> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.9pic.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Certificate Design

> Manage Certify data sources and design certificate templates.

<Warning>
  9Pic Certify is a **Pro plan** feature (Pro and Enterprise). This tab appears only after initial [Setup](/dashboard-guide/certify/setup) is complete.
</Warning>

## Overview

The **Certificate** tab is where you manage the two building blocks of a certificate: the **data source** that feeds dynamic fields, and the **template** that defines how the certificate looks.

## Data Sources

A data source provides the values that get merged into each certificate (names, categories, finish times, and so on).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a source">
    Click **Add Source** and choose a source type. Self-managed and proxy sources let you upload a results CSV; other types pull data automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit or remove">
    Open any source to edit its settings or remove it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Certificate Templates

A template controls the visual design of the certificate.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a template">
    Click to create a new template, then set the background and place dynamic fields.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Map dynamic fields">
    Bind fields like name, event, category, and time to columns from your data source.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and preview">
    Save the template and preview a sample certificate before publishing.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Create one template per certificate type or category (for example, "Finisher" and "Participant"). You can switch between them when generating records.
</Tip>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Records" icon="user" href="/dashboard-guide/certify/records">
    Add participant records and upload result CSVs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Publish" icon="rocket" href="/dashboard-guide/certify/publish">
    Distribute certificates to participants.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>