Using Certification for Zoom Webinars Plus and Events

Certification for Zoom Events and Webinars Plus allows event hosts to automatically award certificates to attendees who meet predefined criteria during live events. Hosts can set requirements like minimum watch duration, poll participation, and resource access. When attendees fulfill these criteria, the system generates a personalized PDF certificate and delivers it through download links in session and lobby and optional follow-up emails.

Requirements for certification

• A Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account
• Zoom Events Unlimited license or Zoom Events Pay Per Attendee license; or, Zoom Webinars Plus Unlimited or Zoom Webinars Plus Pay Per Attendee license
• Zoom desktop app version 6.7.0 or later
• A single-session event with simplified setup workflow enabled
• Enabled Registration method Sign in with Zoom

Note: For access to the latest Zoom Events and Webinar features, we strongly recommend hosts to update to the latest version of the Zoom desktop or mobile app.

Limitations for certification

• Attendee certification progress panel not available on web
• On-demand webinars, recurring events, and multi-session events are not supported
• Maximum event size of 1,000 attendees

Note: Certification can only be enabled when creating a new event. You can’t enable or edit certification settings once an event is published or live.

How to enable certification for an event

Note: Both Lobby and the simplified event setup workflow must be enabled for Certificates to be available. The simplified event setup workflow can be enabled during the event creation process, in the section where you select the event type.

Enable certification during event creation

1. Sign in to Zoom Events.
2. In the left navigation menu, click the down arrow and select Across Hubs.
3. In the left navigation menu, click Events.
4. In the top-right corner, click Create event, then select Blank event.
5. Select Single session as the event type, then click the Switch to a simplified setup workflow with improved layout and fewer steps toggle below.
6. In the bottom-right corner of the page, click Next.
   A window asking for event details will appear.
7. Complete the following event details. The fields may span multiple screens. Click Next to view the remaining options or Back to return to previously entered information. The Certification option is found under Additional features.
   1. Basic information: Enter the essential details for your event, including title, date and time, time zone, capacity, and associated hub.
      • Event title: Enter your preferred name for the event.
      • Event date & time: Select when the event will take place.
      • Time zone: Use the dropdown to choose the time zone.
      • Event capacity: Set the maximum number of attendees for the event.
        Note: The default capacity is set to match your hub's linked license. You can adjust this capacity depending on your concurrent license status.
      • This is associated with the: Use the dropdown to choose which hub you want to associate the event with.
   2. Event experience: Configure how attendees will interact with your event, including session format and layout options.
      • What should the registration experience be?: Select how attendees will register for the event. Registration captures attendee information before they can access your event.
      • Choose how attendees authenticate to join: Choose how attendees will access your event. Certification currently supports only the Sign in with Zoom authentication method.
      • Will you need a lobby experience?: A lobby is a branded event space where attendees can access session details, resources, and recordings before and after your event.
      • What type of session do you want?: Choose the session type, either webinar or meeting, that fits your event. Webinars are ideal for presentations where only hosts and panelists appear on video. Meetings allow all participants to share video and audio, creating a collaborative experience.
      • Will you share recordings with attendees after the event?: Choose whether recordings will be accessible to participants after the event ends.
   3. Additional features: Enable optional settings and tools to enhance your event, such as certificates or engagement features.
      • Add a role: Click to create a new role for the event.
      • Main event image: Click the thumbnail to select an image from the content library or upload one from your device.
        Note: Recommended image dimensions are 1920x1080 pixels. Supported formats are JPG, JPEG, and PNG. Maximum file size is 15 MB.
      • Certification: Click to mark this event as certification-eligible. Attendees can receive certification by attending this event and meeting specific criteria.
        Note: Once enabled, a confirmation prompt will appear, showing the changes this feature will make to your event settings:
        • Event capacity to 1,000 attendees maximum.
        • Registration Security & authentication settings set to Sign In with Zoom only for all attendees.
      • Onsite experience: Enable to set up attendee check-in options via QR codes and enable the companion app.
      • Require alternative hosts and speaker roles to authenticate at time of join: Enable to ensure all alternative hosts and speakers verify their identity when joining the event.
8. Click Done, create this event.
   You will be directed to the event setup page with Certification enabled.

Enable certification for an existing event

1. Create a single-session event with simplified event setup workflow enabled.
2. In the left navigation menu, select General configuration, then click the Advanced features tab.
3. To the right of Certification, click the toggle to enable  it.
   A confirmation prompt will appear, showing the changes this feature will make to your event settings.
   • Event capacity to 1,000 attendees maximum.
   • Registration Security & authentication settings set to Sign In with Zoom only for all attendees.
4. Click Continue to confirm.
   The confirmation prompt will close, and you will be directed to the Advanced features tab, where Certification will show as enabled and a new Edit option will be available.

Note: To disable Certification, click the toggle to disable  it, then click Continue to confirm. This will remove the 1,000 attendee limit, disable certification emails, and restore all registration options.

Edit Certification criteria, design, and delivery method

Access the Certification Edit Panel

1. Access and enable Certification for the event.
2. Next to the Certification toggle  , click Edit .
   A panel appears on the right where you can set certification criteria and milestones that attendees must meet to earn certificates. You can also customize the certificate design and choose how it will be delivered. The following tabs are available:
   • Criteria: Select the requirements attendees must meet to earn the certificate.
   • Certificate Design: Customize the look and layout of the certificate, including branding, text, and images.
   • Certificate Delivery: Choose how the certificate is delivered, such as In-session download or Email delivery.

How to configure Certification criteria

Select the criteria you would like the attendees to meet to earn the certificate.

1. Access the Certification Edit Panel.
2. Click the Certification criteria tab.
   The following options will appear. These parameters can be enabled, disabled, or modified to set requirements or criteria for your certification. They are modular, so you can use one, several, or all as needed.
   • View time: Require attendees to watch the session for a minimum duration.
     1. Click the checkbox  next to View time to enable it.
     2. To the left of minutes required, click the up or down arrows  to increase or decrease the minimum required minutes by 1. Alternatively, click the number itself and enter your preferred minute count.
        Note: You cannot set a value higher than your configured event duration.
   • Polls answered: Require attendees to participate in polls during the session.
     Note: If no polls are configured for the event, this option appears greyed out with a link to the poll setup section.
     1. Click the checkbox  next to Polls answered to enable it.
     2. To the left of polls answered, click the up or down arrows  to increase or decrease the minimum required number of answered polls by 1. Alternatively, click the number itself and enter your preferred count.
   • Resources accessed: Require attendees to access resources (files or links) during the session.
     Note: If no resources are configured for the event, this option appears greyed out with a link to the resources setup section. All selected criteria must be met for attendees to earn certification.
     1. Click the checkbox  next to Resources accessed to enable it.
     2. To the left of resources accessed, click the up or down arrows  to increase or decrease the minimum required number of resources accessed by 1. Alternatively, click the number itself and enter your preferred count.
3. In the bottom-right corner, click Save.

How to design Certificates

Design certificate that will be delivered to attendees upon meeting all criteria.

1. Access the Certification Edit Panel.
2. Click the Certificate design tab.
   The following options will appear.
3. Under Select certificate style, choose one of these templates:
   • Use default certificate template: If you select this template, a preview of the certificate will appear to the right. The preview is interactive. You can click and drag text elements to reposition them and edit text formatting, including font style, size, and color. You can also perform the following actions:
     • Upload logo: Click Choose files or drag and drop an image to upload a logo from your computer.
       Note: Files must be in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format and up to 15 MB. Recommended image height is 56 pixels.
     • Select main border color: Click to open the color panel, where you can pick a color by dragging the circle across the color spectrum, or enter a value using HEX or RGB fields.
     • Select fields to display on the certificate: Tick the checkboxes for Attendee name, Event name, Date of completion, and Custom text to enable or disable these elements on the certificate preview.
   • Upload custom certificate template: Upload your certificate design in PDF format with blank spaces for fields like attendee name, event title, custom text, and date of completion. The preview is interactive. You can click and drag text elements to reposition them and edit text formatting, including font style, size, and color. You can also perform the following actions:
     • Click to upload or drop a file here: Click the field or drag a file into it to upload a design template.
     • Select fields to display on the certificate: Tick the checkboxes for Attendee name, Event name, Date of completion, and Custom text to enable or disable these elements on the certificate preview.
4. (Optional) In the top-right corner, click Preview in PDF to open the certificate as a PDF in a new browser tab.
5. In the bottom-right corner, click Save.

How to change Certificate delivery method

1. Access the Certification Edit Panel.
2. Click the Certificate Delivery tab to select between the following delivery options:
   • In-session download: A banner will appear in the session, allowing attendees to download their certificate once all requirements are met. Note: Don’t close the session immediately to allow time for attendees to download it.
   • Email certificate: A link to download the certificate will be sent after the event ends. Click Configure Email to open the Zoom Events email builder, which previews the certificate email and lets you modify the content and layout to your preferences.
   • Lobby download: A link to download the certificate will be included in the lobby after the event ends.

Attendee experience with certification

Attendees can track their certification progress and receive certificates during and after your event.

Progress tracking

Attendees using the Zoom desktop app can view a progress panel that shows:

• Current progress toward each certification requirement
• Real-time updates (with up to a 30-second delay) as they complete the criteria
• Completion status for each requirement

Note: The progress panel is only available in the Zoom desktop app, not on the web portal or mobile.

Certificate download

When attendees meet all requirements:

• A success banner appears during the live session with a certificate download link and attendees can immediately download their PDF certificate.
• After the event ends, qualified attendees receive an email with a link to download the certificate.
• A link to download the certificate will be included in the lobby after the event ends.

Note: Only attendees who complete all specified criteria during the live session will receive certificates.

This feature is disabled by default. Hosts must contact Zoom Support to request activation for their account.

The simplified setup workflow must be enabled for Certificates to be available. This workflow is a recent addition designed to streamline event setup with an improved layout and fewer steps. It appears during the event setup process under the Single-session event option, where the toggle is off by default. Once enabled, the Lite and Full single-session radio buttons are no longer displayed.