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Bulk sending: issue many credentials at once

Bulk sending is the way to issue credentials to many recipients at once in POK Proof of Knowledge. It uses the same form as manual sending, except that instead of typing one recipient's data, you upload a spreadsheet with all of them. You choose the credential type, pick a design, fill in the credential information, upload the recipient spreadsheet, and then send it, schedule it, or save it for approval. This guide walks through every step in the order the form presents them, and shows how to track the batch afterwards in the Awards section.

Before you begin

The design you want to use must already exist. If you need custom attributes or additional information, add them to the design first in the Designs section, then select that design during issuance.

Step 1: Open Issue and choose Bulk sending​

  1. In the left menu, open the Issue section.
  2. Choose Bulk sending (the other option, Manual sending, is for issuing to a single recipient).

Step 2: Choose the credential type​

Pick the format of the credential. POK offers three types:

TypeCostWhat it is
Basic CredentialFreeRecipients view and share their credential as a public image on the POK website. Standard POK experience, no branding customization.
Blockchain Verify CredentialUses creditsA verifiable credential anchored on the blockchain. Simple and accessible.
NFT Ownership CredentialPremiumA secure, permanent NFT credential with a fully customized experience and your visual identity.

If you choose NFT Ownership, you also select the blockchain network to issue on. The available networks depend on your account setup, for example Polygon or LACNet.

If you do not have enough credits for Blockchain Verify or NFT Ownership, POK warns you and the send button stays disabled until you have credits available. See the pricing page for how credits and plans work.

Step 3: Select the credential design​

  1. Choose what to issue: a certificate, a badge, or a certificate and badge together.
  2. Pick the design from your saved My Designs, or start from a Template Certificates / Template Badges template. You can filter your designs by tag and sort them.
  3. Optionally, attach internal tags, assign the credential to a learning path, and choose a custom page.

Step 4: Enter the credential information​

Fill in the details that appear on the credential. Which fields show up depends on the design, and may include:

  • Institution name, faculty, or department (required when the design uses it).
  • Title being awarded (required when the design uses it).
  • Credential validity: the "valid from" date and its date format. You can also turn on auto-fill so the date is set automatically when the credential is sent, and set an expiration if the credential should expire.

This information applies to every recipient in the batch, so double-check every value before continuing.

Step 5: Upload the recipient spreadsheet​

Instead of typing recipients one by one, upload a spreadsheet with all of them:

  1. Download the sample file so you have the right structure.
  2. Fill it in with your recipients' data, one row per recipient.
  3. Upload the completed file. It must be .csv or .xls/.xlsx, and follow these rules:
    • Keep the column names exactly as listed in the sample file.
    • Do not include blank rows or columns.
    • Make sure each recipient's information is correct before uploading, since you will not edit it by hand afterward.

Step 6: Choose the email language​

Select the language of the emails POK sends to the recipients. If your organization has email customizations available, you can also choose them here.

Step 7: Preview and issue​

Preview the credential before issuing the batch. The buttons available depend on your role and the design:

  • Do not send: discard without issuing.
  • Save to pending: save the batch so an administrator can review and approve it later. It appears in the Pending tab of Awards.
  • Send credentials (administrators): issue and notify every recipient right away. A Schedule delivery option lets you pick a future date and time instead.
  • Send to To Sign: if the design requires a signature, the batch goes to the To Sign tab so the assigned signer can sign it.
About roles

Operators do not have a direct send button. They can only Save to pending so an administrator approves and sends the batch. Administrators can send immediately, schedule delivery, and approve batches created by operators.

Track the batch in Awards​

After issuing, follow the credentials in the Awards section:

  • Pending: batches saved for approval. Administrators can approve or reject them, one by one or in bulk. Operators can only reject the ones they created.
  • Sent: credentials that were issued and emailed but not yet accepted. You can preview them, see how many acceptance emails were sent, and resend the email.
  • Accepted: as each recipient accepts their credential from the email, it moves here, and you can view it along with its additional information page.

That is everything you need to issue credentials in bulk in POK.

Learn more​

To see how bulk issuance fits into POK's broader credentialing platform, check out the bulk issuance feature page.