The certificates
Live previews of the 2 designs with fictional names. The text is real text, so you can select, copy or translate it. The downloads hold each design in A4 and US Letter landscape, one certificate per page, as a blank merge version and as filled examples.
Fernbrook Housing Co-operative
Certificate of attendance
This certificate confirms that Nguyễn Thị Lan attended Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop on Thursday 15 October 2026. Hours of scheduled contact time attended: 3.
Halima Yusuf
Trainer
Issued by Fernbrook Housing Co-operative
Issue date: Friday 16 October 2026
Certificate ID: FBW-20261015-03
This certificate records attendance at one session. It is not an assessment of skill.
Fernbrook Housing Co-operative
Certificate of completion
This certificate confirms that Zoë Ó Briain took part in Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop on Thursday 15 October 2026 and completed the observed task below. Hours of scheduled contact time attended: 3.
Observed task: Ran a 10-minute feedback conversation in a practice trio, observed by the trainer against a four-point checklist.
Halima Yusuf
Trainer
Issued by Fernbrook Housing Co-operative
Issue date: Friday 16 October 2026
Certificate ID: FBW-20261015-01
This certificate records one task observed during the session. It does not grant any formal status or credit.
What a certificate can and cannot say
Use this table when you write or edit a certificate. The words in the third column are the reason the certificates in this kit say “confirms that … attended” and “completed the observed task below”.
| Topic | The certificate can say | It cannot say |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance or completion | Attendance: the person took part, on which date, for how many hours. Completion: the person did one named, observable task, and who observed it. | Do not call an attendance certificate a completion certificate. Do not say anyone is competent, qualified or proficient on the strength of one session. |
| Hours | The scheduled contact time the person attended: start to finish, without meal breaks, rounded down to the half hour. Use the sign-in times for anyone who arrived late or left early. | Do not add hours for pre-reading, homework or travel unless you record them separately and say so. |
| Accreditation | Nothing, unless an accrediting body has approved this course and tells you the exact words and mark to use. | Do not write “accredited”, “accreditation” or “approved by” for an in-house or freelance session. Do not copy a body’s logo. |
| CPD or CEU points | Hours of contact time. A participant may log those hours in their own professional development record if their scheme allows it. | Do not write “CPD points”, “CPD hours” or “CEU credit” unless a scheme has registered the course and given you a number to print. |
| “Certified”, “certification”, “qualification”, “licence” | “Confirms that … attended” or “completed the observed task below”. | Do not use these words on the certificate. They suggest a formal assessment and a status that a single workshop does not give. |
| The issuer | Your organisation, or your own business if you are a freelance trainer, with the facilitator’s typed name and role. | Do not name Superglue or any template maker as the issuer. Do not name a client as the issuer without its permission. |
| Signatures | A signature line signed by hand, or a typed name and role. A scanned signature is your own choice. | This kit supplies no signature image. Do not sign for another person. |
| Grades and ranks | On a completion certificate: the task and that it was observed. | No grade, score, mark or rank on an attendance certificate. Do not rank people on any certificate. |
| Verification | The certificate ID, which matches one row in your register. | No QR code, verification portal, digital badge or blockchain claim. This kit supplies none. |
Merge fields
The header row of the CSV and the fields in the Word file use these exact names. Keep them in lower case with underscores.
| Field | What goes in it | Example | Used on |
|---|---|---|---|
| participant_name | The name as the person asked for it on the evidence record, with all accents. | Zoë Ó Briain | Both |
| session_title | The session title as it appeared on the invitation. | Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop | Both |
| session_date | The date written out, with the weekday. For a course over several days, write the range. | Thursday 15 October 2026 | Both |
| hours | Scheduled contact time the person attended, as a number. Half hours as .5. | 3 | Both |
| evidence | The observed task in one sentence: what the person did and who observed it. Empty for attendance rows. | Ran a 10-minute feedback conversation … | Completion |
| issuer_name | Your organisation or your business name. | Fernbrook Housing Co-operative | Both |
| facilitator_name | The trainer who ran the session and signs. | Halima Yusuf | Both |
| facilitator_role | The signer’s role. | Trainer | Both |
| issue_date | The day you issue the certificate. | Friday 16 October 2026 | Both |
| certificate_id | Session code, session date and a two-digit number. Add -R1 for a reissue. | FBW-20261015-01 | Both |
| design | attendance or completion. Used to filter the merge; not printed. | completion | Filter only |
Merge source: example rows
The CSV in the bundle holds these three fictional rows under this header. Replace them with your own rows; keep the header.
| participant_name | session_title | session_date | hours | evidence | issuer_name | facilitator_name | facilitator_role | issue_date | certificate_id | design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoë Ó Briain | Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop | Thursday 15 October 2026 | 3 | Ran a 10-minute feedback conversation in a practice trio, observed by the trainer against a four-point checklist. | Fernbrook Housing Co-operative | Halima Yusuf | Trainer | Friday 16 October 2026 | FBW-20261015-01 | completion |
| José Núñez Fernández | Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop | Thursday 15 October 2026 | 3 | Ran a 10-minute feedback conversation in a practice trio, observed by the trainer against a four-point checklist. | Fernbrook Housing Co-operative | Halima Yusuf | Trainer | Monday 19 October 2026 | FBW-20261015-02-R1 | completion |
| Nguyễn Thị Lan | Giving feedback that lands: practice workshop | Thursday 15 October 2026 | 3 | Fernbrook Housing Co-operative | Halima Yusuf | Trainer | Friday 16 October 2026 | FBW-20261015-03 | attendance |
From the sign-in sheet to the merge source
The training sign-in sheet is the attendance list. Copy only what the certificate needs.
| Sign-in sheet column | Merge field | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Printed name | participant_name | Copy, then correct it with the name check. The sign-in sheet is handwritten; the certificate must use the spelling the person confirmed. |
| Time in and time out | hours | Full session: the scheduled hours. Late or early: count from the later of time in and the start to the earlier of time out and the finish, rounded down to the half hour. |
| Team or organisation | (not printed) | Keep it in the register if you report by team. It does not go on the certificate. |
| Session, date, location or link, trainer (sheet header) | session_title, session_date, facilitator_name | Same for every row. Type them once and fill down. |
| Photos OK? and Contact me privately | (not used) | Never copy these into the merge source or the register. |
Filled example: completion evidence record
Fictional. Five completion certificates and three attendance certificates. Ruth Adeyemi left at 11:00, so her hours are 1.5.
| No. | Name as it should be printed | Name checked | Time in | Time out | Hours | Observed? Y/N | What the trainer saw, or why not | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoë Ó Briain | ☒ | 09:24 | 12:30 | 3 | Y | Ran the conversation as the giver; trainer observed all four points. | completion |
| 2 | José Núñez Fernández | ☒ | 09:29 | 12:30 | 3 | Y | Ran the conversation as the giver; all four points seen. | completion |
| 3 | Nguyễn Thị Lan | ☒ | 09:20 | 12:30 | 3 | N | Chose to observe instead of running a practice. Offered a slot in the follow-up session. | attendance |
| 4 | Anna-Katharina Wolff-Rosenberg de la Fuente | ☒ | 09:27 | 12:30 | 3 | Y | Ran the conversation as the giver; all four points seen. | completion |
| 5 | Daniel Mensah | ☒ | 09:26 | 12:30 | 3 | Y | Ran it twice; the second run met all four points. | completion |
| 6 | Ruth Adeyemi | ☒ | 09:28 | 11:00 | 1.5 | N | Left at 11:00 for a site call, before the practice round. | attendance |
| 7 | Marek Kowalczyk | ☒ | 09:25 | 12:30 | 3 | Y | Ran the conversation as the giver; all four points seen. | completion |
| 8 | Sofia Lindqvist | ☒ | 09:30 | 12:30 | 3 | N | Practice partner, but the trio ran out of time before her turn. | attendance |
Filled example: issue register
Fictional. Nine rows for eight people: the first certificate for José Núñez Fernández lost its accents, so it was withdrawn and reissued with -R1. Current certificates: five completion, three attendance.
| Certificate ID | Participant name | Design | Hours | Evidence | Issued | Sent as | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FBW-20261015-01 | Zoë Ó Briain | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Issued | |
| FBW-20261015-02 | Jose Nunez Fernandez | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Withdrawn | Accents lost (CSV not UTF-8). Replaced |
| FBW-20261015-02-R1 | José Núñez Fernández | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Mon 19 Oct | PDF by email | Issued | Reissue of -02 |
| FBW-20261015-03 | Nguyễn Thị Lan | attendance | 3 | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Issued | Can complete at the follow-up | |
| FBW-20261015-04 | Anna-Katharina Wolff-Rosenberg de la Fuente | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Fri 16 Oct | Printed and handed over | Issued | Long name checked on paper |
| FBW-20261015-05 | Daniel Mensah | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Issued | |
| FBW-20261015-06 | Ruth Adeyemi | attendance | 1.5 | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Issued | Sign-in times: 09:30 to 11:00 | |
| FBW-20261015-07 | Marek Kowalczyk | completion | 3 | Observed feedback conversation | Fri 16 Oct | Printed and handed over | Issued | |
| FBW-20261015-08 | Sofia Lindqvist | attendance | 3 | Fri 16 Oct | PDF by email | Issued |
Send certificates digitally
Each person receives only their own certificate. Nobody sees the group list.
| Route | How | Check |
|---|---|---|
| One PDF per person (any group size) | In Word: Mailings, Finish & Merge, Edit Individual Documents. Each certificate is one page. Save as PDF and choose one page at a time, or merge one record at a time with the record number. Name each file with the certificate ID, for example FBW-20261015-01.pdf. | Open three files and check the name, the design and the hours before you send anything. |
| Email from your own mailbox | Send one message per person with their own PDF attached. Put the plain-text statement in the message body for screen-reader users. | One recipient per message. Never put the group in To or Cc. |
| Merge to email (Word with desktop Outlook) | Add an email column to your own copy of the merge source only. Finish & Merge, Send Email Messages sends a separate message to each row, so nobody sees the other addresses. It sends the certificate text as the message body, not as a PDF attachment. | Delete the email column after sending. Never add email addresses to the sign-in sheet. |
| Printed and handed over | Print on plain white paper at 100% scale, landscape. Hand each person their own certificate, face down, or leave it in a named envelope. | Check the long names on paper: no name may wrap onto a second line. |
What you'll leave with
Every eligible participant has a correct certificate, with their name spelled as they asked and hours that match the sign-in times, and a register row, within one working day of the session.
Before the session
- For trainers and facilitators who issue proof of attendance or completion after a workplace session. The 60 minutes cover the whole issue for a group of up to 16; most of it happens on the day after the session.
- Before the session, decide the one observable task that earns a completion certificate, such as a practice conversation the trainer observes, and say it at the start. Everyone else who attends receives an attendance certificate. Nobody has to take part in a practice to receive a certificate.
- Have the issuer details ready: your organisation’s name, the facilitator’s name and role, a short session code for the certificate IDs, and the session title as it appeared on the invitation. Print the completion evidence record, one row per person, and keep the sign-in sheet.
- Plan accessible issue: a digital PDF for each person, the statement in plain text in the email body, a private name check for people who prefer not to show their name to the group, and a large-print copy on request.
The run of show
Check the attendance list
On the day of the session, compare the sign-in sheet with the people you saw. Count the names and compare the count with the one you recorded at the start. For each person who arrived late or left early, work out the hours attended from the time in and time out: from the later of their arrival and the start, to the earlier of their departure and the finish, rounded down to the half hour. Write the hours on the completion evidence record. Leave out meal breaks; short breaks inside the session count.
Name check with each participant
In the last five minutes of the session, pass round the completion evidence record or show it on screen, one row at a time for online groups. Say: “Please check the name in your row. Write it exactly as you want it printed, with any accents, and tick the box.” Online, ask each person to send their name in a private chat message instead. Do not read names aloud to the group. A person may choose a preferred name; print that one.
Mark the completion evidence
Decide before the session which observable task earns a completion certificate, and say it at the start: “If you run one practice conversation and I observe it, you will receive a certificate of completion. If you prefer not to, you will receive a certificate of attendance. Both are fine.” After the session, mark Y or N for each person and write one line on what you saw, or why not. Someone who chose not to do the task, or who left before it, receives an attendance certificate. Never write a judgement on the record that you would not say to the person.
Fill the merge source
Open the CSV or the Merge source sheet in the workbook. Keep the header row exactly as it is: the names match the fields in the Word file. Type one row per person, copy the session details down, set design to attendance or completion, and fill evidence only on completion rows. Give each row a certificate ID: the session code, the date and a two-digit number. Save as CSV UTF-8 so that names such as Nguyễn Thị Lan keep their accents. If accents look broken when you open the CSV in Excel, import it with Data, From Text/CSV and choose UTF-8, or use the Merge source sheet in the workbook as the list instead.
Run the merge
Save a copy of the Word file and delete every page except the merge certificate you need: attendance or completion, in A4 or US Letter. In Word: Mailings, Start Mail Merge, Letters; Select Recipients, Use an Existing List, and choose your CSV; if Word asks for the encoding, choose Unicode (UTF-8). Use Edit Recipient List to filter on design, so the attendance page only receives attendance rows. The fields are already in place. Preview the results, then Finish & Merge, Edit Individual Documents. Run the second design the same way.
Check three certificates by eye
Before you send anything, open three certificates: the longest name, a name with accents and one of each design. Check that the name sits on one line, that every accent shows, that the hours match the record and that the completion certificate names the task. If a name is longer than about 45 characters, reduce the name size in the Word file from 24 to 20 point and merge again. Read one statement aloud to yourself: it must be true for that person.
Send or hand over
Sign each printed certificate by hand, or use the typed name and role. For digital issue, save one PDF per person and name it with the certificate ID. Send one message per person, never to the group, with the plain-text statement in the message body. Add: “If anything on your certificate is wrong, reply to this message within ten working days and I will reissue it.”
Record in the register
Add one row per certificate to the issue register: ID, name, design, hours, evidence for completion rows, issue date, who issued it and how it was sent. The workbook refuses an issue date on a completion row with no evidence, and counts certificates by design. For a correction, mark the old row Withdrawn, add a new row with the same number plus -R1, and write the reason. Do not delete the old row.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name as it should be printed | Checked by the participant, with accents and their preferred name |
| Time in and time out | From the sign-in sheet, for anyone who arrived late or left early |
| Hours attended | Scheduled contact time, rounded down to the half hour |
| Task observed? | Y or N, decided against the task you announced at the start |
| What the trainer saw, or why not | One factual line you would be happy for the person to read |
| Design | attendance or completion |
Debrief questions
- Before you leave: is your name on the evidence record spelled exactly as you want it printed?
- Which certificate will you receive, attendance or completion, and which task decided it?
- What does your certificate say, and what does it not say? It records this session; it is not an accreditation, a professional credit or a judgement of your skill.
- If anything on your certificate is wrong, who do you tell, and by when?
Adapt it for your group
- Small group of two to five: do the name check face to face and hand over printed certificates at the end of the session. Keep the register anyway; a lost certificate is reissued from it.
- Short version: for a session of an hour or less with no observed task, issue attendance certificates only. Skip the evidence step and leave the evidence column empty.
- Online: run the name check by private chat message or a short form, never in the group chat. Send one PDF per person from your own mailbox, and use the plain-text statement in the message body.
- Accessibility: offer a large-print copy of the statement at 18 point, the plain-text statement for screen-reader users, and the choice of a preferred name. Nobody has to perform in front of the group to receive a certificate; offer a one-to-one observation as an alternative task.
- Multi-session course: issue one certificate at the end, with the date range and the total hours attended from the attendance tracker in the training sign-in sheet workbook. A person who missed sessions receives the hours they attended.
After the session
Keep the register with the session records. When someone reports an error, check the evidence record, mark the old row Withdrawn, issue a new certificate with the same ID plus -R1 and send it within five working days. When a person who received an attendance certificate completes the task later, for example in a follow-up session, issue a new completion certificate with its own ID and keep both rows. Once a year, check that the register holds no more than the certificate needs: no contact details, no photos and no notes you would not show the person.
Questions people ask
What should a training certificate include?
The participant’s name, the session title, the date, the hours of scheduled contact time attended, the issuer, the facilitator’s name and role, the issue date and a certificate ID. A completion certificate also names the task the person did and who observed it. Leave out grades on an attendance certificate, and anything you cannot prove from your records.
What is the difference between a certificate of attendance and a certificate of completion?
Attendance says the person took part, on which date and for how many hours. Completion says the person did something observable, such as running a practice conversation that the trainer observed, and names that task. Decide the task before the session and announce it, so nobody is surprised by which certificate they receive.
Can I say my training is accredited or gives CPD points?
Only if an accrediting body or a CPD or CEU scheme has registered the course and told you what to print. For an in-house or freelance session, state the hours of contact time instead; participants may log those hours in their own development record if their scheme allows it. Words such as “certified”, “accredited” and “qualification” suggest a formal status that one session does not give, so the certificates in this kit do not use them.
How do I mail merge certificates from the attendance list?
Fill the CSV, one row per person, under the header row in this kit. Save a copy of the Word file with only the certificate page you need, then use Mailings, Select Recipients, Use an Existing List and choose the CSV. The merge fields are already in place. Filter on the design column, preview, and finish with Edit Individual Documents. Check three certificates by eye before you send them.
How is this different from the training sign-in sheet?
The training sign-in sheet records who attended and when. This kit turns that record into certificates: it adds the name check, the completion evidence, the merge and a register of what was issued. Use the sign-in sheet on the day and this kit afterwards. To collect feedback on the session itself, use the training evaluation form.
What is in the free PDF, and what do subscribers also receive?
The open PDF holds both certificates, blank with the merge fields and filled with fictional names, in A4 and US Letter landscape, plus the evidence record, the issue register example, the wording table, the merge fields and the issuing steps. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file with real mail-merge fields, an Excel workbook with the issue register, an evidence record that calculates the hours attended and the merge source, and the CSV merge source with three example rows. The kit supplies no signature image, QR code or verification service.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.