Certificates and course completion

Overview

StretchCode issues a completion certificate automatically the first time a learner finishes a course. Each certificate has a unique serial and a public verification page, so learners can prove and share what they've earned.

When a course completes

A course is complete when a learner satisfies both conditions:

1. Every published lesson in the course is marked complete, and
2. Every published quiz in the course is passed (a course with no published quiz needs only lesson completion).

StretchCode re-evaluates these conditions each time a learner completes a lesson or submits a quiz. The instant both are met, the enrollment is marked complete and a certificate is issued. Issuance is idempotent — a learner gets exactly one certificate per course, no matter how many times they revisit it.

The certificate serial

Each certificate carries a unique serial in the form SC-XXXXXXXXXX (the prefix SC- followed by ten characters), for example SC-1A2B3C4D5E. The serial is the key to public verification and never changes once issued.

Where learners find their certificates

• On their dashboard, in a "Your certificates" section listing every certificate they've earned, with the course title, level, and issue date.
• Via a public verification page at the certificate's serial URL. This page shows the holder's name, the course title and level, and the issue date. It requires no login, so learners can share the link with anyone — an employer, a client, or a social profile.

The public verification page is intentionally set to not be indexed by search engines, so individual certificates stay private-by-link while remaining shareable.

What appears on a certificate

The verification page resolves the holder's display name from their profile (display name, then first/last name, then the local part of their email as a fallback), plus the course title, level, and estimated length. Encourage learners to set a proper display name on their profile so certificates read correctly.

A realistic example

An employee completes all twelve lessons of Advanced Spreadsheets and passes its final quiz at 85%. StretchCode issues certificate SC-B4E9F1002A, shows it on their dashboard, and redirects them to the printable verification page. They copy the link into their internal skills profile; their manager opens it — no login required — and sees the employee's name, the course, and the completion date.

Tips

• Because a certificate is issued only on true completion, it's a reliable signal of mastery — especially when the course is quiz-gated.
• Ask learners to set a display name in their profile before they finish, so the certificate shows the right name.
• Archiving a course later does not revoke certificates already earned; existing verification links keep working.
• If you want completion to require demonstrated knowledge (not just reading), add a published quiz — see Building quizzes and assessments.

FAQ

Can a learner earn a certificate more than once for the same course? No. Issuance is idempotent — one certificate per learner per course.

A learner shows 100% lesson progress but no certificate. Why? The course likely has a published quiz they haven't passed. Completion needs all lessons complete and all quizzes passed.

Can I re-issue or revoke a certificate? Certificates are issued automatically on completion and are stable by design. If a course changes materially, the recommended approach is to publish a new/updated course rather than revoking past certificates.

Does the verification link expose private data? It shows the holder's name, course, level, and date — enough to verify the credential — and is not search-indexed.