MESSAGING CERTIFICATIONS - PRINTING OPTIONS

Question

Hi, I'd like to know if the format or system regarding messaging certifications, specifically the printing options, has changed between January 1st 2021 and January 1st 2026, in case there were updates, please make sure to detail the new features or developments, and contrast them through the years, appreciating your help, ty.

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Answer 1

Hello Juan,

Thank you for posting question on Microsoft Windows Forum!

Well! The following are the plausible explanations to your query of Messaging Certifications and Printing Options. In fact, Between 2021 and 2026, Microsoft Learn shifted certification printing from the old Certification Dashboard to a unified Learn profile system. Certificates are now entirely digital, with options to download as PDF or share via transcript links. The biggest change is the elimination of mailed or separate printable certificates. Everything is centralized in the Learn profile and Certification Dashboard.

• In 2021, printing required pulling a legacy PDF file from your dashboard. Today, Microsoft Learn utilizes specialized web print stylesheets. When you click Print on a certification or transcript from your Learn profile, it triggers your browser's print dialog box pre-formatted for standard letter/A4 paper. On the other hand, you use the "Save to PDF" drop-down option within your browser's printer selection to instantly generate an official, high-quality digital copy.
• In June 2023, Microsoft stopped using Credly to issue digital badges for new certifications. Instead of printing certificates that pointed to external Credly links, all credentials became natively hosted on Microsoft Learn. If you want to print a physical copy or save a PDF, the certificate formatting layout is now generated directly by Microsoft's internal rendering system.
• A major security and formatting improvement is the introduction of Transcript and Print Settings directly on the dashboard. Before printing or sharing a copy, you can toggle privacy settings to control exactly what personal details, modules, or legal names are visible on the generated document.
• Another point worth mentioning here is that unlike the static PDFs of 2021, printed transcripts and certificates generated today contain official "Online Verifiable" URLs. This means anyone reviewing your physical printout or downloaded PDF can type in or click the associated link to securely verify that the credential is still active and valid in real time.

You can refer to the following link for further reference.

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/cred-share-validate

Hope the above information is helpful! If it is. Free feel to hit "Accepted" for benefitting others in community having the same query too.

Answer 2

Hello Juan,

Hope you are doing well!

If the provided information is helpful to address your concerns! You can consider clicking "Accept" to help others in the Windows community to find the answer for similar query more effectively and easily.

Have a nice working day!