Designing a Certificate or Badge in the Document Builder

The Document Builder is a full design canvas. This article covers opening it, the tools down the left rail, merge fields, page setup and the settings that decide how a credential is delivered.

Before You Begin

• Decide whether you are designing a certificate, a badge or paperwork before you open the builder — the choice is made on the way in.
• Have your logo or artwork ready if you intend to upload one.
• Know which certifying body the template belongs to; it is set in Settings.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open the Builder

1. Go to Course Builder > Credentials.
2. Click + Create.
3. Choose Create Certificate or Create Badge.

Step 2: Pick a Starting Template

The builder opens with a template gallery on the left and a live canvas in the middle. Starter templates include Empty, Achievement, Classic Gold, Elegant Dark, Minimal, Navy Ribbon and Soft Rose. Pick one and customize, or start from Empty.

The Tool Rail

Merge Fields

Merge fields are double-brace tokens — {{Student.Name}}, {{Course.Name}}, {{Class.Date}} — and can be dragged in as layers or typed inline.

✔ Turn on Sample values before you judge the layout. It previews the design with realistic data instead of raw tokens, which is the only way to see whether a long student name or course title breaks your spacing.

Page Setup and Alignment

The toolbar above the canvas sets Portrait or Landscape, shows the page size (for example 612×792), and gives you undo, Reset and redo. Use + and the trash button to add or remove pages. Snap and Grid toggles help with alignment, and smart guides appear as you drag.

The right-hand panel changes with your selection. With nothing selected it controls the page: Background color, Custom gradient (From / To and direction, then Apply Gradient), Background image, Frame (style, color, sides, thickness) and Orientation.

Certificate Settings

Click Settings in the top bar to open the settings drawer:

✔ Email Settings is the one to get right. Set to Automatic, issuing a credential emails the recipient immediately. If you are testing, or issuing a backdated batch, set it to Manual first.

Saving

1. Name the document in the Document Name field.
2. Optionally assign a Folder in the top-right selector.
3. Click Save or Save & Exit.

Leaving with unsaved changes prompts “Leave without saving?”

Best Practices

• Start from a supplied template rather than Empty unless you have a specific design to reproduce. The starters already handle margins and safe areas for printing.
• Preview with Sample values at every stage, not just at the end.
• Add the QR layer to anything a third party might need to verify — it points at the live page, so it stays accurate after revocation.
• Set Email Settings to Manual while designing, then switch to Automatic when the template goes live.

Frequently Asked Questions

✔ Your template is ready. Next, read Issuing, Verifying, and Revoking Credentials.