Setting Up the Public Certificate Verification Portal

Last Updated: 2026-05-27 | Applies to: IK v1.2+ | Role: Administrator

Overview

The Certificate Verification Portal allows anyone (employers, other schools, parents) to verify the authenticity of certificates issued by your institution. This prevents forgery and adds credibility to your certificates.

How It Works

1. Your school issues a certificate via the admin panel
2. Each certificate gets a unique reference number (e.g., CERT-20260430-VJDL)
3. The certificate holder shares this number with whoever needs to verify it
4. The verifier visits your public verification page
5. They enter the reference number
6. The system confirms authenticity instantly

Step 1: Create the Verification Page

Create a new WordPress page:

Page Title: Certificate VerificationSlug: verify-certificateContent:         
        

            

                
🎓
                
Certificate Verification
                
Enter the certificate reference number to verify its authenticity.
                

                    
                    

                    🔍 Verify Certificate
                
                            
            

                Institution Kit • Certificate Verification Portal
            
        
        Template: Full-width (no sidebar)

Thrive Architect users: Create a blank page, add a "WordPress Content" element, and paste the shortcode 

Step 2: What the Public Sees

The Verification Page:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│                    🎓                            ││          Certificate Verification                ││  Enter the certificate reference number         ││  to verify its authenticity.                    ││                                                 ││  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐    ││  │     CERT-20260430-VJDL                  │    ││  └─────────────────────────────────────────┘    ││                                                 ││  [🔍 Verify Certificate]                        │└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 3: Successful Verification Result

When a valid certificate number is entered:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐│  ✅ Valid Certificate                        │├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤│  Certificate Ref    CERT-20260430-VJDL       ││  Type              🎓 School Leaving Cert    ││  Awarded To        John Doe                  ││  S/O D/O           Mr. Robert Doe            ││  Date Issued       May 27, 2026              ││  Status            ● Authentic & Valid       │└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Design Features:

• Green background for valid certificates (builds trust)
• Clean, professional typography
• All relevant details displayed clearly
• Mobile-responsive layout

Step 4: Failed Verification Result

When an invalid or non-existent number is entered:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐│  ❌ Certificate Not Found                    ││                                             ││  No certificate found with reference        ││  FAKE-CERT-12345.                           ││                                             ││  Please double-check the reference number   ││  and try again. If you believe this is an   ││  error, contact the issuing institution.    │└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Design Features:

• Red background for clear rejection
• Helpful message suggesting next steps
• No false positives - only exact matches work

Certificate Reference Number Format

Reference numbers are automatically generated and stored in the database:

Format: CERT-YYYYMMDD-XXXX

Full example: CERT-20260430-VJDL

Database Lookup

The verification queries wp_institutionkit_certificates:

sql

SELECT * FROM wp_institutionkit_certificates WHERE certificate_number = 'CERT-20260430-VJDL'

What's verified:

• Certificate number exists in database
• Certificate details match (student name, father's name, issue date)
• Certificate type is displayed

Certificate Types Displayed

Styling & Branding

The verification page uses a professional, institution-neutral design:

Color Scheme:

• Primary: Deep navy blue (#1a365d) - conveys trust and authority
• Success: Green (#166534) - for valid certificates
• Error: Red (#991b1b) - for invalid attempts
• Accent: Gold border on focus (#C8A951) - subtle premium feel

Typography:

• Headings: Georgia/Times New Roman (serif, traditional)
• Input field: Courier New (monospace, for reference numbers)
• Clean, readable font sizes

Responsive Design:

• Works on mobile, tablet, and desktop
• Stacks vertically on small screens
• Touch-friendly input and button sizes

Customizing the Verification Page

Change the Logo/Icon:The 🎓 emoji is used as a placeholder. To use your institution's logo, modify the shortcode output or add custom CSS:

css

.ik-seal {    background: url('your-logo.png') no-repeat center;    background-size: contain;    width: 80px;    height: 80px;    margin: 0 auto 12px;}

Change Colors:Add custom CSS to your theme or page:

css

.ik-verify-btn { background: #your-color; }.ik-verify-input:focus { border-color: #your-color; }.ik-result-valid { border-color: #your-success-color; }

Add Institution Name:The footer automatically shows your WordPress site name via get_bloginfo('name').

Security Features

1. Exact Match Only: Certificate number must match exactly (case-insensitive)
2. No Enumeration: Invalid numbers show same generic message
3. Rate Limiting: Consider adding a security plugin for brute-force protection
4. No Personal Data: Only shows name, father's name, and issue date (no contact info)

Testing the Verification

Test with a valid certificate:

1. Issue a certificate from the admin panel
2. Note the certificate number
3. Visit your verification page
4. Enter the number
5. Confirm it shows "✅ Valid Certificate"

Test with invalid input:

1. Enter random text: FAKE-123
2. Confirm it shows "❌ Certificate Not Found"

Adding Verification Link to Certificates

When generating certificates, include the verification URL:

Verify this certificate at:https://yourschool.com/verify-certificate/Reference: CERT-20260430-VJDL

Or add a QR code that links to:

https://yourschool.com/verify-certificate/?cert_ref=CERT-20260430-VJDL

When someone scans the QR code or visits the URL with the cert_ref parameter, the certificate number is pre-filled automatically.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Verification page shows "Certificate Not Found" for valid certificatesSolution:

1. Check the certificate number in wp_institutionkit_certificates table
2. Verify the certificate_number column matches exactly
3. Ensure no extra spaces in the number

Problem: Shortcode not workingSolution:

1. Confirm the shortcode is exactly 
   🎓

   Certificate Verification

   Enter the certificate reference number to verify its authenticity.

   
   🔍 Verify Certificate

   Institution Kit • Certificate Verification Portal
2. Check that the class file is loaded (included in main plugin file)
3. Clear WordPress cache if using caching plugin

Problem: Page looks unstyledSolution:

1. The styles are inline (no external CSS file needed)
2. Check if your theme is overriding the styles
3. Add !important to conflicting CSS rules if necessary

Usage Statistics

To track how often certificates are verified, you can add analytics:

Google Analytics:

javascript

// Add to your theme's footerjQuery(document).ready(function($) {    $('.ik-verify-btn').on('click', function() {        gtag('event', 'certificate_verify', {            'cert_ref': $('.ik-verify-input').val()        });    });});