GoTo Webinar: Use Certificates for Your Training | GoTo 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

1. Enable Certificates in the PlatformWithin 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.
2. Select Attendee CriteriaYou can select which attendee should receive the certificate based on:AttendanceDuration of participation
3. Customize the Certificate TemplateThe platform provides a basic certificate template.You can customize limited fields such as:Learner nameEvent titleSession dateYou can also edit, preview, and make small change adjustments.
4. Automatic Email DeliveryAfter 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 WorkflowGoTo 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 InterfaceThe interface is simple, with a clear tab-based setup where you can enable features, select recipients and preview outputs

Integrated Experience

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.

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.