Generate PDFs for Your Certificates

Time to read: 4 minutes

Overview

The Generate PDFs page lets you produce PDF certificates in bulk using a simple 3-step flow: choose which certificates need PDFs, pick a design, and generate them all at once.

What it does:

• Automatically identifies certificates that are missing a PDF
• Lets you select any combination of certificates to generate for
• Uses your saved Design Studio designs (or lets you pick one per batch)
• Shows live progress and results as each PDF is generated

Available on: Basic and Pro plans

When to Use This

• You imported certificates via CSV and need to generate PDFs for all of them
• Some certificates are missing PDFs and you want to fill in the gaps
• You want to apply a new design to a batch of existing certificates

How to Get There

1. Log into CertLister at https://app.certlister.com
2. Click Generate PDFs in the left navigation sidebar
3. The page opens directly to Step 1 with all certificates missing a PDF pre-selected

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 — Select Certificates

The page opens showing all certificates that don't yet have a PDF, with all of them pre-selected. You can:

• Deselect any certificates you want to skip
• Use the search box to filter by recipient name or title
• Select or deselect all with the checkbox at the top

Each row shows the recipient name and certificate title so you can confirm the right records are selected.

When you're happy with your selection, click Next.

Step 2 — Choose a Design

You'll see a grid of your saved Design Studio designs. Click on a design card to select it — a blue checkmark appears on the selected design.

If you only have one design, it's pre-selected automatically.

Don't have a design yet? You'll see a prompt to visit the Design Studio and create one first. Designs are built in the Design Studio (Generate → Design Studio from the nav).

When you've selected a design, click Next.

Step 3 — Review & Generate

You'll see a summary:

• Number of certificates selected
• The design that will be used

Click Generate PDFs to start. A progress bar shows how many have been completed. Each certificate is processed one at a time — generation typically takes 5–15 seconds per certificate depending on complexity.

When complete, you'll see a results summary showing how many succeeded and any that failed. Click Done to return to the Certificates page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if a certificate already has a PDF?

A: Certificates that already have a PDF are filtered out by default on Step 1. If you manually select one anyway, generating will overwrite the existing PDF with the new one.

Q: Can I stop generation mid-way?

A: Not currently — once you click Generate, the batch runs to completion. If you need to cancel, navigate away from the page (already-generated PDFs will be saved).

Q: Where can I see which certificates are missing a PDF?

A: On the main Certificates page, use the PDF Status filter (dropdown in the search bar) and select Missing PDF. You can also go directly to the Generate PDFs page — it pre-selects all missing ones automatically.

Q: Can I use a different design for different certificates in the same batch?

A: No — one design is applied to the entire batch. To use different designs, run the Generate PDFs flow separately for each group.

Q: I don't see the Generate PDFs link in the sidebar.

A: This feature requires a Basic or Pro plan. If you're on the Free plan, upgrade from Settings → Billing.