Guide · free template

Bulk certificates from an Excel sheet.

Got a spreadsheet of names and need a certificate for each one? Fill in the template, upload it, and download every certificate as one PDF. No mail merge, no copying names by hand.

Excel template (.xlsx)CSV version
  1. 1

    Fill in the template

    Download the Excel template below. Put one person on each row and delete the sample rows. Keep the header row as it is so the columns match up on their own.

  2. 2

    Upload it

    In the certificate maker, choose "A list of people" and click "Upload Excel or CSV". Pick a design and check the preview for each person.

  3. 3

    Download or send

    Download one print-ready PDF with a page for each person, free for up to 25 people. For a bigger list, or to email everyone their own certificate, use a free account.

Step 1

What goes in each column.

The template has these five columns and a "How to use" sheet. Only Name is required. Leave the rest blank and the design's own text is used.

ColumnWhat to put in it
NameRequired. Exactly as it should appear on the certificate.
EmailOnly needed if Certhive should email each person their certificate.
Certificate titleFor example, Certificate of Participation. Blank uses the design's title.
DateA normal Excel date. It prints as written, like 7 November 2026.
DescriptionThe line under the name, like the event or the reason. Optional.

Steps 2 and 3

Upload your sheet right here.

Choose "A list of people", then "Upload Excel or CSV". Everything happens in your browser, and the file isn't sent anywhere.

1Pick a design

2Who is it for?

3Add the details

Need PNG or JPG images, or want each person to get theirs by email? Create a free account

Preview will appear here

Other ways to do it

Mail merge, Slides, or Certhive.

All three work. Here's what each one involves, so you can pick the one that fits your list.

Word mail merge

Design the certificate in Word, connect your Excel sheet as the mailing list, insert merge fields, then finish the merge to a single document and save it as PDF.

Good for
No new software if you already have Office.
Watch out for
Text boxes shift when names are long, every certificate ends up in one file, and you still have to send them yourself.

Google Slides with an add-on

Make the certificate as a slide, put placeholders like {{Name}} on it, and run a merge add-on such as Autocrat against your Google Sheet.

Good for
Free and can email each person a PDF.
Watch out for
Setup takes a while, add-on permissions and Gmail sending limits get in the way, and fonts can render differently in the PDF.

Certhive

Upload the Excel file, pick a design, and download the PDF or send each person their certificate by email.

Good for
Reads .xlsx directly, matches columns automatically, and every sent certificate gets a link that proves it's genuine.
Watch out for
The free maker stops at 25 people per batch. Larger lists need a free account.

When the sheet is messy

Fixing common spreadsheet problems.

Dates show up as numbers like 46333
That's how Excel stores a date when the cell format is General. Select the column and set its format to Long Date, then upload again.
My columns have different names
Common headings work as they are: Full name, Student name, Participant name, Course, Event, Issue date and similar. In a free account you can also match any column by hand.
There are blank rows or extra columns
Blank rows are skipped. Columns that don't match a certificate field, like phone or roll number, are ignored.
Emails are blue links in Excel
That's fine. The email address is read, not the link.
My data has merged cells or a title above the header
Remove the title rows so the column names are on row 1, and unmerge cells so each person has their own row.
The workbook has several sheets
The first sheet with data is used. Move your list to the first sheet or delete the others.

Questions about certificates from Excel

More than 25 people? Send them instead.

Upload the same sheet in a free account and everyone gets their certificate by email, with a link that proves it's genuine.

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