Frequently asked questions

No. CertSheet reads the file and builds every PDF inside your browser. The only time any data leaves your device is when you turn on online verification for a batch. Then only the certificate ID, recipient name, title, issuer and date are sent, so the verification page can show them.

Spreadsheets: CSV and Excel .xlsx (the first sheet is used). Backgrounds: PNG, JPG or PDF (first page), up to 15 MB, or one of the eight built-in templates. Old .xls files need to be saved as .xlsx or CSV first.

The Free plan makes up to 20 per batch, and you can run as many batches as you like. Pro and the Event Pass make up to 1,000 per batch. If your sheet has more rows than your limit, CertSheet makes the first ones up to the limit and tells you.

Each PDF is named after the recipient using the column you choose, usually Name, for example "Andre Williams.pdf". Characters that aren't allowed in file names are removed, and duplicates become "Andre Williams (2).pdf".

A single small grey line, "Made with CertSheet · certsheet.com", centred at the very bottom of each page. Pro and the Event Pass remove it.

Every certificate gets a unique ID like CS-7K3M-9QX2-H4TB. Without online verification the QR code holds that ID as text. With online verification turned on (Pro or Event Pass), it opens certsheet.com/v/ followed by the ID, a page showing the recipient, title, issuer and date, and whether the batch has been revoked.

Yes. In the app, under online verification, your published batches are listed with a Revoke button. A revoked batch's verification pages say the certificate has been revoked. Revoking works per batch; to withdraw a single certificate, email support@certsheet.com.

Pages for batches you've already published stay online, so certificates you issued keep verifying. You need an active plan to publish new batches.

Four open-licence families are bundled and embedded in your PDFs: Crimson Text (serif), Lato (sans), Great Vibes (script) and IBM Plex Mono (mono), all under the SIL Open Font License. They cover accented Latin letters, so names like Ñúñez and Dvořák print correctly.

Yes. Export your design from Canva, Word, PowerPoint or Illustrator as PNG, JPG or PDF with the name area left empty, upload it as the background, and place the fields on top.

After checkout, Polar emails your licence key; it's also in the Polar customer portal. In the app, choose Enter licence key and paste it. The key is stored in that browser only, so enter it on each device you use.

Cancel Pro any time from the Polar customer portal. You keep Pro until the end of the paid period. If you're not happy, email support@certsheet.com within 14 days of a payment for a full refund. The exception is an account ended for breaking the acceptable use rules: no refund is given.

Polar is our merchant of record. It processes payments, issues receipts and handles sales tax or VAT, so the checkout price may include tax for your country.

Yes. The app works in mobile browsers, including dragging fields by touch. For large batches a laptop is faster and easier for checking the preview.

Certificates for your own courses, training, workshops, events and awards, or for an organisation that has authorised you to issue them. The templates are completion, attendance, achievement and award styles.

Making certificates for courses, events or qualifications you didn't run or aren't authorised to issue. Imitating universities, schools, government bodies, professional licensing boards or accreditation bodies, including their names, logos, seals or document designs. Making anything that looks like a degree, diploma, licence or government document. Forged, backdated or misleading certificates.

Before generating, you tick: "I'm issuing these for my own course or event, or I'm authorized by the organization named on them." On paid plans we record that you ticked it, with the time. On the Free plan the tick stays in your browser, like the rest of your data.

We end the account without a refund: the licence key is disabled for good, and every certificate it published for online verification is revoked, so its page shows "Revoked".

Use the Report this certificate link on any verification page, or see certsheet.com/report. Reports go to support@certsheet.com.

No. A verification page shows the certificate exactly as published, including the issuer name the publisher entered and the issue date. CertSheet doesn't vet issuers; to confirm a qualification, contact the issuing organisation.