Set up certificates of completion

In this article: How to enable certificates of completion so students automatically receive a branded certificate when they finish your course.

Applies to: Pro

Why certificates matter

A certificate gives your students something tangible when they finish. For professional development programs, coaching certifications, or continuing education, that proof of completion carries real weight. Students can reference it on a resume, share it on LinkedIn, or present it to an employer.

On Ruzuku Pro, certificates are hosted on your custom domain and styled with your branding. Your students see your name and brand on the certificate, not Ruzuku's.

Enable a certificate for your course

Certificates are set up per course. Each course can have its own certificate design, or no certificate at all.

Open the course you want to add a certificate to.
Go to Manage Course (use Cmd/Ctrl+K or click the Manage Course button).
Click Certificate in the Content column.
Customize your certificate:
- Color — pick a color that fits your brand or the specific program. This sets the accent color on the certificate.
- Badge — select or upload a badge image. This appears prominently on the certificate and gives it a professional feel.
- Text — edit the certificate title, description, and any custom messaging. The defaults work well, but you can tailor the language to match your program (e.g., "Certificate of Achievement" instead of "Certificate of Completion").
Preview the certificate to check how it looks with your settings.
Save your changes.

That's it. The certificate is now active for this course.

Tip: Set up your certificate before your first students enroll. That way, every student who completes the course receives one from day one. You don't need to go back and issue them manually.

When certificates are issued

Certificates are issued automatically. You don't need to do anything after the initial setup.

A student receives their certificate when they complete all required content in the course. "Complete" means they've marked every required lesson as finished. If your course has 10 lessons and all are required, the certificate appears after the student completes lesson 10.

If some lessons are optional, students only need to complete the required ones to earn the certificate.

What students receive

When a student finishes the course, they see a link to view their certificate. The certificate is a branded page hosted on your site (on your custom domain) that includes:

The student's name
The course title
The date of completion
Your badge and custom text
Your branding (logo and colors)

Students can view the certificate in their browser, print it, or save it as a PDF using their browser's print function. The certificate page has a permanent URL, so students can bookmark it or share the link.

Customize certificates per course

Each course on your Pro site has independent certificate settings. This is useful if you run different programs that deserve different looks:

A flagship coaching certification might use a gold badge and formal language.
A short workshop might use a simpler badge and casual text like "You finished the workshop."
A compliance training course might use specific language required by your industry.

Courses without a certificate configured simply don't issue one. Students complete the course normally without any certificate prompt.

Certificates and your brand

Your certificate page lives on your custom domain and reflects your site's branding. If you've set up a custom domain at learn.yourbusiness.com, the certificate URL will be on that domain. Students see your logo, your colors, and your program name.

If you update your branding later, existing certificates will reflect the current branding settings when viewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are certificates issued automatically?

Yes. Once you've configured a certificate for a course, every student who completes all required content receives it automatically. You don't issue certificates manually.

Can students download the certificate as a PDF?

Yes. Students can use their browser's print function (Cmd/Ctrl+P) and choose "Save as PDF." The certificate page is designed to print cleanly.

What counts as "completing" the course?

A student must finish all lessons marked as required. If your course has optional lessons, those don't need to be completed for the certificate to appear.

Can I use different certificate designs for different courses?

Yes. Each course has its own certificate settings. You can customize the color, badge, and text independently for every course on your Pro site.

What if I set up the certificate after students have already completed the course?

Students who already completed the course should see the certificate available once you enable it. They won't need to re-complete the course.

Can I require students to pass a quiz before earning a certificate?

Yes. Add a quiz with a passing score to a required lesson. Since certificates are issued when all required lessons are complete, students must pass the quiz to complete that lesson and earn the certificate. See Create and configure quizzes for setup details.

Are certificates available on the Core plan?

No. Certificates of completion are a Pro-only feature. If you're interested, email support@ruzuku.com to learn about upgrading.