Digital Credentials Digital Credentials FAQs

Your Digital Credentials FAQs Answered

Digital credentials are crucial for your organization's success, aiding in learner retention, brand reputation, cost savings, and more. We are here to support your business goals and address any queries you may have about the Credly platform.

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Getting Started

What is the difference between Credly and Acclaim?

Credly by Pearson, also referred to as Credly, is the official name of the digital credentialing platform.

Previously known as Acclaim, the platform underwent a rebrand a few years ago. Any marketing materials that mention Credly and Acclaim refer to the same company and product, just under its updated brand identity.

Credly is a Pearson product, and as an integral component within the broader Pearson Workforce Skills ecosystem, Credly plays a crucial role in helping organizations understand, retain, and elevate their most essential asset - their people.

How soon can I begin my credentialing program?

Our team is prepared to identify your best solution and collaborate on a timeline. Keep in mind the resources you have available, and any planning completed beforehand. You can also refer to our step-by-step guide, ‘How to Easily Launch Your High-ROI Digital Credentialing Program, for an overview of the process.

You can also register for our free "Getting Started with Credly" online course, where our experts guide you through the key steps to setting up a successful credentialing program.

*If you are an existing customer with a Credly account, click through to the Academy (from within your admin account) and you'll see it on the main page.

If you are not an existing customer, follow the link below and register for an account. The course is within the tile labeled "Credentials".*

Getting Started with Credly courses

What are the available onboarding packages?

We understand that effective onboarding is essential for the success of our clients. That's why we offer a range of packages to suit different budgets and preferences. We currently offer three onboarding models: Self-Paced, Workshop and Standard. Below is an overview of the different packages. For more details, speak to your sales representative and they will assist you in picking the package that suits your need.

	Self-Paced	Workshop	Standard
Assigned Customer Success Manager		up to 2 hrs	up to 8 hrs
Access to Credly Academy	✔	✔	✔
Platform Training & Best Practices Consulting		✔	✔
Badge Metadata Feedback & Consulting		✔	✔
Access to Help Centre & Support	✔	✔	✔
Visual Design Template	✔	✔	✔
Templates & Promotion Resources	✔	✔	✔
Integration Configuration Support	✔	✔	✔
Group AMA, Platform Trainings, Masterclass	✔	✔	✔

I can see Credly Academy is part of all onboarding packages, what is it, and how can I gain access to it?

All onboarding packages include access to our Credly Academy, which is an online resource center and platform that offers unlimited access to online onboarding courses for system administrators and new team members. You can expect to engage in 2-3 hours of learning activities and download plenty of resources to help you navigate the platform and analyze your program's success. Upon completion of the course, you'll earn a Credly badge!

All users have access to the Academy, directly from the platform via single sign-on (SSO). And depending on your role and needs, you have four different learning options to choose from: Quick Start, Onboarding Paths, Live Training, and Courses. Below is an overview of the different options:

Credly Quick Start

The quickest way to get up and running. This course is very tactical on how to access your account, create and issue badges. We'll also cover ways to promote your new program.

Onboarding Paths

A series of 3 short paths that cover all aspects of launching a digital credential program. This curriculum covers conceptual knowledge about credentials as well as the practical side of program creation and management.

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Live Training

You will be able to register for our live training here. These sessions are offered monthly and meet the needs of those who are brand new to our platform as well as those with experience.

Courses

Most people who come to the Academy are first assigned to a path or a course, but you might be interested or have questions on a specific topic. You can find all the courses here and filter by role or topic and find the learning that works best for you.

Can I customize the platform by selecting specific functions and features?

No, selecting specific features is not possible on Credly. This is because our platform is designed to deliver a seamless and comprehensive experience for issuers and badge earners. Our goal is to foster lifelong learning and personal growth with diverse tools and resources tailored to various learning styles and objectives. By utilizing the complete feature set, we are confident you can effectively support your learners' educational pursuits and accomplish your organizational goals.

Does Credly Acclaim support badging for high school students?

Yes, Credly by Pearson complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), ensuring that we support badging for high school students who are 13 or older. Here are some high schools that utilize our platform: Uxbridge High School, Camberwell Girls Grammar School and Lauriston Girls' School.

Features and Technical Support

What sets Credly apart from other credentialing offerings in the market?

Credly is trusted by over 3,500 issuers globally and is the #1 ranked digital credential management software on G2. As a comprehensive digital credentialing solution, we offer enterprise-level features, world-class customer support, and various onboarding packages, all while ensuring robust data security and privacy. You can count on us to provide verifiable and portable badge-earner accounts in order to deliver a learner-centric ecosystem.

Discover more on why you should choose Credly here.

How are digital credentials verified?

On the Credly platform, every issuer is verified, and every credential is verified. A digital credential on our platform is verified in two ways:

Verifying that the issuing organization has created the digital credential displayed on Credly. The Issuer must go through a legal contracting process to begin issuing badges on the platform. Therefore, it is not possible to sign up, create an issuing account and begin issuing badges under any organizational name. This prevents fraud.
Verifying that the individual was issued the digital credential.

Can the Credly platform be integrated with my existing systems?

Yes. Our REST API allows the easy transfer of information from one system to another. We can take whatever you use to signal course completion and point that to our system, where Credly can automatically create and issue a credential. If you haven't had a chance to explore our integrations yet, we'd be more than happy to walk you through a demo and showcase how everything works together.

What are blockchain credentials and how does it work to help verify credentials?

Issuers can enable blockchain validation for any digital credentials issued. Once enabled, the digital credential will be published to the blockchain upon acceptance by default. The credentials can then be verified in real-time by third parties on the blockchain.

Does the Credly platform offer learning pathways?

You can find 'Pathways' on Credly. It allows badge earners to follow a structured progression. For instance, achieving Badge A and Badge B may unlock Badge C. This system provides flexibility, allowing for various combinations of earned badges and promoting a seamless learning experience.

Can I issue white-label digital credentials on Credly?

No, Credly does not offer white labelling because we are a multi-tenant platform. When an organization white labels its digital credentials without investing in paid placement for their badges, they may not appear in standard search results. This leads to a missed opportunity to showcase your brand alongside large companies and competitors. It also leads to confusion and a lack of understanding if you are looking to reach new earners.

Discover why you shouldn't have white-label credentials here.

Do earners have to create an account to receive a badge?

Yes, we require earners to have their own accounts because we believe it’s important to put the earners in complete control of their own public profile. Only the person who earned the credential should be able to decide if, when and how that credential is made public and associated with their Personally Identifying Information. We ask earners to take the step of associating a password with their account, so they can always access their credentials – irrespective of how and when they earned them.

Does the Credly platform offer accessibility features and promote inclusivity for all users?

Our platform is designed with a focus on providing a positive experience for badge issuers and earners. That is why our customer, NSITE, who trains blind and visually impaired individuals has provided positive feedback. The team finds the platform easy to navigate with no accessibility challenges for either the instructional materials made available to badge earners or the platform itself. You can read the case study here.

What feature does Credly offer to help me communicate with earners?

You can utilize our customizable email notifications to personalize badge notifications and reminder emails directly through the platform. It simplifies the customization process, allowing organizations to better reflect their branding and connect with earners personally.

Can earners import other badges onto the Credly platform?

Yes, for learners who want to showcase all their earned credentials in one place, Credly offers the upload and verification of any badge that conforms to either OpenBadge 2.0 or 3.0 standards – regardless of the credentialing platform from which it was issued.

Analytics Dashboard

What insights can be found on Credly analytics dashboard?

You can find a comprehensive analytics dashboard with access to real-time data to optimize your program and improve ROI.

You can find a funnel view of the following data :

Starting at the top of the funnel, see the number of badges issued.
Of those badges issued, see the number of badges accepted.
Of those badges accepted, see the number of badges shared.
Of those badges shared, see the number of views of those badges.
At the bottom of the funnel, of those badges shared, see the number of clicks on the badges.

You can also find click data, which shows all the clicks that drive traffic to the URLs added to the badges. You can also compare program performance to other organizations on Credly using the benchmarks.

Learn More

Can I export any reports or specific data from the analytics dashboard?

Reports can be exported in either Comma Separated (.csv) or Excel Workbook (.xlsx) formats. You can customize the results by selecting a specific data range, collections, or templates. Export various reports tailored to your chosen criteria. Once your report is ready, you will receive an email containing a download link for easy access.

Post-purchase

What is the pricing structure?

Schedule a demo with our team, and we can discuss and agree on the best plan that suits your needs. This personalized conversation with our team can ensure you are starting your digital credentialing journey with the right resources and support, positioning you for seamless scalability in the future.

What are the renewal options?

We provide various renewal options based on your need, including manual, interim (or multi-year), and automatic renewals. Our team is available to assist you in determining the most suitable plan for your needs.

What support or resources are available to help us implement and maintain our digital credential program?

You can benefit from a comprehensive library of materials, guides, FAQs, and monthly drop-in sessions crafted by our Customer Success Team. You can also log in to Credly Academy whenever you need to access our online onboarding courses.

Will I continue to receive onboarding support even after the program has been launched?

Yes, our onboarding support options are designed to help users get started with the platform quickly and effectively and to provide ongoing assistance as needed. You can also revisit Credly Academy anytime you prefer and refresh your memories in areas that you need help with.

What happens if we do not use the badges purchased in the first year?

The badges purchased can only be used within the contract year, whereby unused badges will expire. If you need help starting and using our platform, the Customer Success team is always here to guide you on utilizing our platform should you need it.

What happens if the badges expire? Will they be removed and what can I do to maintain them?

If badges expire on Credly, they remain on the badge earner's profile and are labeled as "expired." They will only be removed if they are revoked by you or if the badge earner has made their badge private. An expired badge is still accessible for verification. Additionally, you can use our expiration email feature to automatically send notifications to badge earners 60 days before their digital credential expires (timing cannot be customized) to avoid your badge earners displaying expired badges on other channels. This feature helps improve renewal and recertification rates and is set at the badge template level.

Who should we contact if our badge earners need help with the platform?

You can direct them to our Help Center with a range of frequently asked questions. They can also submit a request at https://support.credly.com/hc/en-us/requests/new, where our team will get back to them as soon as possible.

What would happen to my badge earners’ existing credentials if I decided not to renew the contract?

Once a badge is issued and accepted, it remains with the badge earner indefinitely unless revoked by the issuing organization while maintaining an active subscription. In the event that an issuer decides not to renew their subscription with us, the acceptance of previously issued badges by the earners remains unaffected, ensuring that they retain ownership of their badges.

Is the earner's account linked to the email address used at the time of badge issuance? What happens if they no longer have access to their email?

To manage email addresses associated with an account, go to "Settings" and add as many email addresses as needed. Whether transitioning between companies or schools or updating personal email addresses, badge earners can add multiple addresses. Earners can also import badges and email addresses from another account they have created to consolidate everything they have in one place. If any issues arise during the merging process, earners can raise a ticket with our Customer Success team and they will assist as soon as possible: https://support.credly.com/hc/en-us/requests/new.

My Data

Is the platform equipped with robust security measures to ensure data protection and privacy?

We prioritize data security and privacy, adhering to stringent data integrity processes to instill confidence and security in every issuing organization using our platform. We hold multiple ISO certifications, maintain GDPR compliance, and implement robust security protocols to safeguard the privacy and security of our customers and their employees, members, learners, and users.

Specifically, Credly adheres to ISO27001 and ISO27701 standards, ensuring comprehensive security, confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy. These globally recognized standards require independent audits across all five areas. Unlike some organizations that may not undergo independent audits, Credly ensures compliance across all these critical areas through rigorous external scrutiny.

Learn more about the data protection and privacy measures implemented on our website.

Learn More

Unlock success with Credly

For any further questions, please do not hesitate to speak to your sales representative. If you haven’t already, you can also schedule a demo here and explore the platform firsthand.

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