What goes on a certificate
Title
Certificate of Appreciation, Participation, Attendance or Achievement, depending on what it recognises.
Opening line
For example “This certificate is proudly presented to” or “This is to certify that”.
Recipient's name
The full name as the person spells it. Add an ID number only when the certificate has to be verified, for example for training hours.
Reason
One line on what the person did: committee member, speaker, sponsor or volunteer.
Event, date and venue
The full event name, date and place, so the certificate still means something years later.
Signatures and positions
One or two signatories, usually the programme director and a chair or head of department.
Certificate number
A unique number on each certificate makes it easy to verify and harder to fake.
Certificate wording examples
Copy and adapt. Each example has an opening line and the wording after the name; click “Use this wording” to put it straight into the certificate above.
Committee member
This certificate is proudly presented to
[Recipient name]
in recognition of your outstanding contribution as a member of the organising committee of [event name].
Speaker
With sincere thanks to
[Recipient name]
for generously sharing your knowledge and experience as a guest speaker at [event name].
Sponsor
This certificate of appreciation is presented to
[Recipient name]
in grateful recognition of your generous sponsorship of [event name].
Volunteer
Presented with heartfelt thanks to
[Recipient name]
for the time, energy and dedication you gave as a volunteer at [event name].
Teacher or trainer
This certificate is presented to
[Recipient name]
in appreciation of your dedication and guidance throughout [event name].
Long service
This award is presented to
[Recipient name]
in recognition of ten years of outstanding service with [event name].
Competition winner
Congratulations to
[Recipient name]
for winning First Place in [event name].
Course participant
This is to certify that
[Recipient name]
has successfully completed [event name].
Attendee
This is to certify that
[Recipient name]
attended [event name].
Committee member (Malay)
Dengan tulus ikhlas dikurniakan kepada
[Recipient name]
sebagai tanda penghargaan atas komitmen dan sumbangan tenaga sebagai Ahli Jawatankuasa Pelaksana [event name].
Appreciation, participation, attendance or achievement?
| Type | When to use it | Typical opening line |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Appreciation | Thanking someone for a contribution: committee, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, staff | This certificate is proudly presented to |
| Certificate of Participation | Confirming that someone took part in a programme, course or competition | This is to certify that ... has participated in |
| Certificate of Attendance | Proof of attendance, for example for training hours or CPD | This is to certify that ... attended |
| Certificate of Achievement | Results: winners, top performers, award recipients | This certificate is awarded to |
Hundreds of attendees? Let SOURems send the certificates.
In SOURems you design the certificate once. Every attendee gets their own PDF with their name, the event details and a unique certificate number: automatically as soon as they submit a form, such as a feedback form, or all at once through an email campaign. You can see who has received one, and resend or download it at any time.
- A unique name and certificate number for each attendee
- Sent automatically when an attendee submits a form
- One email campaign to every attendee at once
- A record of who has received a certificate
Certificate questions
What is a certificate of appreciation?+
A certificate that thanks someone for a contribution, such as a committee member, speaker, sponsor or volunteer. A certificate of participation only confirms that someone took part.
Is this certificate maker free?+
Yes. No account and no email address. Everything runs in your browser: the names, logo and signatures are not uploaded anywhere.
How do I print certificates for many people at once?+
Paste all the names in the Names box, one per line. When you click Save as PDF, each name becomes one page of the same PDF, up to 500 names.
What size is a certificate?+
A4 landscape (297 x 210 mm) is the most common outside North America, and US Letter (11 x 8.5 in) in the US and Canada. Both are available, in landscape or portrait.
Can I add a logo and signatures?+
Yes. Upload your organisation's logo and signature images; PNGs with a transparent background look cleanest. For wet signatures, leave the space blank and sign after printing.
Should a certificate have a number?+
It helps. A unique number on each certificate lets you check later that it is genuine. Turn on Certificate numbers and set a prefix such as CERT-2026-.
Can I make certificates in Malay?+
Yes. Choose Sijil Penghargaan, Penyertaan, Pencapaian or Kehadiran under Certificate type, or use the Malay version of this page.
How do I email certificates to attendees?+
With this tool, save the PDF and send it yourself. For hundreds of attendees, SOURems emails each attendee their own certificate automatically, with a unique number.