Certificate Expiration and Renewal
Validity periods, recertification content, and renewal reminder emails.
What This Is For
When Activate recertification is on, certificates can expire after a validity period, and learners can renew by completing linked recertification content.
This is configured on the certifying content in Create. Learners renew from the Certificates app (and related renewal entry points).
Who This Is For
Administrators and collaborators who run compliance or time-bounded credentials. Learners complete renewal; they do not configure it.
Validity Options
Under Certificate is valid for..., typical choices are:
- 6 months
- One year
- Two years
- Three years
- Five years
The clock follows your certificate / recertification settings from issue (and renew) time.
Recertification Content and Visibility
When you link Content to use for recertification..., learners who hold the relevant issued certificate can open that renewal content without standalone Learn visibility for the recertification item.
That matters when the certificate was earned from inner program content that never had its own library tile—see Visibility in Learn.
A generic share link still needs normal visibility (or a valid renewal path)—see Share Link.
Renewal Notifications
Starting about three months before expiration, users receive email reminders on Wednesdays at 10:00 (GMT+1) during the 1st and 3rd week of each month until they renew or turn notifications off in Certificates.
Timing is approximate: reminders are generated asynchronously across workspaces and may take a while to reach everyone.
Before You Start
- Enable Certificate issuance and Activate recertification on the content—Certificate Configuration.
- Publish (or keep published) both the certifying content and any separate renewal content.
- For multi-course renewal strategies, read Advanced Renewal Paths.
Steps — Configure Expiration and Renewal
- Open the content → Certificate issuance → Activate recertification.
- Choose Certificate is valid for...
- Set Content to use for recertification... (another course/SCORM/program/meetup, or Renewed by itself).
- Review optional replace / self-destruct behaviour if shown.
- Publish if you changed a live item.
- Spot-check a test user in Certificates after they earn a certificate.
Result
Certificates expire on schedule; eligible holders can renew; reminder emails follow the cadence above.
