How to create a certificate for your own LMS

Introduction

Certificates are an effective way to reward learners for completing Trainings. During onboarding, you receive a metadata file with your Training files. This file contains the Training title and learning objectives/modules that must appear on any certificate. While every LMS has its own certificate function, the following best practices and example template will help you design a clear, professional certificate in your own LMS.

Steps

1. Open your metadata file

• Locate the exact Training title and learning objectives/modules listed there.
• Keep spellings, capitalization, and formatting as provided.

2. Define the required certificate content

• Your certificate must include:
• Training title — exactly as in the metadata file.
• Learning objectives/modules — listed clearly, ideally as bullet points.

3. Add recommended elements (from your LMS or internal process)
These details are not in the metadata file but are commonly expected on certificates:

• Learner’s full name
• Completion date
• Issuer (company or Learning Manager)
• Company logo and/or signature

4. Design your certificate layout

• Place the Training title prominently below a clear heading such as Certificate of completion.
• List the learning objectives/modules as a bullet list for easy readability.
• Keep the layout professional: clear fonts, whitespace, and a balanced structure.
• Add branding (logo/seal) and signature fields near the bottom.
• Use the provided example certificate as inspiration — replace lawpilots branding with your own.

5. Set up the certificate in your LMS

• Insert placeholders or tokens for fields supported by your LMS.
• Map the Training title and learning objectives/modules directly from the metadata file.
• Map other fields (learner name, completion date) from your LMS data.

6. Test and finalize

• Preview the certificate with sample data.
• Check that long Training titles wrap correctly.
• Ensure learning objectives display cleanly as a list.
• Export to PDF if possible, then verify on desktop and mobile.

Best practice checklist (based on the example template)

• Prominent Training title
• Bulleted list of learning objectives/modules
• Issued-on date, issuer signature, and logo/seal
• Clean design with sufficient whitespace

FAQs / Troubleshooting

My Training title is cut off.
→ Reduce the font size or enable text wrapping so the full title appears.

Objectives don’t fit on the page.
→ Adjust bullet spacing or font size slightly — avoid dense paragraphs.

Our LMS doesn’t support certificates.
→ Generate a PDF externally using the metadata file, then upload or distribute it manually.

Do I need to include all learning objectives?
→ We recommend include the objectives from the metadata file so the certificate fully represents the Training’s content.