Overview
EaseLMS includes a powerful certificate generation system that creates professional PDF certificates with:- Automatic generation - Certificates created when learners complete courses
- Custom templates - Upload your own certificate backgrounds
- Digital signatures - Add instructor or organization signatures
- Unique certificate numbers - Each certificate has a unique ID for verification
- PDF download - Learners can download and share certificates
- Email delivery - Automatic notifications when certificates are ready
Enabling certificates
Configure certificates when creating or editing a course:Certificates are course-specific. Enable and configure them individually for each course that should award certificates.
Certificate types
Choose the certificate type that best matches your course:Completion
“Certificate of Completion”Text: “has successfully completed”Best for courses focused on finishing content.
Participation
“Certificate of Participation”Text: “has successfully participated in”Best for workshops or events.
Achievement
“Certificate of Achievement”Text: “has successfully achieved”Best for courses with assessments.
Custom certificate title
Create your own certificate title:- Select “Custom Title (Optional)” from certificate type options
- Enter your custom title (e.g., “Certificate of Excellence”, “Professional Development Certificate”)
- The custom title replaces the default type on the certificate
Certificate customization
Certificate description
Write a custom description that appears on the certificate:- Character limit: 150 characters maximum
- Placeholders: Use
[Student Name]and[Course Name] - Formatting: Placeholders render in bold for emphasis
Placeholders count toward the 150-character limit. Keep descriptions concise and impactful.
Certificate template
Upload a custom background image for your certificates: Requirements:- Format: PNG, JPEG, or PDF
- Orientation: Landscape (recommended)
- Size: Maximum 5MB
- Dimensions: A4 landscape ratio (842px × 595px or 1684px × 1190px)
- Use high-resolution images (300 DPI for print quality)
- Ensure text areas are clear and uncluttered
- Light backgrounds work best for readability
- Include your organization’s branding elements
Design your template
Create a landscape certificate background in your design tool (Canva, Photoshop, etc.).
If no template is uploaded, EaseLMS uses a clean default certificate design with your platform branding.
Digital signature
Add an authentic signature to certificates: Signature image:- Format: PNG or JPEG
- Size: Maximum 1MB
- Recommendation: Use transparent PNG for best results
- Placement: Bottom of certificate
- Name of signer - The person’s name (e.g., “Jane Smith”)
- Title of signer - Their position (e.g., “Course Instructor”, “Director of Education”)
Additional text
Add optional supplementary text to certificates:- Character limit: 150 characters maximum
- Placement: Below the main description
- Use cases: Accreditation info, continuing education credits, terms
Certificate generation
Certificates are generated automatically when learners meet completion criteria.Completion criteria
A certificate is generated when:- Course has certificates enabled in settings
- Learner completes 100% of lessons in the course
- All lessons marked complete including videos, documents, and quizzes
Generation process
Learner completes final lesson
When the last lesson is marked complete, the system detects 100% progress.
Certificate generated
EaseLMS automatically generates a PDF certificate with:
- Learner’s full name
- Course title
- Completion date
- Unique certificate number
- Configured customizations
Email notification sent
Learner receives an email with:
- Congratulations message
- Certificate download link
- Certificate number for reference
Unique certificate numbers
Every certificate includes a unique identifier:- Format:
CERT-{timestamp}-{random} - Example:
CERT-1678901234-A3F7K9 - Purpose: Verification and authenticity
- Location: Bottom of certificate
Certificate delivery
Email notifications
Learners receive a professional email when their certificate is ready: Email includes:- Congratulations message
- Course name and completion date
- Direct download link to PDF certificate
- Certificate number
- Link to dashboard
Accessing certificates
Learners can access certificates multiple ways:- Email link - Click download link in notification email
- Dashboard - View all certificates in the learner dashboard
- Course page - Download from completed course details
PDF format
Certificates are delivered as high-quality PDF files:- Standard: A4 landscape (842pt × 595pt)
- Quality: Print-ready resolution
- File size: Optimized for web and email
- Compatibility: Opens in any PDF reader
Certificate design
EaseLMS renders certificates with a professional layout:Default certificate design
When no custom template is uploaded:- Clean, professional appearance
- Platform logo (if configured)
- Certificate type/title prominently displayed
- Learner name in large, bold text
- Course name clearly visible
- Description with formatted placeholders
- Signature with name and title
- Issue date and certificate number
- Additional text (if provided)
Custom template design
When a template is uploaded:- Your background image fills the entire certificate
- Text and elements overlay the template
- Maintains readability with proper contrast
- Logo, signature, and text positioned automatically
Font and styling
Certificates use the Poppins font family:- Regular - Body text and descriptions
- Bold - Names, titles, and placeholders
- Sizing - Responsive to content length
The certificate renderer automatically adjusts text size to prevent overflow while maintaining readability.
Managing certificates
Viewing issued certificates
Admins can view all issued certificates:- Navigate to Admin → Certificates
- See list of all generated certificates
- Filter by course, learner, or date
- Download certificate PDFs
- View certificate details and metadata
Re-generating certificates
If you update certificate settings:- Existing certificates are not automatically updated
- New completions use the updated settings
- Manually re-generate certificates if needed
Certificate storage
Certificates are stored securely:- Database records - Certificate metadata and references
- File storage - PDF files stored in AWS S3
- Access control - Only certificate owners can download
- Backup - Included in regular platform backups
Best practices
Template design
- Keep it simple - Avoid cluttered backgrounds
- Maintain contrast - Ensure text is readable over the background
- Use landscape - Matches standard certificate format
- Brand consistently - Use your organization’s colors and logo
- Test printing - Verify templates look good printed
Certificate text
- Be concise - Keep descriptions short and impactful
- Use placeholders -
[Student Name]and[Course Name]personalize certificates - Proofread carefully - Errors on certificates are permanent
- Stay professional - Maintain formal, achievement-focused language
Signatures
- Use real signatures - Scan or digitally sign for authenticity
- Transparent backgrounds - PNG files look best
- Appropriate size - Not too large or small
- Include credentials - Add titles and credentials to increase value
Course completion
- Clear requirements - Tell learners what they need to complete
- Achievable goals - Make sure courses can be reasonably completed
- Value-driven - Ensure certificates represent real achievement
- Promote certificates - Mention certificates in course descriptions
Troubleshooting
Certificate not generating
Check:- Certificates are enabled in course settings
- Learner has completed 100% of lessons
- All lessons are marked complete in the database
- No errors in server logs
Image not appearing
Check:- Image URL is accessible (not blocked)
- Image format is supported (PNG, JPEG)
- File size is within limits
- Image is not SVG (PDFKit doesn’t support SVG)
Text overflow
Solution:- Shorten certificate description
- Reduce additional text length
- Use concise course titles
- Check character limits (150 characters)
The certificate renderer includes overflow protection, but very long text may be truncated. Stay within character limits for best results.