# Certificates

> Turn on certificates for a course, design them for your Academy, and reissue or revoke one.

Source: https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/certificates  
Plans: Academy  
Last checked: 2026-10-27

When you're done, students who complete your course get a PDF certificate, and anyone they show it to
can check that it's real.

**Who can do this:** the account owner and editors, on the Academy plan. Only the account owner changes
the certificate's design.

## Turn certificates on for a course

1. Open the course and click **Course details**.
2. Turn on **Certificate on completion** and click **Save details**.

It works from the moment you save; there's no need to publish again. From then on, each student who
completes the course gets a certificate automatically, with its own number (such as CB-7KQ2-M9XA-4HTD)
and a check page. The PDF is US Letter, landscape.

## Design your certificate

One design is used for every course and learning path in your Academy.

1. On the **Academy** page, click the **Certificate** tab.
2. Fill in what you need, and watch the preview beside it:
   - **Heading:** it starts as "Certificate of Completion".
   - **Signed by** (1) and **Their title:** the person signing, such as your name and "Founder".
   - **Signature image:** optional. A PNG with a transparent background looks best.
   - **Note:** an optional line under the date, such as "6 hours of guided study". Don't claim an
     accreditation you don't have.
   - **Show the student's name on the check page** (2): it starts off, and then the check page confirms
     the course, the date and the number, without the name.
3. Click **Save certificate**.

![The Certificate tab: Heading, Signed by Nora Ellis, Their title, Signature image, Note, and the switch for showing the student's name on the check page, beside a preview of the certificate.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/academy-educators/certificates/SS-ACAD-060-01__certificate-design__academy__detail__v01.webp?v=29499ab98e)

Certificates already issued keep the heading, signer, signature, note and name setting they were issued
with; reissue one to give it the new ones. The logo and color always come from your
[Academy's settings](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/set-up), on certificates old and new.

## A course's certificates

Open the course and click the **Certificates** tab to see every certificate issued for it.

![The Certificates tab of Bread Basics: certificates are on, 2 valid certificates, each with its number, the date, Valid, and PDF, Check page, Reissue and Revoke.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/academy-educators/certificates/SS-ACAD-060-02__course-certificates__academy__detail__v01.webp?v=15b0da06f6)

- **PDF** downloads a copy.
- **Check page** (1) opens the page anyone with the link can use to check the certificate.
- **Reissue** (2) replaces the certificate with a new one: a new number, the student's current name and
  your current design. The old one's check page says it was replaced. To fix a misspelled name, click
  **Change name** on the student's record first, then **Reissue**.
- **Revoke** (3) cancels it, with an optional reason kept on record. Its check page says it was revoked.
  This can't be undone, but **Reissue** on the revoked certificate gives the student a new one later.

Turned certificates on after some students had already finished? Click **Issue their certificates** on
this tab to give them theirs. Students whose certificate you revoked don't get a new one this way: use
**Reissue** instead.

Students download their certificates from their own list of courses. You'll also find them on each
student's record: see [Reports and student records](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/reports). For a certificate for a whole
program, see [Learning paths](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/learning-paths).