Manage PDF Certificates

PDF Certificates

PDF certificates can be associated with certifications.  These documents provide proof of course completion or passing of the associated exam.  You can create custom PDF templates and upload them to the certifications.  Form fields are dynamically filled in with learner and course information, such as module, user and custom attribute information.  Learners can download and print their own certificates. 

Certifications do not have to include an actual certificate, but to generate certificates you must use the certification functionality.

Creating the PDF Certificate

PDF Certificates are created outside of the LMS and then uploaded to the LMS Repository.  They can be created in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.  

PDF certificates can include both static text and images, as well as dynamically generated data related to the circumstances under which they are awarded. You can include these fields in PDFs, and the LMS will populate them when the certificate is generated. For example, you can include the name of the course, the participant's name, and the date the certificate was awarded. Module and user attributes can also be included. For a list of all fields you can include in a PDF, see Form Fields for PDF Certificates.

For more information about creating PDFs with dynamic form fields, see How to Create Fillable PDF Files on the Adobe Acrobat website.

For information about uploading files to the LMS Repository, please see The Repository Manager.

Assign a PDF Certificate to a Certification

To create and manage certifications, you must have unrestricted access to the Certification Manager features in System Roles (Manage Features > Certification Manager).

To assign a PDF certificate to a certification

  1. Go to Manage Center > Learning > Certification Manager > Certifications. 
  2. Locate the appropriate certification and select View from the action menu.
  3. In the Certificate Template (PDF form) field, click the ellipses to select the appropriate document.
  4. Check the Allow user to print the certificate field to allow this functionality.
  5. To attach the certificate to an award message assigned to the certification, check the Attach certificate to notifications to field and select the appropriate notifications.
  6. Click Save.