Certificate Templates

Overview of Templates

Certificate templates serve as the framework from which your certificates will be generated, both visually (the certificate template is a web page containing logos, animations, and graphic elements) and in terms of content (the certificate template includes all the text information that does not vary from one certificate to another). Certificate templates can be previewed using the "magnifying glass" in the "Templates" tab.

Types of Templates

There are several types of templates on the BCdiploma platform:

• "Certificate": fully customized in terms of content, data, and design by our team in collaboration with you.
• "Micro-certification": with a fixed data structure but customizable formatting within the platform.

Merge Fields

Each certificate template contains a defined number of merge fields. These merge fields are identified by two characters that mark their beginning "^" and end "¤", for example: ^FirstName¤. These merge fields correspond to data that will vary from one certificate to another and are also called "variable fields." For example, in a graduation certificate template, variable fields may include "Last Name," "First Name," "Date of Birth," and "Honors Received." During the certificate creation process, this data is encrypted and stored on the blockchain.

Technical Fields

Each certificate template also includes what are called "technical fields." These fields are not recorded on the blockchain but are stored in the BCdiploma database for future use. Technical fields can include elements such as an ID or email to facilitate interfaces or enable certificate distribution by email, for instance.

Multilingual Template

A template can be either single or multilingual. For multilingual templates, you can select the display language using the selector in the certificate's sidebar. Available languages are defined during the design of the certificate template.

Available Actions on Templates

For all types, in the "Templates" tab, you can perform the following actions for any given template:

• Preview it using the "magnifying glass" by hovering over its thumbnail
• Start a new certification campaign
• View all campaigns conducted
• View the latest campaign conducted
• View all certificates issued
• Add labels or notes

Additional features are detailed below.

Import File

Each certificate template has its own import file. This file includes the header for each field required to issue certificates for this template, namely all technical fields, all merge fields, and an optional language column. The import file can be downloaded by clicking on "Blank Import File" in the menu of any certificate template.

Deactivation

Deactivating a template will prevent issuing new certificates but will not affect previously issued certificates using that template.

"Certificate" Template Type

"Certificate" templates are fully customized in terms of content, data, and design by our team in collaboration with you. In addition to the actions available for all certificate types, "Certificate" templates benefit from specific features:

Reference Table

You can manage your reference tables directly from your BCdiploma back-office. To access this feature, go to your template and, from the "More" dropdown menu, click on "Reference tables".

Once the reference table page is open, click the edit button in the top right corner to access the modification options.

Two actions are available:

1. Edit an existing value

This feature allows you to update the value of an existing entry in the reference table. Select the entry you wish to modify to open the edit form.

2. Add a new value

This feature allows you to create a new entry in the reference table. You must enter the key (which will be used in your import file when creating campaigns), along with the associated values for the available fields in the table.

Pathway Management

You can create and view a pathway associated with your template if you have this feature.

"Micro-certification" Template Type

"Micro-certification" templates allow you to define your own certificate based on a standard template by modifying its title, labels, content, badge, languages, images, colors, style, etc. Certificates generated in the form of "Micro-certifications" comply with the Open Badges standard. In addition to the actions available for all certificate types, "Certificate" templates benefit from specific features:

New Micro-certification Template

If the "Micro-certification" feature is enabled in your environment, you can create a "New Template" for micro-certification using a specific form accessible from the dedicated button in the templates window.

Edit the Micro-certification Template

Micro-certification templates can be edited from the template's dropdown menu, selecting "Edit Template."

Markdown Syntax

Some fields in the template creation/modification forms support Markdown syntax. This means that the text they contain will be rendered using Markdown formatting when viewing the BCdiploma certificate. Markdown is a markup language that allows for simple content formatting.

Here are some examples of Markdown formatting along with their rendered output:

#### H4 - Smaller Heading

##### H5 - Tiny Heading

###### H6 - Smallest Heading

- Bold → **Bold**
- Italic → _Italic_
- Strikethrough → ~~Strikethrough~~

### 📝 Blockquotes

### Ordered list

1. First Item
2. Second Item
3. Third Item

### Unordered list

- First Item
- Second Item
- Third Item

### Links

[BCdiploma Website](https://www.bcdiploma.com)

### 📊 Tables

| Feature     | Supported |
| ----------- | --------- |
| Bold/Italic | ✅ Yes    |
| Links       | ✅ Yes    |
| Lists       | ✅ Yes    |
| Tables      | ✅ Yes    |

H4 - Smaller Heading

H5 - Tiny Heading

H6 - Smallest Heading

• Bold → Bold
• Italic → Italic
• Strikethrough → Strikethrough

📝 Blockquotes

Ordered list

1. First Item
2. Second Item
3. Third Item

Unordered list

• First Item
• Second Item
• Third Item

Links

BCdiploma Website

📊 Tables