Issue Certificates

Portal: /lms · Desk: Learning workspace

Overview

This guide explains how administrators, moderators, and evaluators create LMS Certificate records—manually from desk, automatically on course completion, or after successful certificate request evaluations. Issuing ties together enrollment validation, template selection, email delivery, and downloadable PDF credentials.

Automatic issuance

When LMS Course has Enable Certification and no evaluation gate:

1. Learner reaches 100% LMS Enrollment progress.
2. Learner clicks Get Certified on course certification page.
3. API create_certificate(course) runs:
   • Returns existing certificate if already issued
   • Validates eligibility (validate_certification_eligibility)
   • Creates LMS Certificate with default template and Issue Date = today
4. Email sends via send_certification_email when outgoing mail configured.
5. Learner downloads PDF immediately.

Telemetry event certificate_issued fires for analytics.

Manual issuance from desk

1. Open /app/lms-certificate → New.
2. Select Member (User linked to employee).
3. Link Course and/or Batch Name (one required for non-admin self-issue).
4. Choose Template print format.
5. Set Issue Date.
6. Save.

Validation ensures:

• Member enrolled in course/cohort
• Progress complete when completion-based certification enabled
• No duplicate for same member + course
• Issuer has admin/evaluator role if bypassing learner self-service

Use manual issue for corrections, honorary certificates, or imported historical credentials.

After certificate request evaluation

Workflow for evaluated programs:

1. Learner completes LMS Certificate Request session.
2. Evaluator confirms competency via rubric.
3. Evaluator or moderator creates LMS Certificate linked to same Course / Batch Name and Member.
4. Request marked Completed.
5. Learner notified via email with certificate link.

Link certificate back to request in internal notes for audit—even though records are not hard-linked by default by default.

Templates and branding

Select Template field referencing LMS Certificate Template or custom Print Format for certificates.

Customize templates with:

• Company logo (/files/...)
• Signatory name/title merge fields
• Course title, member name, issue date, certificate ID

Set site-wide default in LMS Settings so bulk issuance stays consistent.

Test PDF with long course titles and special characters before mass cohort graduation.

Bulk and programmatic issuance

For integrations (e.g., HRIS sync):

cert = frappe.get_doc({
    "doctype": "LMS Certificate",
    "member": user_email,
    "course": course_name,
    "issue_date": frappe.utils.nowdate(),
    "template": default_template,
})
cert.insert(ignore_permissions=True)

Prefer learner self-service create_certificate when possible to enforce eligibility rules automatically.

Report on issued certificates via /app/lms-certificate list export or Statistics certifications chart.

Revocation and reissue

Smooth LMS prevents duplicate active certificates per member/course. To reissue:

1. Assess policy—some audits require amendment not deletion.
2. If permitted, cancel/archive old certificate (delete or rename with admin documentation).
3. Issue new record with updated template or date.

Document changes in HR Employee Document version history if PDF already filed.

Update Employee Compliance renewal dates when reissue reflects recertification.

Email and learner access

Certificates trigger congratulatory email with download link using certification template.

Learners access certificates from:

• Course certification page
• Profile → Certificates
• Email deep link

Public certificate verification URLs may be enabled via www route /certificate/{{id}} redirecting to PDF download—check site configuration.

Tips

• Verify quiz pass status before issuing evaluated certifications.
• Align Issue Date with actual completion for audit accuracy.
• Use cohort-level issuance after batch end dates to avoid partial certificates.
• Quarterly reconcile LMS certificate count with HR training records.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Does LMS training completion automatically update Employee Compliance?

No. Smooth LMS tracks learning progress, quiz scores, and certificates. Smooth HR Employee Compliance is updated separately by HR when a regulatory or policy requirement is satisfied. Download LMS PDFs and attach them to Employee Document, then mark the matching compliance row Complete with the correct renewal date.

Where should quiz PDFs be stored for audits?

Use Employee Document on the employee record with an appropriate Employee Document Type (for example Training Record or Policy Acknowledgment). Include the Quiz Submission Report PDF exported from LMS. For organization-wide retention policies, align document type expiry settings with Employee Compliance renewal periods.

Which desk workspace manages LMS content?

Open the Learning workspace from the app switcher. Desk paths use /app/list name slugs—for example /app/lms-quiz and /app/lms-enrollment. Learners consume training at /lms on the same site.

How do new hires get enrolled in mandatory training?

When Employee Onboarding is created in HRMS, the LMS integration enrolls the employee user in every published Mandatory course and creates LMS Training Assignment rows with default due dates. Ensure the Employee record has a linked User with the LMS Student role.

What is the difference between an LMS Certificate and HR compliance?

An LMS Certificate proves course completion inside Smooth LMS. Employee Compliance in Smooth HR tracks regulatory obligations (training renewals, I-9, background checks) with scheduled expiry alerts. Course certificates do not automatically appear on the HR compliance ledger—HR attaches LMS PDFs to Employee Document and updates Employee Compliance when policy requires.

Can managers view their team's quiz scores?

Managers with Moderator or Course Creator roles can open LMS Quiz Submission list views filtered by course and member. The Statistics dashboard summarizes average assessment scores by course. For official personnel files, export PDFs and store under the employee's HR documents rather than sharing desk login credentials.

Glossary

Smooth LMS + Smooth HR capability map

Use Smooth LMS for training delivery and assessments, and Smooth HR for employee files and compliance records — both on the same account.

Course completion certificates from LMS are separate from HR compliance records until HR explicitly files them. Attach LMS PDFs to Employee Document or update Employee Compliance when a training record must appear on the official employee file for audits.

LMS roles reference

HR users without LMS roles can still manage Employee Document and Employee Compliance records when L&D provides exported PDFs.

Connecting training records to Smooth HR

Smooth LMS and Smooth HR share one account. Completing a course does not automatically update HR compliance—you connect the two when your policy requires it.

Recommended workflow: When an employee completes mandatory training and passes required assessments, download the LMS certificate or quiz PDF from the Learning portal or desk, then attach it to an Employee Document or update the corresponding Employee Compliance record. HR Managers can configure Compliance Type with renewal periods so expiring certifications trigger scheduled reminders—complementing LMS Training Assignment due dates.

New hires enrolled via Employee Onboarding may receive automatic LMS enrollments for courses marked Mandatory; HR still uses Employee Compliance for regulatory items (I-9, background checks) that live outside LMS.

Related guides

• Certifications Overview
• Certificate Requests
• Employee Documents (HRMS)

Last updated: May 2026