Documentation
Everything you need to install, configure, and run Certificate Generator.
▶ Watch the video tutorial series
Guides
- Getting started with Certificate GeneratorA 5-step quick start for Certificate Generator: configure SMTP, create a template, add students, send a test email, and bulk send certificates.
- Installing Certificate GeneratorHow to install and activate the Certificate Generator WordPress plugin, and migrate data from older installs.
- Creating certificate templatesCreate a certificate template in WordPress: upload a background, position Name, Certificate Type, School and Date fields, set fonts, and preview with debug mode.
- Importing students, teachers and schools from CSVBulk import certificate recipients into WordPress from CSV. Required columns, sample files, plan limits and bulk export.
- Certificate serial numbersConfigure certificate serial number format (PREFIX-YEAR-SEQ), reset period and padding, and bulk-assign serials to existing records.
- QR codes on certificatesHow Certificate Generator adds a verification QR code to every certificate PDF automatically.
- Verifying certificatesPublic certificate verification by QR code, serial number or email, the [cg_verify_certificate] shortcode, and the /verify/{serial} REST endpoint.
- Organising certificates by eventUse events in Certificate Generator to filter admin lists and bulk sends by event.
- Analytics and email logsCertificate Generator analytics: certificates issued, emails sent, failed and pending, send volume over time, and per-send email logs.
- Setting up SMTP and email templatesConfigure WP Mail SMTP for reliable certificate delivery, and customise email templates with placeholders like {name}, {serial_number} and {verify_link}.
- Sending certificates in bulkSend certificates to many recipients at once with Bulk Send: filters, skip-already-sent, background queue, ZIP bundling, rate limits and retries.
- ShortcodesCertificate Generator shortcodes: [student_search], [teacher_search], [school_search], [school_bulk_certificate_download] and [cg_verify_certificate].
- REST APICertificate Generator REST API (namespace certificate-generator/v1): issue certificates, validate keys, look up certificates by email, and verify serials.
- TroubleshootingFix common Certificate Generator issues: emails not received, "queued 0 certificates", PDFs not generating, ZIPs not attaching.
- Running Certificate Generator on LocalWPBuild and test a WordPress certificate management system locally with LocalWP, and what changes when you move to a live site.
Features
- ✓Certificate templates — drag-position fields, per-field font/size/colour
- ✓PDF generation via a bundled FPDF engine — no TCPDF/mPDF dependency
- ✓QR-code verification on every certificate
- ✓Auto-generated, configurable serial numbers
- ✓Student / Teacher / School management, manual or bulk CSV
- ✓Bulk email sending with a background queue and retry backoff
- ✓Automatic ZIP bundling for recipients with multiple certificates
- ✓Email logs & analytics dashboard
- ✓Public verification & search shortcodes — no login required
- ✓REST API for external integrations
- ✓Free / Pro / Business licensing tiers
- ✓External sync with a companion GEMA backend
FAQ
Can I send certificates to teachers and schools too, not just students?
Yes — the bulk send page lets you choose the entity type before filtering, and each entity type has its own email template.
Will re-sending skip students who already received their certificate?
Yes — "Skip already sent" (checked by default) checks the email log and skips recipients with a sent entry for their certificate.
Can I use a Gmail account to send emails?
Yes, but Gmail requires an App Password. In WP Mail SMTP, choose Gmail as the mailer, use smtp.gmail.com on port 587, and your App Password.
How do I change the certificate PDF design?
Edit the template — upload a new background and reposition fields. Future PDFs use the new design; already-generated PDFs are unchanged.
Can students verify their certificate online?
Yes — every certificate's QR code links to a public verification page, and visitors can also search by serial number or email.
Is the plugin multisite compatible?
Partially — designed for single-site use. Network-wide activation requires the Business plan; Free/Pro network-activated installs track usage per site independently.