How to verify that a certificate is authentic
A certificate that looks right can still be wrong. The reliable check is not how the document looks but what the issuer's own record says.
Short answer
Do not judge the document by how it looks. Scan its QR code or type its credential ID into the issuer's verification page, then compare the name, the credential and the date with what you were given. For a Certifyd credential the page also shows a status: valid, expired or revoked.
Why appearance proves little
Logos, seals and signatures are easy to copy, and a PDF can be edited in minutes. A certificate is only as trustworthy as the record behind it, so the question is whether the issuer confirms it.
Check a certificate in three steps
- Find the QR code or credential ID printed on the document. A Certifyd ID looks like CFD-7X4K-92QM.
- Scan the code, or type certifyd.cloud/verify followed by the ID. No account is needed.
- Compare the recipient, the credential, the issuer and the date with the document in front of you.
The ID is not case sensitive and works with or without dashes. It never uses the letters I or O or the digits 0 or 1, which helps if you are typing it from a printout.
What the status tells you
- Valid: issued by the organization shown, not withdrawn and not past its expiry date.
- Expired: it was genuine, but its date has passed and it may need renewing.
- Revoked: the issuer withdrew it. Do not rely on it, even if the document looks perfect.
When something looks wrong
Check that the address is certifyd.cloud over HTTPS; a QR code that sends you elsewhere is not a Certifyd verification. If the page says the certificate was not found, check the ID for typing slips, then contact the organization that gave you the document. If the details differ from the document, trust the page and ask the issuer to confirm.
Certifyd shows only what the issuer recorded. It confirms that a credential exists and its status; it cannot tell you whether the course behind it was any good.
If you issue certificates, make them easy to check
Verification is a two-sided job. The person checking needs something to check, and the issuer has to make that cheap. A few habits help.
- Print the credential ID in text next to the QR code, so a certificate can be checked without a scanner.
- Set an expiry date on anything that must be renewed, so a lapsed credential reads as expired and not as valid.
- Revoke a credential issued by mistake instead of quietly replacing the file.
- Tell recipients that the verification link is the proof, and encourage them to share that link.
Employers and clients then get the same answer you would give them on the phone, without anyone having to pick up the phone.
Quick checklist for the person checking
- You opened the page from the QR code or typed the ID yourself.
- The address is certifyd.cloud over HTTPS.
- The name, credential and date match the document.
- The status is valid, not expired or revoked.
- If anything differs, you asked the issuer to confirm.
Questions
Does verifying cost anything?
No. Verification is public and free for anyone with the QR code or the ID.
Can a verification page be faked?
Check the web address. A genuine verification is always on certifyd.cloud over HTTPS. Because the result comes from the issuer's live record, editing a PDF or image does not change what the page says.
Can I verify many credentials at once?
Developers can look up credentials programmatically through the public verification endpoint described on the developers page.
