---
title: "Creating an Award Certificate"
canonical: "https://help.cccs.edu/space/KnowledgeBase/46530603/Creating%20an%20Award%20Certificate"
format: markdown
---
To create a certificate with editable form fields which include replace strings, you will need access to PDF editing software such as Adobe Acrobat (not just Adobe Reader).

## Create the Certificate in Adobe Acrobat Pro:

### Tools to Prepare Form

1. The Certificate can begin as a Word document or PowerPoint which you save as a PDF.
2. In Adobe Pro, open your certificate template (if you have not already done so) that you started in Word or PowerPoint and saved as  PDF.
3. Under Tools, select **Prepare a Form**.

![All Tools Drop Down](media://e121ca96-7446-4d2e-989b-df9a731c8678)

### Text Field and Properties

1. Save your form if needed. After saving, select **Text Field** and create the needed Text Field.
2. Right click on the field and select **Properties**.

![Properties is the first option in the right-click menu.](media://059b9f30-ecfc-4292-8b35-0f07dbf1c8aa)

### Replace String and Field Properties

1. Enter the replace string you’d like to use to the **Name and Tooltip** field.
  1. You can only use one replace string per form field.
  2. On the **Appearance tab**, you can edit the size and font of the text.
  3. On the **Options tab,** you can control text alignment.
  4. Helpful tips:
    1. If you’re creating a form field that could be filled by a long value; for example, a full name; make sure the field will be large enough to contain all the text.
    2. When you create the text of your certificate, you’ll want to make sure that any text that is not a replace string is created outside of the form field. For example, if you want your certificate to say Congratulations Jillian Student, “Congratulations” will be entered as text outside of the form field, and {FullName} will appear in the form field.
2. Repeat as needed for additional fields.

**Note: **A full list of replace strings that can be used with the Awards Tool appears follows these instructions in this article.

![Replace String and Adding Fields](media://5921d3e3-793e-4607-92fe-37f7894e2cf3)

Save your file again as PDF.

## Adding the certificate to your course

### Course Setup for Award

1. Go to your course and select **Awards **from the **More Tools** menu
2. Select the **Course Awards tab** and click **Add Award to Course**.
3. Select the Create button
4. Fill out the options on the next page:
  1. **Name: **The name of your certificate (this will be seen by those that earn this award).
  2. **Description:** A high level description of what this certificate represents.
  3. **Criteria:** description of what a participant needs to complete to earn the certificate.
  4. **Award Type:** Select **Certificate**.
  5. **Availability:** If you wish to use this certificate in multiple courses, you may opt to make it available to your other courses. If you wish to limit the certificate to only this course, select **Make this award available to other award creators and their courses** but then select **restrict this award to <your course name> and it’s child org units**.
  6. **Expiry:** We recommend choosing **Relative Time Period After Earning The Award**. This can be a set number of days, months, or years.
  7. **Choose an Award Icon:** This is a thumbnail image that shows only in D2L.
  8. **Choose Certificate Template:** Select **Upload New Template** and follow the prompts to upload the PDF created above.
  9. **Issuer Information: **Fill in appropriate information that an outside entity might use as contact info if they have questions about what the certificate represents. .
  10. Make sure the **Use this award in <your course name> now** check box is selected.
  11. Save and close.
5. You will be returned to the Course Awards page. The certificate has been created but there is currently no way to earn it.

### Certificate Award Properties

To set up the Certificate to be awarded, select Edit Properties below the award:

![Certificate Award Edit Properties](media://018e88f4-e4cb-499a-ace1-e781e56de30c)

- **Credits:** **Set this to ZERO**. Within our system, D2L/Brightspace certificates to not represent credits earned. College credits will ONLY be reported via official transcripts.
- **Award hidden until earned:** If you do not want learners to see what awards might be available, you can check this box.
- **Release Conditions:** This is where you can set how a learner will earn this badge. Badges could be awarded for earning a score on an assignment, quiz or other grade item among many other options. For detailed information about release conditions, see <span style="color: #0070c0">[the D2L Release Conditions documentation.](https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/3432-about-release-conditions)</span>

![New Award for Course Awards](media://00133220-b229-4fac-bba3-7ec8a008feab)

To test out your certificate and see how it appears for a student, consider creating a test student in your course and logging in as that student. Complete the required release condition as that student. A certificate can be saved or printed by navigating to the certificate under Awards on the navigation bar. Select the link name of the certificate that you would like to access, and then select the Generate Certificate link. 

![Generate Certificate Link](media://f38b3d1d-a900-4058-871f-31ef0dba928d)

#### Awards Tool Replace Strings

- {CourseStartDate}
- {CourseEndDate}
- {CourseName}
- {UserFirstName}
- {UserLastName}
- {UserEmail}
- {UserName}
- {OrgDefinedID}
- {OrgUnitCode}
- {AwardDate}
- {AwardExpiryDate}
- {AwardName}
- {AwardDescription}
- {AwardEvidence}
- {IssuerName}
- {IssuerContact}
- {AwardCreditValue}
- {FullName}

#### Release Conditions

Brightspace contains a long list of possible actions and parameters that can be easily defined to restrict and release content to the learners.  These create a dynamic and progressive learning experience and can allow the moderators control over who sees what and when.  Release conditions can be applied to any Brightspace tool: Awards, Certificates, Content, News Items, Homepage Widgets, and much more.  
For more information, refer to: [About Release Conditions](https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/3432-about-release-conditions).