Document Templates Overview

1. Click on the Profile option at the top right of your platform

2. Select Administration

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3. Scroll down, and click on the menu option for Document Templates

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4. This will bring you to the Document Templates DataGrid.

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5. Here you can Add, right-click and Edit, Filter, Bulk Edit, and Export Document Templates, Preview them, and also change the File saved against them.

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A full breakdown of available merge fields can be found on our Document Template Merge Fields and Glossary page.

Always check that the Training Provider matches the Account Name listed on the Document Template. If the Training Provider is different to the Account name, this will not pull through. To check this, find the Course Date>Edit & check the Training Provider.

When uploading a document, you can update any .doc, docx, .pdf and .txt files for use as Document Templates.

When generating a document for Word it will download as .doc regardless of what file type was uploaded originally.

When generating a PDF, it will download as PDF.

You manage trainer signatures in two places, on the Trainer/Resource record and in the Certificate Document Template. Follow the steps below for how to edit and update the trainer signature:

1. Add or change a trainer’s signature image

This is typically done on the Trainer Resource itself.

1. Go to Resources → Manage from the main navigation.

2. Use search/filters to find your trainer.

3. Right‑click the trainer and choose Edit.

4. On the trainer’s Details page, look for the Signature / Signature image area.

5. Upload or replace the signature image:

   • Use a clear, high‑contrast image (usually PNG or JPG).

   • Keep it at a sensible size (e.g. similar dimensions to other trainer signatures, so it doesn’t appear huge on certificates

2. Make sure your certificate template uses the trainer fields

Certificates are Word‑based Document Templates that pull in trainer details via merge fields.

1. Go to Administration → Document Templates.

2. Edit the Certificate template you use.

3. Download the current certificate file by clicking the file name under “Current File”.

4. In Word, put your cursor where you want the trainer’s name/signature block.

5. Add / check the trainer merge fields. See the merge field glossary listed below:
   Document Template Merge Fields and Glossary

6. Save the Word document and re‑upload it to your accessplanit platform to update the certificate Document Template.

Go to Administration > Document Templates, find and edit the Document/Certificate that needs updating…

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Next, scroll down to the heading ‘Upload New File’, where you can upload a new Template Document - you will need to prepare this in Microsoft Word ahead of time.

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Once you have selected your new file, click Save and Close.

To issue or re-issue certificates in accessplanit, follow the guidance listed below:

Issuing a Certificate to a Single Delegate

1. Go to Users and search for the User

2. Right-click and select Courses from the context menu

3. Right-click and edit the Course you want to issue the certificate for

4. Click the blue Actions button in the top right corner, then select Generate Documents

5. Select the relevant certificate from the Document Template list

6. Choose the Output Format (PDF recommended) and the Generation Type — select Issue to Delegate's Learner Portal if you want it to appear in their My Awards section

7. Click the green Generate button

Issuing Certificates in Bulk

1. Go to the Course

2. Right-click and select Delegates from the context menu

3. Select all the delegates using the mass selection option

4. Use the mass action dropdown and select Generate Documents

Automatic Certificate Emails

You can also set up a certificate workflow to send out automatically automatically when delegates complete a course. This involves:

1. Creating a certificate template in MS Word with accessplanit merge fields

2. Uploading it as a Document Template via Administration > Document Templates

3. Setting up a Workflow (Administration > Workflow Templates) with rules to trigger the certificate email when a delegate's status changes to "Completed"

4. Guide can be found here: https://accessplanit.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQAzt

To link a certificate to a course in accessplanit, follow the guidance below:

1. Open the Course Templates DataGrid from the main navigation menu on the left hand side of your platform

2. Find the Course Template you want to assign the certificate to (use filters or search)

3. Right-click on the Course Template and select Edit

4. Scroll down to the Document Templates section

5. Use the Select button to assign your certificate to the Course Template

6. Click Save at the top of the page

Once linked, the certificate will be available for workflows, manual generation, and automatic emailing for that course.

To upload a document as a Document Template, (e.g. certificates, sign-in sheets, joining instructions) first go to Administration → Document Templates.

Click to add or edit a Document Template.

Under Upload New File, browse and select your Microsoft Word document.

Configure the template settings — name, active status, output format (PDF or Word), and generation type (Generate & Download, Issue to Learner Portal, or Download Preview).

Click Save.

Document Templates are typically linked to Course Templates, so uploading a new file here automatically updates any linked courses without re-linking.

For Knowledge Document Packages:

Go to Administration → Knowledge Document Packages.

Select the correct Training Provider.

Click Upload A New Document Package, choose your file, add a description, and click Upload.

My Document Template is generating with text, images, or text boxes jumping around. How do I fix this?

This is usually caused by the uploaded Word file being saved in a newer version of Microsoft Office. To fix this:

1. Open the Word file on your computer

2. Go to File > Save As

3. Change the file type to Word 97 to 2003 Document (.doc)

4. Save the file

5. Re upload the new file to your Document Template in accessplanit via Administration > Document Templates

6. Preview the document to confirm the formatting is now correct

Document Templates Overview

Background images are overlapping my text or appearing in front of content. What should I do?

If your Document Template uses background images and the text is being hidden behind them (or the layout looks broken), check the image formatting in your Word file:

1. Open the Word file on your computer

2. Right click the background image and select Format Picture (or Wrap Text)

3. Set the text wrapping to Behind Text

4. Save the file and re upload it to your Document Template in accessplanit

5. Preview the document to confirm the fix

My Document Template won't open as a PDF or fails to generate. What should I do?

This is typically caused by the Word file containing elements that are not compatible with PDF generation. To resolve this:

1. Open the original Word file on your computer

2. Create a brand new Word document

3. Copy the contents from the original file into the new document

4. Save the new file

5. Re upload the new file as your Document Template via Administration > Document Templates

6. Preview the document to confirm the PDF now generates correctly

Please Note: If the Word file was converted from another format in the past (for example from .odt to .doc), there may be hidden elements causing the issue. Starting fresh with a new Word document is the most reliable fix.

Document Template Issues

Merge Fields are not pulling through the correct information. How do I fix this?

If your Merge Fields are blank or showing incorrect data, check the following:

1. Is there content to pull through? Confirm the data exists in accessplanit for the Delegate or Course you are testing against

2. Is the Merge Field correct? Right click the field in your Word document and select Edit Field. Confirm the field name matches the correct format from the Merge Field Glossary

3. Try removing and re adding the field. Delete the Merge Field from the document, then manually re add it

4. Check the field content. Edit the field in the Document Template record in accessplanit and ensure it is set as a Merge Field with the correct Field Content

5. Update the field. Right click the Merge Field in the Word document and select Update Field, then save and re upload

Names on my Certificate are not displaying with the correct capitalisation (for example, O'connor instead of O'Connor). How do I fix this?

This is caused by the case formatting of the Merge Field. The Merge Field needs to use Title Case with capital letters in the correct positions.

For example, the Merge Field should be Candidate_Name (with both the C and N capitalised). Check your Word document and update the Merge Field accordingly, then save and re upload.

Non Latin characters (such as Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean) are not displaying correctly on PDF certificates. What can I do?

Currently, characters in languages that do not use the Latin alphabet may not pull through correctly when generating Document Templates as PDFs via Workflows.

The recommended workaround is to set up your Workflow to send the document as a Word Document instead of a PDF. This will allow the characters to display correctly.

My Document Template is showing a currency value as £0.0 instead of the correct format. How do I fix this?

Add the correct formatting to the end of your Merge Field in the Word document. For example:

• For British Pounds: add {£0.00} to the end of the Merge Field

• For Euros: hold ALT and type 0128 on the number pad to insert the Euro sign, then use {€0.00}

Save the file and re upload it to your Document Template.

I have checked everything and the formatting still looks wrong. What else can I try?

If none of the above steps resolve the issue:

1. Check for hidden shapes or objects in the Word file that may be interfering with the layout. Look for floating text boxes, shapes, or grouped objects that could be causing problems

2. Ensure the Document Template is assigned to the correct Course Template and Provider. If your platform uses multiple Training Providers, the Document Template must be linked to the correct one

3. Preview the document using the Preview button on the Document Template record in accessplanit. Select a Delegate and generate a test to see the output before using it live

4. If the issue persists, contact the Customer Support Team for further assistance

If you need to attach two Certificate Document Templates to a Course, the first Document Template should be attached to the Course Template. The second Document Template would need to be sent separately as an attachment via another Workflow.

Please Note: The merge fields on the Document Template will still populate when sent via a Workflow, because the Workflow itself has the context of the Course and Delegate that triggered it. The merge fields pull data directly from the platform's records (course name, delegate name, dates, etc.), so they don't strictly require the Document Template to be assigned at the Course Template level to fill in.

However, there's an important caveat, some merge fields might not populate correctly. Fields like certificate number generation rely on the certificate being properly linked at the Course Template level.

So while basic merge fields (course name, delegate name, dates, venue, etc.) should work fine through the Workflow alone, you may have some issues with other merge fields populating. Here are some examples:

• Certificate number auto-generation: This needs the certificate assigned at Course Template level

• Learner Portal certificate links: The "Issue to Delegate's Learner Portal" option looks for the certificate assignment on the Course Template

When creating the Workflow, this could be set up to send either per course or a group of courses if the same certificate is used. You can also clone the Workflow if needed from there.