# Generate Certificates from a CSV File with a Template

Canonical source: [Generate Certificates from a CSV File with a Template](https://printpiper.app/generate-certificates-from-csv/)

Updated: 2026-09-22

A CSV is the simplest certificate list: one header row, one row per recipient. Import it into a reusable certificate template and every row becomes its own printable PDF page — no Word, no spreadsheet app, no manual name-typing.

**CSV tips for certificates:** save as UTF-8 so accented names survive, keep dates as complete text like 2026-11-14, and let PrintPiper’s importer handle quoted commas and multiline values without breaking rows.

## Structure the CSV

Use a header row with one column per printed field, for example:

Example certificate CSV structure

| Recipient | Workshop | CompletedOn | Reference |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alex Morgan | Letterpress Basics | 2026-11-14 | LB-2026-014 |
| Jordan Lee | Letterpress Basics | 2026-11-14 | LB-2026-015 |

Keep one row per certificate, quote fields that contain commas, and avoid re-opening the CSV in a spreadsheet app before printing — editors can silently reformat dates and strip leading zeroes from reference numbers.

## Prepare the certificate design

Export your design as a single-page PDF or supported image with open space for the recipient block. Add text variables such as {{Recipient}}, {{Workshop}}, {{CompletedOn}} and {{Reference}} in the editor. The [Excel certificates guide](https://printpiper.app/generate-certificates-from-excel/) walks through the same workflow with a downloadable worked example.

## Map columns and generate

Save the template, choose **Import CSV / Excel**, and map each CSV column to its variable. Exact header names connect automatically; anything else can be mapped by hand. Select rows to preview individual certificates, then generate the PDF batch and download it.

Each row prints one page at the design’s full size. A 200-row course list produces 200 certificate pages ready for the printer.

## Questions

### What CSV encodings are supported?

UTF-8, including quoted values with embedded commas, line breaks and accented characters. If your system exports Windows-1252 or another legacy encoding, re-save the file as UTF-8 first.

### Can one recipient get multiple certificates?

Yes — give the recipient one row per certificate. Rows map to pages one-to-one, so a person attending three workshops appears three times with three different Workshop values.

### CSV versus Excel for certificate lists?

CSV is universal and diff-friendly; Excel preserves formatting better when dates and numbers matter. PrintPiper imports both — see the [Excel guide](https://printpiper.app/generate-certificates-from-excel/) or the [Google Sheets guide](https://printpiper.app/generate-certificates-from-google-sheets/).