New to digital credentials? Here are the terms you will see across Certify and this help centre.
Credential
The general name for anything you issue through Certify. A credential can be a digital badge, a digital certificate, or both together.
Digital badge
An image that represents an achievement, backed by information about what was achieved, who issued it and when. Badges are designed to be shared on LinkedIn, social media, email signatures and CVs.
Digital certificate
A document-style version of a credential that recipients can view online, download as a PDF and print.
Issuer
The organisation that awards the credential, such as a university, training provider, professional body or employer. That is you, if you are setting up a Certify account.
Recipient
The person who receives a credential. Recipients are identified by their email address.
Unique recipient
How Certify plans are counted: each email address you issue to during your 12-month term counts once, however many credentials it receives. See What is a unique recipient?
Recipient backpack
The place where a recipient sees all the credentials issued to their email address, from any issuer on Certify.
Verification page
The public page for each credential, which anyone can open to confirm it is genuine and still valid.
Verified Issuer
A mark showing that Certify has confirmed the issuing organisation is who it says it is. See What is a Verified Issuer and how to get it.
Pathway
A set of credentials that build towards a larger achievement, so recipients can see their progress step by step. Available on Advanced and Premium plans.
Expiry date
An optional date after which a credential shows as expired, useful for qualifications that need renewing. See How to set expiry dates on credentials.
Open Badges
The international technical standard for digital badges. Certify credentials follow Open Badges 2.0, with support for Open Badges 3.0 coming soon, so they can be recognised by other platforms that support the standard.
Microcredential
A short, focused qualification in a specific skill. Digital badges are often used to represent them. See What's the difference between a microcredential and a digital badge?