Renewal
Start Recertify from Certificates when a certificate is expired or nearing expiry.
What This Is For
Renewal (also called recertification) is how you keep a certificate valid after its validity period ends—or before it expires. You start from Certificates with Recertify, then complete the renewal content authors configured in Create.
Renewal is not automatic when the date passes. You must finish the configured path (or an administrator can renew the certificate on your profile in Users & Groups).
Authors set validity and which content renews the certificate. That setup lives in Create—see the links at the end. This page covers the learner path in Certificates.
Who This Is For
Learners who hold an expiring or expired certificate. Administrators configure paths in Create and may renew or edit certificates under Users & Groups.
Before You Start
- The certificate must allow renewal: authors turned on Activate recertification (or an equivalent renewal path such as a category streak) on the content.
- You should have email reminders on unless you silenced them—see Notifications.
- Job-shaped overview: Renew an Expiring Certificate.
When Recertify Appears
Recertify shows on a certificate row when both are true:
- Renewal content is configured for that certificate, and
- The certificate is expired, or it expires within about the next 90 days (roughly the same three-month window as reminder emails)
If there is no renewal path, or the certificate is still more than about three months from expiry, you see Download instead of Recertify.
Steps to Renew From Certificates
- Open Certificates.
- Find the certificate under Expired certificates or Active certificates (near-expiry items stay under Active until the date passes).
- Click Recertify.
- In the Renew Certificate dialog (wording can vary if you are restarting the same content), review the renewal content, then confirm to continue.
- Complete that content in Learn (course, Imported Package, program, or meetup path as configured).
- When you finish successfully, the certificate renews (or is replaced, depending on author settings). Return to Certificates to confirm the new dates.
If authors used a category streak (for example many courses across Level 1–3), Recertify opens the recertification target of the last renewer—usually the specific highest-level course that last renewed this certificate—not the original lower-level course. Details: Advanced Renewal Paths.
If renewal targets a program and starting again would reset progress, the dialog can warn you before you confirm—read that message carefully.
Program Inner Content and Learn Visibility
Visibility in Learn and renewal access are separate.
If you earned a certificate from content you only completed inside a program—so that item never appeared as its own row in Learn—you can still renew. Your issued certificate unlocks the configured recertification content from Certificates and renewal flows without needing standalone Learn visibility for that renewal item.
Full rules: Visibility in Learn. Author-side note: Certificate Expiration and Renewal.
Opening an Imported Package When You Can Renew
If your certificate is expired or within about 90 days of expiry, and you open a finished Imported Package in Learn to review it (SCORM, Tin Can / xAPI, or cmi5), Skillhabit asks you to choose before the package loads:
- Renew Certificate — start the same renewal flow as Recertify (restart or open the configured renewal content).
- View Answers — open the package only to review your previous attempt, without starting a renewal.
That choice appears so renewal is intentional: reviewing prior answers does not accidentally count as starting a renew attempt. Use the player close control to leave without choosing.
Other Ways Renewal Can Happen
| Path | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Certificates → Recertify | Standard learner path (this page) |
| Assigned / visible content in Learn | You open the renewal content directly if it already appears in your library |
| Package player choice (Renew / View Answers) | When opening a finished Imported Package (SCORM, Tin Can / xAPI, or cmi5) that is renew-eligible (expired or within ~90 days) |
| Users & Groups (administrator) | Manual renew, issue, or delete on a user’s profile—replaces the prior participation and issues with your dates; see Manage Certificates |
| Advanced author paths | One refresher renews several certificates, or category streaks—Advanced Renewal Paths |
