Digital Certificate
8
min read
GoTo Webinar: Use Certificates for Your Training | GoTo Certificates
Key Takeaways
GoTo certificates are automatically generated as a pdf attachment in a followup email, making them convenient for basic attendance tracking.
Certificates are only available in GoTo Webinar’s higher-tier (unlimited) plans, with pricing not publicly listed and typically requiring sales contact.
Compared to Wauld, GoTo certificates offers limited branding, no verification, and low flexibility, whereas dedicated credential platforms provide scalable, customizable, and verifiable certificates.
In today’s virtual learning ecosystem, platforms like GoTo Webinar are widely used for goto training and online events. One commonly used feature is the ability to use certificates to recognize attendee participation after a session.
But how effective is this feature for serious training programs? Let’s explore how the system works, what options you get, and where it falls short.
How GoTo Webinar Certificates Work
The GoTo webinar platform allows organizers to automatically send a certificate of completion after a webinar session ends. This helps validate attendance and gives learners a simple takeaway.
Step-by-Step Process
Enable Certificates in the Platform
Within the webinar setup, you’ll find an option under settings to enable certificates.
From Emails > Follow-Up Email > To attendees, select Include certificate with follow-up email.
This is part of the post-event process.
Select Attendee Criteria
You can select which attendee should receive the certificate based on:
Attendance
Duration of participation
Customize the Certificate Template
The platform provides a basic certificate template.
You can customize limited fields such as:
Learner name
Event title
Session date
You can also edit, preview, and make small change adjustments.
Automatic Email Delivery
After the event, the system will automatically send the certificate via email. The email can only be sent upto 7 days after the session.
The attendee will receive it directly without manual effort.
You can read more about it here: https://support.goto.com/nl/article/g2w020019
Certificate Customization Options Available
While GoTo Webinar includes customization, it is quite limited.
You can:
Add a logo
Modify text fields
Adjust minimal color settings
Choose from default layouts
However, advanced customization are not supported.
Multiple templates
Rich branding control
Dynamic content fields
QR Codes
Issue Certificates Later
There are also restricted signature options, and adding a personalized signature is not possible.
What Works Well in GoTo Webinars
Inbuilt Automated Workflow
GoTo Webinar lets you automate certificate emails via follow-ups. You can schedule delivery at multiple intervals. For instance - 1 hour, 1 day, up to 7 days after the session, offering limited but flexible timing options.
Easy Interface
The interface is simple, with a clear tab-based setup where you can enable features, select recipients and preview outputs
Integrated Experience
Since it’s part of the goto webinar software, everything happens in one place, from hosting the event to sending the certificate.
Where GoTo Webinar Certificates Fall Short
1. Limited Branding & Identity
You can add a logo, but deeper brand control is missing.
There’s no way to fully align certificates with your organization’s identity.
2. No Digital Credentialing Layer
Despite being a digital output, the certificate is:
Not verifiable
Not secure
Not linked to learner identity
This reduces trust and professional value.
3. Weak Recipient Experience
The recipient simply gets an email attachment.
There’s no:
Central profile
Credential history
Learning journey tracking
Credential Wallet to manage all received certificates
4. No Lifecycle Management
You cannot:
Manage certificates post-issuance
Track usage and run analytics on certificates
Update or revoke credentials
5. Lack of Follow-up & Engagement
There is no built-in followup system to:
Re-engage attendees
Connect certificates to future learning (learning pathways)
Inability to share certificates on social media platforms
GoTo Meeting vs GoTo Webinar Certificates
It’s important to differentiate between GoTo Meeting and GoTo Webinar.
GoTo Meeting → No structured certificate feature
GoTo Webinar → Has a basic certificate sending feature
So if you're using goto meeting, you’ll need external tools for certification.
When Should You Use GoTo Webinar Certificates?
Use it if:
You want a quick default solution
Your training is informal
You only need to issue proof of attendance
Avoid relying on it if:
You run structured and scalable training programs
You need to issue verifiable certification
You want to issue certificates after 7 days
Wauld vs GoTo Webinar Certificates
When comparing GoTo Webinar with Wauld, the difference is significant.
Feature | GoTo Webinar | Wauld |
|---|---|---|
Certificates vs Credentials | Static pdf certificates sent via email | Verifiable digital credentials (badges + certs) |
Customization & Brand Control | Limited customization, basic layout | Fully customizable, 900+ templates, strong branding |
Learner-Centric Experience | Go-To Certificates as email attachments | Learner wallet to store and share credentials |
Automation & Workflow | Auto-send webinar certificates after a session | Full credential lifecycle automation, easy integration |
Management & Tracking | No post-send management or tracking | Dashboard to track, update, and analyze credentials |
Trust & Verification | No verification, low credibility | Secure, verifiable credentials tied to identity |
Does Wauld integrate with GoTo?
Yes. Wauld integrates with GoTo tools, including a native integration with GoTo Meeting.
With this integration:
Attendance data, including duration, is automatically captured
You can define eligibility rules
Certificates are issued only to attendees who fulfill your attendance criteria
This ensures that only qualified participants receive credentials, improving credibility and trust in your training programs.
Why use Wauld with GoTo instead of GoTo’s built-in certificates?
While GoTo Webinar provides a basic certificate feature, combining it with Wauld significantly enhances capability:
GoTo → Sends static pdf certificates via email
Wauld → Issues verifiable sharable digital certificates or badges
Key advantages of using Wauld:
Advanced customization and branding
Credential tracking and lifecycle management
Secure, shareable credentials (not just PDFs)
Automation based on real attendance data
My suggestion:
If you're running webinars with ~250+ attendees a month across sessions, it’s worth switching to a dedicated certificate platform like Wauld. Even if just 10% of attendees share their certificates, that’s 25 organic posts. With a modest 5% conversion rate, you gain 1–2 new users monthly, creating a compounding “credential flywheel.” Compared to GoTo’s limited certificate capabilities, this makes the ROI of a dedicated solution significantly stronger, especially as you scale your training programs.
In short, GoTo certificates helps you send tokens of participation for the session, while Wauld helps you build a scalable and trusted credentialing system.
Final Take
GoTo Webinar provides a simple way to use certificates for your webinar events. It works well for basic needs where you just want to send a certificate after attendance.
However, if your goal is to:
Build a strong learning ecosystem
Enhance your brand identity
Create trusted, verifiable credentials
then a dedicated solution like Wauld is the better long-term choice.
GoTo helps you run a webinar. Wauld helps you build a credentialing system.
