Certificate Generation API: Automate Awards & Diplomas

We graduated 347 students last quarter. Each one deserved a certificate. Each one would've taken me 10 minutes to fill out manually. That's 58 hours of copy-paste-export-send.

I spent 30 minutes setting up an API instead. Now certificates generate and email automatically when someone completes the course. Same professional design, zero manual work.

Here's how to set this up for your courses, awards, or events.

Why automate certificate generationWhy Automate Certificate Generation?

Certificates prove completion. Whether it's a course, training program, employee achievement, or event attendance, people expect that professional document.

But creating certificates manually is soul-crushing work:

• Open your design tool
• Find the certificate template
• Type the person's name (hope you spell it right)
• Add the course name or date
• Export as PDF or image
• Send or upload somewhere

Multiply this by 10, 50, or 500 people. It's the definition of work that should be automated.

What changes on every certificate:

• Recipient name
• Course or achievement title
• Completion date
• Certificate ID (for verification)
• Instructor or company signature

What stays the same:

• Layout and design
• Logos and branding
• Background elements
• Border and decorations

APIs handle this perfectly. Design once, generate thousands.

Common use casesCommon Use Cases

Certificate automation works everywhere someone earns recognition.

Online courses trainingOnline Courses & Training

The most obvious use case. Students complete your course, they get a certificate instantly.

Key elements:

• Student name
• Course title
• Completion date
• Unique certificate ID
• Instructor signature

Your learning platform triggers the API when course progress hits 100%. The certificate arrives in their email before they finish celebrating.

Employee recognition programsEmployee Recognition Programs

Companies give out awards for years of service, performance, safety records, and training completions. HR shouldn't spend hours making these.

Key elements:

• Employee name
• Award type or milestone
• Date
• Manager signature
• Company logo and branding

Connect to your HR system or HRIS. When someone hits an anniversary or completes required training, the certificate generates automatically.

Event attendanceEvent Attendance

Conferences, workshops, and webinars often provide certificates of attendance. Especially important for continuing education credits (CEUs).

Key elements:

• Attendee name
• Event name and date
• Number of hours or credits
• Event organizer signature
• CEU tracking number (if applicable)

Integrate with your event registration platform. After the event ends, everyone who attended gets their certificate.

Professional certificationsProfessional Certifications

If you run certification programs, you're issuing certificates regularly. Make this instant instead of manual.

Key elements:

• Certified professional name
• Certification title
• Issue date and expiration date
• Certification ID
• Certifying body signature and seal

How to set up certificate generationHow to Set Up Certificate Generation

The technical setup is simpler than you'd think.

Step 1 design your certificate templateStep 1: Design Your Certificate Template

Start with your certificate design. This is the most important part—it determines how every certificate looks.

Design considerations:

• Professional borders and decorations
• Clear hierarchy (name should be most prominent)
• Space for all variable elements
• Logo placement
• Signature areas

In Imejis.io, create your certificate design and mark the fields that change (name, date, course, etc.) as editable. Everything else remains static.

Step 2 set up the api callStep 2: Set Up the API Call

Once your template is ready, generating certificates is a simple API call.

curl -X POST "https://render.imejis.io/v1/YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipient_name": "Sarah Johnson",
    "course_title": "Advanced JavaScript Development",
    "completion_date": "February 10, 2026",
    "certificate_id": "CERT-2026-00347"
  }'

The API returns the generated certificate as an image. Save it, email it, or display it—whatever your workflow needs.

Step 3 integrate with your platformStep 3: Integrate with Your Platform

Where you integrate depends on your use case.

For most setups, you'll trigger the API when someone completes a requirement, then save and deliver the certificate automatically.

Code examplesCode Examples

Here's how to implement certificate generation in different languages.

NodejsNode.js

const axios = require("axios")
const nodemailer = require("nodemailer")
 
async function generateAndEmailCertificate(student) {
  // Generate certificate
  const response = await axios({
    method: "post",
    url: "https://render.imejis.io/v1/YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID",
    headers: {
      Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    data: {
      recipient_name: student.name,
      course_title: student.course,
      completion_date: new Date().toLocaleDateString(),
      certificate_id: `CERT-${Date.now()}`,
    },
    responseType: "arraybuffer",
  })
 
  // Email certificate
  const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
    /* config */
  })
 
  await transporter.sendMail({
    to: student.email,
    subject: "Your Course Completion Certificate",
    html: `<p>Congratulations ${student.name}! Your certificate is attached.</p>`,
    attachments: [
      {
        filename: "certificate.png",
        content: response.data,
      },
    ],
  })
}
 
// Use when student completes course
await generateAndEmailCertificate({
  name: "Sarah Johnson",
  email: "sarah@example.com",
  course: "Advanced JavaScript",
})

PythonPython

import requests
from datetime import datetime
import smtplib
from email.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
from email.mime.base import MIMEBase
from email import encoders
 
def generate_certificate(recipient, course):
    # Generate certificate
    response = requests.post(
        'https://render.imejis.io/v1/YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID',
        headers={
            'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        },
        json={
            'recipient_name': recipient['name'],
            'course_title': course,
            'completion_date': datetime.now().strftime('%B %d, %Y'),
            'certificate_id': f"CERT-{datetime.now().timestamp()}"
        }
    )
 
    return response.content
 
def email_certificate(recipient, certificate_data):
    msg = MIMEMultipart()
    msg['To'] = recipient['email']
    msg['Subject'] = 'Your Course Completion Certificate'
 
    # Attach certificate
    part = MIMEBase('application', 'octet-stream')
    part.set_payload(certificate_data)
    encoders.encode_base64(part)
    part.add_header('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename=certificate.png')
    msg.attach(part)
 
    # Send email (configure your SMTP server)
    # smtp_server.send_message(msg)
 
# Generate and send
certificate = generate_certificate(
    {'name': 'Sarah Johnson', 'email': 'sarah@example.com'},
    'Advanced JavaScript'
)
email_certificate({'email': 'sarah@example.com'}, certificate)

Php for wordpress or custom appsPHP (for WordPress or Custom Apps)

<?php
function generate_certificate($student_name, $course_name) {
    $data = [
        'recipient_name' => $student_name,
        'course_title' => $course_name,
        'completion_date' => date('F j, Y'),
        'certificate_id' => 'CERT-' . time()
    ];
 
    $response = wp_remote_post('https://render.imejis.io/v1/YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID', [
        'headers' => [
            'Authorization' => 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
            'Content-Type' => 'application/json'
        ],
        'body' => json_encode($data)
    ]);
 
    if (!is_wp_error($response)) {
        return wp_remote_retrieve_body($response);
    }
 
    return false;
}
 
// Generate certificate when user completes course
$certificate_image = generate_certificate('Sarah Johnson', 'Advanced JavaScript');
 
// Save to media library or email directly
?>

No code setup with zapierNo-Code Setup with Zapier

Don't code? Set this up without writing a single line.

Zapier workflow:

1. Trigger: New Row in Google Sheets (or form submission, course completion, etc.)
2. Action: Generate Image with Imejis.io
3. Action: Send Email with Certificate Attachment
4. Action: Add Row to Completion Log (optional)

You can even connect this to Airtable for image generation if you're managing your students or employees there.

Template design best practicesTemplate Design Best Practices

Your certificate template determines how professional every certificate looks.

Make names prominentMake Names Prominent

The recipient's name should be the largest, most prominent element. It's what people look for first and what they'll show off.

Typography tips:

• Use an elegant serif font for names (looks formal)
• Size 48-72pt depending on certificate size
• Consider script fonts, but test readability
• Leave enough space for long names

Include verification elementsInclude Verification Elements

Help prevent fraud by adding verification features.

Recommended elements:

• Unique certificate ID (top or bottom)
• QR code linking to verification page
• Issue date
• Subtle watermark or security pattern

When someone needs to verify a certificate, they can check the ID or scan the QR code against your database.

Professional borders and sealsProfessional Borders and Seals

Certificates have a traditional look for a reason—it signals importance.

• Ornate borders (but not too busy)
• Official seals or badges
• Signature lines with actual signatures
• Formal language ("This certifies that...")

Check our template library for professionally designed certificate starting points.

Color considerationsColor Considerations

Most certificates are printed eventually, even if you generate them digitally.

• Use print-safe colors (avoid pure white backgrounds)
• Ensure text has good contrast
• Consider both screen and print viewing
• Test how it looks in black and white (some people print without color)

Bulk certificate generationBulk Certificate Generation

Graduating an entire class or recognizing multiple employees? Generate all certificates at once.

From a spreadsheetFrom a Spreadsheet

Export your student or employee list to CSV or Google Sheets. Loop through each row and generate their certificate.

const csv = require("csv-parser")
const fs = require("fs")
 
fs.createReadStream("students.csv")
  .pipe(csv())
  .on("data", async (row) => {
    await generateAndEmailCertificate({
      name: row.name,
      email: row.email,
      course: row.course_name,
    })
  })

From a databaseFrom a Database

Query completed students or awarded employees from your database, then process them in batches.

students = db.query("SELECT * FROM completions WHERE certificate_sent = false")
 
for student in students:
    certificate = generate_certificate(student.name, student.course)
    email_certificate(student.email, certificate)
    db.update(f"UPDATE completions SET certificate_sent = true WHERE id = {student.id}")

Handling special casesHandling Special Cases

Not every certificate is the same. Plan for variations.

Multiple certificate typesMultiple Certificate Types

Different courses or awards might need different designs. Create separate templates for each.

const templates = {
  javascript: "TEMPLATE_ID_1",
  python: "TEMPLATE_ID_2",
  employee_award: "TEMPLATE_ID_3",
}
 
// Use the right template based on course type
const templateId = templates[course.type]

Certificates with photosCertificates with Photos

Some certificates include the recipient's photo (like ID cards or membership certificates).

Pass the photo URL to the API, and your template renders it in the designated spot.

{
  "recipient_name": "Sarah Johnson",
  "photo_url": "https://yourapp.com/photos/sarah.jpg",
  "course_title": "Leadership Training"
}

Expiration datesExpiration Dates

Professional certifications often expire. Add an expiration date field to your template.

{
  "recipient_name": "Sarah Johnson",
  "certification": "Project Management Professional",
  "issue_date": "February 10, 2026",
  "expiration_date": "February 10, 2029"
}

Certificate delivery methodsCertificate Delivery Methods

Once generated, how do you get certificates to people?

Email attachmentEmail Attachment

The most common method. Send the certificate as a PNG or PDF attachment immediately.

Download portalDownload Portal

Generate the certificate and save it to a user portal. Send them a link to download it whenever they want.

Print on demandPrint on Demand

For formal events, generate certificates digitally but print them for in-person distribution. Save high-resolution versions (300 DPI) for quality printing.

Social sharingSocial Sharing

Some platforms let users share their certificates directly to LinkedIn or social media. Generate a shareable image with a link back to the verification page.

FaqFAQ

Can i add digital signatures to generated certificatesCan I add digital signatures to generated certificates?

Yes. Upload signature images to your template and position them where needed. The API renders them on every certificate. For extra security, combine this with unique certificate IDs or QR codes for verification.

Whats the best image format for certificatesWhat's the best image format for certificates?

PNG works best for certificates you'll email or display digitally. It keeps text sharp and supports transparency. For print certificates, request higher DPI versions (300 DPI minimum) from your image API.

How do i prevent certificate fraudHow do I prevent certificate fraud?

Add unique certificate IDs, QR codes linking to verification pages, and watermarks. Generate a database record when issuing each certificate so you can verify authenticity later. The Imejis.io API supports all these elements.

Can i generate certificates in bulkCan I generate certificates in bulk?

Absolutely. Loop through your student or employee list and make one API call per certificate. Most platforms process hundreds per minute. Perfect for graduating classes or company-wide recognition programs.

What if someones name doesnt fitWhat if someone's name doesn't fit?

Design your template with auto-sizing text or test with the longest realistic name. Most certificate layouts handle names up to 40 characters comfortably. If you have exceptionally long names, use a smaller font size or two-line layout.

Stop making certificates manuallyStop Making Certificates Manually

Every minute spent copy-pasting names into certificates is a minute you're not spending on what actually matters. Teaching better courses, running better programs, building better teams.

Set up certificate automation once. Design a professional template, connect the API, and let it handle the tedious work.

Your students and employees get their recognition instantly. You get your time back.

Get started with Imejis.io →