Certificates can have a number of different settings:
The status of each certificate can vary.
- Pending - i.e. issued ahead of time and awaiting the start date. An example is an insurance certificate.
- Active - in force or valid. Active certificates can be suspended, revoked or renewed by the issuer.
- Expired - past its expiry date, assuming not already superseded, suspended or revoked.
- Superseded - a certificate that has been replaced by an active (or pending or expired) certificate that expires (expired) later and is in the same scheme (or scheme group). If that certificate is suspended or revoked, it is not classed as superseding.
The 'superseded' marker is not displayed if the certificate itself has been suspended, revoked, or it is still active. However, the certificate will be listed as superseded via the search filter.
Test certificates are treated separately in that they do not supersede real certificates and nor do they show as superseded by a real certificate. This is to avoid confusion. However, test certificates can supersede other test certificates, so that the superseding functionality can be tested / demonstrated.
- Suspended - temporarily inactive or invalid, set by the issuer or as a result of a dependency. Suspended certificates can be reactivated. This status may be because an additional condition (like an associated payment or dependent certification) is no longer being met.
- Revoked - permanently made inactive or invalid by the issuer. Revoked certificates cannot be reactivated by the issuer. A new certificate would need to be issued.
In addition to the above, a certificate may also be:
- Public or Private - see here for more details.
- Archived - this locks the public/private setting and files the certificate away in the archived folder, moving it from the main received certificates list. This is a means of tidying away old or superseded certificates. A certificate needs to remain public in the archive if a smart badge is to remain showing because of a newer equivalent certificate. Archived certificates are not shown on an associated profile page.
In summary, issuers of certificates can suspend, re-activate, revoke, and renew certificates. Recipients of certificates can set them to public, private or archived.
There are a number of different types of certificates:
- Digital certificate - this is the usual kind of certificate on our platform, and has been issued from it.
- Self-uploaded - this certificate is evidence that has been uploaded by the recipient becasuse it was not issued from our platform (more details).
- Mirrored certificate - this certificate refers to a live one issued (and possibly available to view) on another platform. (more details).
- Parent / child certificate - some certificates can be issued alongside another, for example if a company and its subsidiary are both within scope. The parent certificate is the master certificate and it may have one or more child certificates linked to it. Child certificates are usually bound by certain rules to the parent, so for example if the parent is suspended, the child suspends as well.
A certificate changelog is maintained for each certificate from the time it is created and issued. This shows the date and time of any change of status of a certificate.