From joining to issuing your first certificate, Open CPD is designed to be completed in a single session. No waiting for approval, no application process, no technical setup. Here is what actually happens.
Create your provider profile
The first step is setting up your provider profile. This is your public face — a page that shows who you are, what you train, and your Open CPD membership status. It is shareable via a dedicated link, so you can send it to prospective learners, existing clients, or anyone who asks about your credentials. It is not listed in a public directory people can browse; it is yours to share on your terms.
Add your first course
Before you can sign the Declaration, you need at least one course on your profile. This is the right order — the commitment you are making is to training you are actually delivering. Add your course details: title, description, format, duration. Upload materials if you have them, or describe what the course covers.
CPD Genie structures the evidence
Once your course is in, CPD Genie — the platform’s AI tool — reads what you have described and suggests the Aims, Skills, and Outcomes for that course. Most good trainers already deliver all of these; CPD Genie helps you put them into words in the structured form that goes on the certificate. You review, adjust, and confirm. This is what makes every certificate specific to your training — not a generic template that could have come from anywhere.
Set your CPD hours
You decide how many hours or points the course is worth, based on actual learning time and the depth of engagement. Your Declaration commits you to doing this honestly. The framework gives you the structure; the professional judgement is yours.
Sign the Declaration and receive your membership
With your course in place, you sign the Open CPD Declaration — five commitments about accuracy, legitimate authority, and honest CPD allocation. Your OCPD Provider ID is issued. Your Certificate of CPD Membership follows: a verifiable document that records when you joined and what you committed to, and confirms your active membership status to anyone who checks.
Issue certificates
Enter a learner’s name and email to issue individually, or upload a CSV for a full cohort. The certificate is generated immediately — chosen from a library of professionally designed templates, each carrying your name, your logo, and a link to your provider profile.
The badge goes out automatically
At the same time as the certificate, your learner receives a digital badge — issued to the IMS Global Open Badges standard. It is ready to display on LinkedIn, drop into an email signature, or add to a portfolio. No extra steps required on your end or theirs.
The achievement page
Every learner also receives a dedicated achievement page — built specifically for them, publicly accessible to anyone they share the link with, not indexed or searchable by search engines, and containing no personal details beyond those relating to their achievement. The email arrives immediately. The achievement page goes live the following day.
The reason for that gap: the email lands when the achievement is fresh. The page is there when the learner is ready to do something with it — share it with an employer, post it on social media, bookmark it for their records. Emails get buried. The page stays.
Your certificates, your branding
The platform’s template library offers a range of professionally designed certificate styles — each one carries your name, your logo, and a link to your provider profile. If you want something designed to your exact specification, custom-branded certificates and badges are available: included free on the Professional plan, available for a small fee on Business.
Co-branding and client work
If you deliver training on behalf of a client or in partnership with another organisation, certificates can reflect that. Co-branded certificates carry both names — yours and your client’s or partner’s. Common for trainers who deliver under a client’s banner or providers running joint programmes. Clean, professional, no awkward conversations about whose logo takes priority.
FAQ
How long does setup take the first time?
Most providers complete their profile, add their first course, and are ready to issue within a single session. There is no waiting period and no approval process.
Can I issue certificates for training I have already delivered?
Yes. Once your profile and course are set up on the platform, you can issue certificates for past cohorts.
What does the learner achievement page contain?
The achievement page shows the learner’s credential — the course they completed, the Aims, Skills, and Outcomes, the CPD hours, and the issuing provider — along with guidance on sharing the achievement on social media. It does not contain personal details beyond those relating to the credential, is not indexed by search engines, and is accessible to anyone the learner shares the link with.
Can I create variants of a course for different audiences?
Yes. The platform allows you to create variants — adapted versions of a course for a different context, audience, or client. Each variant can have its own Aims, Skills, and Outcomes.
