Certificates FAQs

This FAQ answers common Certificates questions for Member365 administrators. Navigation and available options can vary by permissions and configuration.

How do I access Certificates Through the Member Portal?

When would I use this? Use this when you need to access Certificates Through the Member Portal. For example, a certificate administrator may need this answer to issue consistent certificates that members can access.

This article will guide you through accessing event or membership certificates as a member.

1. Click on ' CEU ', ' LMS ', or the name of the event whose certificate you would like to access.
2. Click ‘ Print ‘.
3. Find the membership category for which you wish to retrieve the certificate, and click either the indicated link to view the certificate or the ‘ Print ‘ button to print it.

View the complete step-by-step guide.

How do I create a Certificate Template?

When would I use this? Use this to design a reusable certificate for an event, membership, or LMS course.

1. Open Modules → Certificates → Create, name the template, and design its content in the editor.
2. For personalized fields, open the editor’s tag list and choose Use beside a supported tag, or enter its exact text, such as {FIRST_NAME}.
3. Select the template Type, choose whether it is the default for that type, and click Publish.
4. Assign the template to the intended event, category, or course and test an issued certificate.

Source files: Add a PDF or Word file under Show Files in the certificate editor; Media is for images. Check the resulting Member Portal display.

How to Create a Certificate Template

How do I add a Logo to a Certificate?

When would I use this? Use this when you need to add a Logo to a Certificate. For example, a certificate administrator may need this answer to issue consistent certificates that members can access.

Certificates play an important role in providing members the recognition for their membership, course/training completion, or attendance at an event/campaign. Adding a logo to a certificate adds a marketing appeal to your membership, organization, course, or training that it represents. This article will guide you through how to add a logo to your certificates.

1. From the administrator dashboard, click ‘ Modules ‘ in the top toolbar.
2. Click on the ' Certificates ' tab.
3. Click on ' Manage .'
4. Click on the name of the certificate you want to edit.
5. To position the logo to the preferred area, click your mouse to the exact location you want it to be placed. In the example below, we clicked on the middle section on top of the Certificate of Attendance verbiage.
6. You can likewise use the aligning tools if you want the logo be placed on the extreme left or right section of the certificate.
7. On the certificate, click on the ' Upload File ' icon.

View the complete step-by-step guide.

If an option described here is unavailable in your system, contact Member365 Support.

Why can’t a non-member event attendee find their certificate?

When would I use this? Use this when an attendee who has never been a member completed an event but sees no event certificate in the portal.

Before you begin: Confirm the event has a certificate configured and the attendee has a contact record with Member Portal access.

Steps in Member365:

1. From the Administrator Dashboard, open Events → Reports and select the event.
2. Open Attendance and the relevant Tickets or Workshops tab.
3. Find the attendee and set Attended to YES.
4. Have them sign in to the Member Portal and open My Account → My Certificates.

Expected result: An eligible attendee can access the event certificate after attendance is recorded and the event closes.

Test before going live: Check one test non-member with portal access, an assigned ticket, and recorded attendance.

What happens next? If the certificate remains absent, verify the event certificate and ticket assignment settings before contacting Support.

Mark Event Attendance · Automatically Email Event Certificates

Can I use a certificate as a downloadable membership card?

When would I use this? Use this when members need a downloadable card showing their name, category, or organization.

Member365 does not provide a separate digital membership card designer. You can design a certificate template as a card, assign it to the relevant membership categories, and let members download it from the Member Portal. A portal membership badge is a different feature.

Steps in Member365:

1. Create a certificate template in Modules → Certificates with the intended card image and merge fields; use {MEMBERSHIP_CATEGORY} when the category should print on the card.
2. Open Membership → Category Setup, select a category, and go to Other Settings → Membership Certificate.
3. Click Assign Membership Certificate to this Membership, select the template, and click Save Membership. Repeat only for categories that should receive the card.

Expected result: An eligible member can access and download the assigned certificate from their membership area in the Member Portal.

What happens next? Preview with a test member from each intended category and check layout, details, and download size before issuing it broadly.

Attach a Certificate to a Membership

Can I put certificate smart tags on top of a background image?

When would I use this? Use this when designing a certificate with a logo or graphic and personalized details.

Before you begin: Certificate smart tags must be text elements; placing them over an inserted image does not work as a background overlay.

Steps in Member365:

1. Open the certificate template editor and add the desired image as an image element.
2. Add names, dates, and other smart tags as separate text in the template, positioned around the image.
3. Save the template and generate a preview using a test contact.

Expected result: The issued certificate shows its graphic and populated text in separate elements.

Test before going live: Check the layout, tag values, and legibility in the actual downloaded certificate.

What happens next? Adjust the graphic and text placement in the template if the preview is crowded.

Create a Certificate Template · Certification Tags

How do I make a membership certificate show the correct year automatically?

When would I use this? Use this when a hard-coded year on a certificate becomes stale as members renew.

Steps in Member365:

1. Open the certificate template in Modules → Certificates → Manage.
2. Replace the static year with the supported {MEMBERSHIP_YEAR} smart tag in the appropriate text area.
3. Save and preview the certificate using members with different renewal years.

Expected result: The certificate displays the membership year derived from each member's renewal date.

Related Guide article

How do I attach a certificate to a membership category?

When would I use this? Use this after creating a membership certificate template that approved members should be able to access.

Before you begin: Create and review the certificate template. Assign it separately to each membership category that should issue it.

Steps in Member365:

1. Open Membership → Category Setup and select the category.
2. Open Other Settings and find Membership Certificate.
3. Click Assign Membership Certificate to this Membership, then Assign Template beside the intended certificate.
4. Confirm the certificate is listed and click Save Membership.
5. Test with an approved member account under My Account → Membership in the Member Portal.

Expected result: An approved member in that category can access the attached certificate from the Member Portal.

Attach a Certificate to a Membership

Which tag shows an LMS course completion date on a certificate?

When would I use this? Use this when editing a course certificate template and you need the learner's completion date.

Before you begin: The confirmed completion-date merge tag for an LMS course certificate is {LMS_COURSE_COMPLETION_DATE}.

Steps in Member365:

1. Open the certificate template used by the LMS course.
2. Insert {LMS_COURSE_COMPLETION_DATE} where the date should appear and save the template.
3. Generate or preview a certificate for a completed test course.

Expected result: The generated LMS certificate displays that learner's completion date; the ticket reporter confirmed the tag worked.

Test before going live: Check the rendered date and formatting on a completed learner's certificate before applying the template broadly.

What happens next? Keep the tag in the LMS certificate template for future completions.

Create a Certificate Template

Why is the logo too large in a certificate email?

When would I use this? Use this when the attendance certificate email layout shifts around an oversized logo.

Before you begin: Support recommended a transparent PNG around 250 pixels wide by 100 pixels high.

Steps in Member365:

1. Resize the organization logo to approximately 250 × 100 pixels and export it as a transparent PNG.
2. Update the organization logo in its profile settings.
3. Send a test certificate email and inspect it in the email client.

Expected result: A smaller logo should fit the certificate email layout more reliably.

Test before going live: Check both desktop and mobile rendering, and confirm other emails using the same logo remain readable.

Will a new membership certificate be issued automatically after renewal?

When would I use this? Use this when members need a current proof-of-membership document after each renewal.

A category's membership certificate is issued when a contact becomes a member; Member365 does not automatically issue a new certificate merely because that membership renews. Plan how members will verify current status before promising a new certificate every year.

Steps in Member365:

1. Review the certificate assigned under Membership → Category Setup → Other Settings → Membership Certificate.
2. Check what an existing renewing member can see in the Member Portal after a test renewal.
3. If an annually reissued document is required, discuss the workflow with Support before communicating it to members.

Expected result: Staff understand the current issuance behavior and can choose a suitable process for renewal proof.

How do I resend corrected event workshop certificates?

When would I use this? Use this when certificates already sent to workshop attendees contained an error and a corrected template is ready.

In the event's workshop report, reset the certificate email and re-mark attendees as attended to trigger a new send. This can affect many attendees, so verify the corrected template and recipient group first.

Steps in Member365:

1. Correct and preview the certificate template before changing any attendance records.
2. Open Events → Reports, select the event, and open the Workshops tab for the affected workshop.
3. Use Reset Email for that workshop, then change each intended attendee's Attended status to No and back to Yes.
4. Check a sample contact's Email/Communication File Log to confirm the corrected certificate was sent.

Expected result: The intended attendees receive a new certificate email, and the communication log records the send.

Test before going live: Try one test attendee first, then check the workshop's full recipient list before re-marking everyone.

Can I bulk upload external certificate files to member records?

When would I use this? Use this when your organization already has certificates issued outside Member365 and wants to attach the files to many members.

Direct answer: Member365 does not support a bulk import of external certificate files into contact records. The Education Activity import can bring in activity data, but certificate files still need individual handling. Certificates generated within Member365 are managed through its certificate tools.

Before you begin: Keep a reviewed mapping of each certificate to the correct member, normally using the member’s email address or another stable identifier. Do not attach one person’s file to another record.

Steps:

1. Decide whether the certificate should be generated in Member365 or whether an existing external file must be retained.
2. For external files, review the member-to-file mapping before manually adding each file to the appropriate contact record.
3. Check a sample of completed contact records to confirm the correct files are available.

Expected result: The activity data can be imported separately, while external certificate files are reviewed and attached individually.

What happens next? If the volume makes individual attachment impractical, contact Support about your use case; do not assume the activity import also imports files.