How to Create a Certification Program? (A 2026 Guide)

Do you want to make your certification program but don’t know where to start? It's a lot to cover, but this guide will get you started.

Our aim is to equip you with the industry expert knowledge and tools needed to create a certification program that stands out. Let's begin this journey together and transform the baseline skills and experience into a valuable learning opportunity for others!

What is a certification program?

The certification program is a course that ends with a certificate that proves a certain skill, qualification, or professional area.

To get this, its participants usually have to pass a test or complete a special class. Sometimes, they might need to keep learning or retake the test after a while to demonstrate that they remain competent.

Benefits of a certification program

Whether you are an individual who decides to learn something new or a company that organizes a new certification course for your employees, everyone can benefit from online certification programs (or in-person ones). Here are a couple of the benefits of certification training.

Investing in your employees' skills

For businesses, certification programs can help ensure employees have the necessary skills and foundational knowledge to do their jobs correctly. For example, any leadership role might require certification in the agile approach to project management.

Workers are the backbone of every company, so the better they are trained, the more productive and profitable a company can be. Therefore, it is essential and advantageous for companies to invest in their career skills by providing training programs.

Creating an educational environment at work

You can create an educational environment at your workplace by providing a training program. So, your company would be a great place to work for those willing to expand their knowledge, gain new skills, and be professional in a particular industry.

Training helps employees learn new skills, stay updated on industry changes, and improve problem-solving abilities.

Attracting high-quality employees and improving customer satisfaction

You can also use both in-person and online certification programs to attract and retain high-quality employees and improve customer satisfaction.

Certification also shows that employees are dedicated to their careers and are willing to invest time and effort into learning new things. So, attracting more ambitious workers is possible when they see that a company they want to apply to provides such certified courses.

The sense of development for individuals

For individuals, certification programs can provide a sense of accomplishment, completion, and pride and improve job prospects and earnings potential.

If you, as an employee, are not quite sure about participating, you can ask for a free demo of a new certification course you are planning to take part in.

How to create a certification program?

It takes special preparation to create an online certification program. A thing like this doesn't just happen overnight (at least the best ones). What makes one certification program better than another?

Understanding how to create a training certification program starts with knowing the structure and tools that shape a clear and credible program. So, let's move on to the creation process.

How to create a certification program? Here are the main steps you must take.

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Step 1: Identify the needs and course scope

Step 2: Choose the certification course format

Step 3: Set up the logistics

Step 4: Pick the best certification software

Step 5: Promote the course

Step 6: Track the progress

Step 1: Identify the needs and course scope

The first step in understanding how to create a certificate program is to develop the program content. It will include determining the objectives of the certification course and what topics you want and need to cover.

Once you have a clear idea of the program's goals and scope, you can begin developing the actual content, such as course materials, test questions, and so on.

Tips on creating a certification program from experts:

• Consult with industry experts to understand the current job market and identify high-demand skills that set professionals apart.

• Determine the technical skills and job-ready skills that are in high demand but not adequately covered by existing certificate programs or a college degree program and school diploma.

• Develop an industry-recognized certification program that addresses these gaps and provides practical, hands-on projects.

Step 2: Choose the certification course format

Consider the preferred learning styles of your target audience. Do they benefit more from interactive, hands-on learning or traditional lecture-based methods?

Choose between online, offline, or blended learning formats.

Online self-paced courses offer flexibility, while certification training with instructors can provide more structured learning.

Step 3: Set up the logistics

Determine what educational resources you need, including expert instructors, course materials, and technical support.

You'll also need human resources. Hire expert instructors who are not only knowledgeable but also skilled in teaching and engaging students. Develop comprehensive individual course materials, textbooks, workbooks, and online resources.

It’s also time to design the application process. Create a cloud application form that captures all necessary information about applicants (especially if you want to create your certificates based on this info).

What to include in the application form for a certification program?

• Recipient’s name

• Email address

• Background and experience

• Preferred course dates

Step 4: Pick the best certification software

There’s no more need to do certificates manually. You can automate the whole process and mitigate the risk of errors – from generating certificates to their distribution.

Look into a wide range of different certification software options. Compare features like user interface, scalability, data security, and cost. Test the software with a small group to ensure it meets your needs.

Certifier offers a range of features to make your certification process smooth and impressive.

If you have a long list of participants, manually creating certificates can be time-consuming. With Certifier, you can easily send digital certificates in bulk.

Just prepare a CSV file with participant names and email addresses, choose a template or design your certificate, upload the list, and click send. It's that simple! Watch the video if you need a detailed instructions.

Step 5: Promote the course

Promoting your certification course is crucial to attract the right participants and ensure its success. Craft your promotional messages to resonate with this audience, highlighting how your course will address their specific needs and goals.

Use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to reach potential participants. Share engaging content like success stories, course snippets, and testimonials.

Take it a step further and have larger goals in mind.

Include a share button while you’re sending out the certificates. As a result, your participants will share their certificates on their social media feeds. It's an easy way to promote your certification courses through word-of-mouth.

With Certifier, your participants get the recipient’s wallet view from which they can share the certificates with others (and you can track when they do!).

Create and Send Digital Credentials

Start issuing certificates and badges in minutes.

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Step 6: Track the progress

Last but not least, maintaining the certification course is essential. It will involve periodically reviewing and updating the program content and monitoring compliance with the program's requirements.

Additionally, it’s essential to ensure that certified individuals remain current in their knowledge and skills by requiring them to complete continuing education or recertification.

By following these steps, you can create a certification program that benefits businesses and individuals. So, you may also find these tips helpful if you're about to start your own program or learn more about the process.

Certification program – good practices

We’ve got you covered in terms of good practices worth incorporating before and during organizing a certification program. Here are some crucial ones.

Make it easy to get started

It is always challenging to take the first step. So, it’s a good practice to make it as easy as possible for people to start your certification program. One way to do this is by having a clear and concise getting started guide.

The guide should include a detailed description of the steps they need to follow and what resources are available to help them.

Make it valuable

Your certification program should be valuable to your company and the individuals who complete it. This means that you need to carefully consider what skills and knowledge are needed for someone to be successful in your industry.

Before starting a certification program, identify the areas in which your workers need to improve, so your company and employees can benefit. Figuring it out will help you create the program by giving you hints and suggestions for enhancement.

Make it affordable

A certification program's affordability is another crucial aspect to consider. You want to ensure that your program’s price is accessible to as many people as possible.

There are many ways to do this, such as offering discounts for early registrants or providing scholarships for those who cannot afford the program's total cost.

Make it flexible

Flexibility is another key consideration when creating digital courses. You want to ensure that individuals with different schedules and commitments can complete your program.

One way to do this is by offering a variety of delivery methods, such as online, in-person, or self-paced options.

Make it enjoyable

Finally, you want to make sure that your certification program is enjoyable for those who complete it. Therefore, try to make your program engaging and interactive, for example, by incorporating games and challenges into the learning process.

How can Certifier support your certification program?

Certifier is a certificate generator for building digital credentials and would be a great asset to your certification program. It is a win-win situation for your brand as well as for participants. Receiving a digital certificate is a way to reward participants for their efforts and dedicated time. In addition, it motivates them to keep striving for more.

Simple design process

If you don’t have much time to create your documents from the ground up, use Certifier’s template. There are many available so that everyone will find something suitable: scholarship certificate template, culinary, education, and more.

Simply select the editable design that best fits your needs and tailor it to reflect your brand and certification program. Incorporate your company's logo. Drag & drop editor allows you to customize the certificates however you want to.

Bulk certifications with automation

If your certification program counts many participants, manually creating digital credentials will take a lot of time. But it doesn’t have to. You can issue certificates in bulk using:

• CSV or spreadsheet uploads

• Native integrations with tools like Google Sheets and Excel

• Automation via Zapier

• The Certifier API for custom workflows

This means certificates can be issued automatically when someone completes a training, submits a form, or meets your criteria, without double-checking data.

If you are interested in how the attributes exactly work and how to use them, here is the article ➡️ How To Use Dynamic Attributes To Create and Send Certificates in Bulk.

Learning pathways

Certifier lets you structure credentials into learning pathways, so participants can progress step by step through your program. This is useful for multi-level training programs, recurring certifications, or ongoing professional development.

Each completed step can unlock a new certificate or badge, making progress visible and motivating.

QR codes and IDs for easy verification

Every certificate issued with Certifier includes a unique verification link, QR code, or ID. Anyone can scan or click to instantly verify the credential’s authenticity.

This builds trust with employers, partners, and third parties, and reduces verification requests sent to your team.

Branded delivery and tracking

Certificates are sent via branded emails that match your organization’s identity. After delivery, you can track:

• Email opens

• Certificate views

• Social sharing (LinkedIn, X, Facebook)

Create and Send Digital Credentials

Start issuing certificates and badges in minutes.

Get started. It’s free!

Post-course tracking

Getting insights is valuable if you want to analyze certificates' performance after sending them. For example, you can see how many attendees add their credentials on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. And monitor how many certificates are published and opened.

Certifier is excellent support for your certification program

Creating a certification program means defining clear goals, assessing participants fairly, and issuing credentials people can trust. Doing this manually takes time and increases the risk of errors.

Certifier helps you issue digital certificates in one place. You can automate certificate generation and delivery. This makes it easier to run a reliable certification program for both a small group and a growing audience.

Sign up for Certifier for free and create amazing credentials for your program participants.