Manual sending: issue one credential at a time

Manual sending is the way to issue a single credential in POK Proof of Knowledge. You choose the credential type, pick a design, fill in the credential and recipient information, 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 credential 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 Manual sending

1. In the left menu, open the Issue section.
2. Choose Manual sending (the other option, Bulk sending, is for issuing to many recipients at once).

Step 2: Choose the credential type

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

Type	Cost	What it is
Basic Credential	Free	Recipients view and share their credential as a public image on the POK website. Standard POK experience, no branding customization.
Blockchain Verify Credential	Uses credits	A verifiable credential anchored on the blockchain. Simple and accessible.
NFT Ownership Credential	Premium	A 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.

Double-check every value before continuing.

Step 5: Load the receiver data

Enter the information of the person who will receive the credential:

• First Name (required).
• Last Name (optional).
• Recipient's Email (required). This is where the credential notification is sent.
• ID Number (optional), under "Additional identity validation".

This step is also where you complete any additional information and custom attributes defined in the design:

• General additional information is the same for everyone and is set on the design itself, in the Designs section.
• Recipient-specific information (such as a grade, an average, or a job title) varies per person and is filled in here. It appears on the credential viewing page, not on the credential image.

You can also attach one PDF file for this recipient if the design allows it. Because you are typing by hand, validate everything before moving on.

Step 6: Choose the email language

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

Step 7: Preview and issue

Click Preview credential to see it exactly as the recipient will. The buttons available depend on your role and the design:

• Do not send: discard without issuing.
• Save to pending: save the credential so an administrator can review and approve it later. It appears in the Pending tab of Awards.
• Send credentials (administrators): issue and notify the 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 credential 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 credential. Administrators can send immediately, schedule delivery, and approve credentials created by operators.

Track the credential in Awards

After issuing, follow the credential in the Awards section:

• Pending: credentials 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: once the recipient accepts the 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 one at a time in POK.