look like for the recipient of the certificate.
This approach saves time, ensures a consistent look and feel, and simplifies certificate management.
Certificate Validity on Recurring Content
To ensure that all users are compliant with the training they should be recertified in, it is recommended that you add the recurring feature to your learning path, so the entire path will start over and trigger the communication flow.
Good to know💭
Please note that the recurring feature allows you to create very specific recurring periods to be on set days, while certificates can be valid for x years or months, and users are revalidated every time they complete the training.
Therefore, you might see a slight discrepancy between the recurring period and when the certificate should be validated.
Whether or not you use recurring on your content, it is recommended that you enable the communication that informs users of a certificate that is about to expire, as well as deadline reminders, so you can be sure users are notified in a timely manner.
Examples of certificates
If you need inspiration for what certificates could be used for, we have gathered a collection below of frequently used ones below.
Certificate | Valid |
GDPR | Usually valid for a year |
IT security | Usually valid for a year |
Safety training on site | Usually valid for a year |
Drivers licens for truck | Usually valid for five years |
Food satefy | Usually valid for a year |
Hygine | Usually valid for a year |
Final Thoughts
Great certificate management is about visibility, alignment, and automation.
When your certificate setup reflects real-world validity, supports flexible renewal, and is easy to track for both employees and managers, it becomes more than an administrative task - it becomes a tool for compliance, customer trust, and continuous learning.
Getting a certificate shouldn’t be the end of learning - it should mark the beginning of growth.