Creating a Digital Certificate: A Comprehensive Guide

Is there anything more rewarding than receiving a certificate after finishing a course? Just like in traditional course settings, online courses can supply students with certification to show that they’ve finished the course with a passing grade. As an online course creator, adding digital certificates to your courses is important – they give your teaching an added mark of authenticity and benefit students who need certifications that carry weight in a specific field.

Beyond acknowledgment, however, these certificates are essential for engaging students and motivating them to complete a course. From an external standpoint, they elevate the credibility and professionalism of your course, offering concrete evidence of successful completion. 

Crafting personalized, professional-looking certificates can be daunting, especially for courses hosted on WordPress. But don’t worry; in this article, we’ll guide you through creating bespoke digital certificates with plugins like Sensei LMS, which will enhance the overall learning experience and your course’s visual appeal.

Using Sensei LMS Certificates to create professional digital certificates

Sensei LMS Certificates, a free extension to the Sensei LMS plugin, allows course creators to design and deliver polished, customizable digital certificates upon course completion. This tool adds a layer of professionalism to the learning experience, enhancing the overall value for both instructors and students.

To start using Sensei LMS Certificates, make sure you have a WordPress website with the Sensei LMS plugin installed.

⚠️ Remember: Always make sure your plugins are up to date. You will need Sensei version 1.4.6 for integration.

To activate the certificate feature, follow these steps:

1. Go to WordPress dashboard → Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for Sensei LMS Certificates.

3. Install and activate the plugin.

In the rare event of encountering issues, particularly related to PHP requirements, troubleshooting may be required. Make sure ‘fopen’ wrappers are enabled on your server, ensuring that the allow_url_fopen setting is set to ‘on’ in your php.ini file. 

If you keep having difficulties with this, always talk with your hosting provider. They can assist you in making the necessary adjustments for optimal plugin performance.

Creating and customizing a new Sensei digital certificate

Sensei LMS Certificates not only streamlines the certification process but also provides the flexibility to tailor certificates according to your brand or institution’s identity. While the extension comes with a default certificate template, creating bespoke templates ensures a personalized touch that resonates with your course offerings. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create and customize new certificate templates in Sensei:

1. Go to the WordPress dashboard.
2. Head to Certificates → Certificate Templates.

3. Add a new certificate template:
   • Click on Add New.
   • Name your new certificate.

4. Set the certificate image:
   • Upload a background image for your certificate, bearing in mind that:
     • Supported formats include PNG and JPG.
     • The recommended image resolution is 1200 x 675px.
     • The Recommended image DPI is 72.

5. Customize text:
   • The template has five text sections: Heading, Course, Message, Completion Date, and Place.
   • Easily adjust the positioning of these sections to achieve the desired layout.

6. Customize fonts and text:
   • Tailor the fonts and text for each section to match your branding.
   • Specify font styles, sizes, and colors for a cohesive look.

7. Preview and publish:
   • Before finalizing, preview your certificate template to ensure it meets your expectations.
   • Click on Publish.

Adding your certificate to a course

Once you’ve created your certificate, you need to integrate it into your course. In the Block editor sidebar of the course creation interface, you’ll find a dedicated Certificate Template tab. This feature allows you to select and assign a specific template to each course. 

You can assign a certificate to any course:

1. Go to Courses > All Courses > Edit your course.
2. Choose your certificate from the Certificate Template option.

The certificate becomes accessible to registered students upon course completion. Visit Certificate Settings to configure the View Certificate link placement:

• Single course page
• My Courses page (under completed courses)
• Learner Profile page

The certificate is presented as a PDF document. Upon clicking the View Certificate link, it opens in a new browser tab. Students can save or print the certificate as a standard PDF document.

Generating certificates for past courses

Do you want to create certificates for students who have already completed a course? No problem! If your site has fewer than 1000 students, then the certificate for all past completed courses will be automatically created for them when you assign the certificate to the course in question! 

If, on the other hand, your site has more than 1000 students or the creation of the certificates fails, you’ll need to rerun the creation of these certificates. 

Go to Sensei LMS → Tools → Create Certificates in the WordPress admin panel and click on Run Action.

Make sure to run the action on ‘Create certificates for learners who have already completed courses’. 

Note: The time it takes to generate certificates for completed students varies depending on how many students your size has – expect longer waiting times if you have a large number of students. 

Next Steps: Implementing Digital Certificates for Your Course with Sensei

Certificates boost your course’s authenticity and serve as motivation, encouraging students to persevere until completion. They show your course to be professional, enhancing the credibility of your educational services.

Sensei is a game-changer for WordPress users looking to integrate digital certificates into their courses. The Sensei LMS Certificates extension simplifies the process, allowing educators to add this valuable credential to their courses.

If you’re ready to infuse your courses with an easy-to-implement certificate feature, take the next step now. Explore Sensei and revolutionize your online teaching experience. Your path to creating engaging, certified courses on WordPress begins here.