Understanding Digital Credentials, and Where Credly Fits In

For a long time, proof that you'd learned something sat in a folder somewhere, or maybe framed on a wall. A certificate that said you'd done the work, but that nobody outside your own filing cabinet could easily check.

That's changing. If you've earned a professional certification in the last few years, chances are you were handed a digital badge to go with it, quite possibly through a platform called Credly. It's the badge you can add to your LinkedIn profile in a click, the one with a little tick that says the credential is verified.

Credly has become the best-known name in digital credentialing, used by professional bodies, tech companies, and training providers to issue badges that prove what someone has learned or achieved. But the idea behind it, the digital credential, is bigger than any one platform, so that's where we'll start.

This guide covers what a digital credential actually is, where Credly fits in, how it works in practice, and what it all means for training providers who want to recognise learning in a way people can use. No technical background required.

‍

So what is a digital credential?

A digital credential is a verifiable online record of an achievement. The most common form is the digital badge, which looks like a small image but carries a set of hidden information along with it.

That information, often called metadata, typically includes who earned the badge, who issued it, what it represents, the criteria they had to meet, the date it was awarded, and sometimes evidence of the work itself. Because this data is stored and digitally signed, anyone can check that the badge is genuine and hasn't been altered.

Most digital badges, including those issued through Credly, follow a shared standard called Open Badges. It's maintained by an industry body called 1EdTech, and it's what makes badges portable: a badge issued on one platform can be recognised, displayed, and verified on another. In practice, that means a learner isn't locked to a single system, and their credentials travel with them.

‍

Where Credly fits in

Credly is a digital credentialing platform. It lets organisations issue, manage, and verify digital badges, which are online records of an achievement such as completing a course, passing a certification, or demonstrating a skill.

You'll have come across Credly badges from certification programs across technology vendors and professional associations alike. When one of those bodies awards you a certification, Credly is often the platform quietly working behind the scenes to deliver the badge and let you share it.

The reason Credly matters isn't the badge image itself. It's what sits behind the image: verified data that proves the credential is real, who issued it, and what the person did to earn it. That's what makes a digital badge worth more than a PDF certificate, even though at a glance they might look similar.

‍

From course to credential: how it works

Say you're a training provider running a two-day workshop on workplace safety, and you want learners to walk away with something they can actually show their employer. For an organisation issuing credentials, the process usually follows three steps.

1. Design the badge. You create a badge for a specific achievement, setting out what it represents and the criteria someone has to meet to earn it. This is where the credential gets its meaning.
2. Issue it to earners. When someone meets the criteria, the badge is issued to them, most often automatically off the back of a completed course or passed assessment. The earner receives an email inviting them to accept it.
3. The earner shares it. Once accepted, the badge lives in the earner's account, and they can add it to their LinkedIn profile, email signature, or digital resume. Each badge links back to a verification page, so anyone viewing it can confirm it's real. Earners also control their own privacy settings and choose what to make public.

For the learner, the appeal is simple: instead of a certificate that sits in a drawer, they get a credential they can actually show, and that others can trust at a glance.

‍

What it means for your training

For anyone delivering training, digital credentials do more than replace the certificate. They change what a completed course is actually worth.

• They are verifiable: a paper certificate can be faked or copied. A digital credential carries signed data that proves it's genuine, which matters for compliance, accreditation, and regulated professions.
• They are portable: because credentials follow an open standard, learners keep them regardless of which platform they use next. The value stays with the person, not locked inside your system.
• They are shareable: earners can add a badge to LinkedIn, email signatures, and digital resumes in a couple of clicks. Every share puts your course in front of a new audience, so learners become an unintentional channel for promoting your program.
• They motivate completion: a visible, shareable credential gives learners a concrete reason to finish. It's a small psychological nudge, but on otherwise optional training, it can lift completion rates meaningfully.

‍

Common questions

Is Credly free?

Earning and sharing a badge is free for the learner. The cost sits with the organisation issuing the badges, so it's the training provider or certification body that pays, not the learner.

Are digital badges the same as Open Badges?

Not exactly. "Digital badge" is the general term. "Open Badges" refers to the specific technical standard that most reputable platforms, including Credly, follow so that badges are verifiable and portable. A badge built on the Open Badges standard will work across compliant systems.

How is a digital credential more secure than a certificate?

A digital credential carries signed metadata recording who issued it, who earned it, and what for. Anyone can check it against the issuer's records through a verification link, which is far harder to fake than a printed or PDF certificate.

Can learners lose access to their badges?

No. Because badges follow the Open Badges standard, they belong to the earner and can be exported or stored independently. Even if a learner moves on, their credentials remain theirs.

Do I have to use Credly to issue digital credentials?

No. Credly is the best-known platform, but any system that supports the Open Badges standard can issue verifiable, portable credentials. What matters is that the credentials meet the standard, not which brand issues them.

How does Guroo Academy work with Credly?

We've built Credly integration directly into Guroo Academy, so badges can be issued automatically when a learner completes a course or meets a set of criteria, no manual admin required. Because credentialing lives inside the same platform as your courses, live sessions, and assessments, recognising someone's achievement becomes a built-in part of the learning experience, rather than a separate task tacked on afterwards.