# 4. Issuing your first Credential

Issuing the certificates and badges on the Credential Cloud is simple, Once you import/design your dynamic certificate/ badge design and create a credential group for the course/program you can start issuing the credentials for the same.

Before issuing certificates, make sure you have completed designing the certificate and credential group

Step 1: Click Create/issue New Credential from your issuer account home page

Step 2: Choose the Credential Group from which you want to issue the certificate/badge.

You can scroll horizontally to see more credential groups. or search by name from the top right search bar.

Step 3: Entering the recipient details:

Option 1: Manually enter the recipient details in the form

Option 2: Bulk Upload recipient details using a spreadsheet. To download the template click on the download Spreadsheet template button.

Note: If your recipient details have International characters use XLSX format only to prevent data loss.

Step 4: Fill in the recipient details as given in the sheet and save (Note: Do not alter predefined rows)

Step 5: Attach the Spreadsheet and click Confirm and Continue.

Step 6: Finally verify the details and click Generate Credentials. You can also set custom issue date and expiry date for the credentials at this step.

Now you have successfully generated the credentials for the recipients.

Note: The credentials are only generated and not published yet. To publish the credentials, follow the below steps.

You will be taken to Under Review page, there you will find credentials that are ready for review.

Step 6: On clicking one the credential, you will be taken to review page, where you'll see how credential will look like in recipient view.

Step 7: Ready for publishing all credential? Go back to Issuer Home > select Pending review from the home page

Step 8: Select all the credentials you want to publish and click publish now

Hurray! you have successfully published your first credentials!