Revoke a certificate

Revoking is for certificates that shouldn't exist at all, for example one issued to someone who didn't complete the course. To fix a detail, correct it instead.

1. Open the certificate from the list.
2. Choose Revoke Certificate and give a reason. The reason is recorded and can appear on the public verification result.

From then on, anyone who checks it sees a withdrawn result. Revoking can't be undone, and it doesn't return a certificate to your allowance.

Before you withdraw

• Check the serial, named recipient and certificate type. A person may hold several legitimate awards from the same set.
• Check whether a corrected version already exists. Decide which current record actually needs withdrawing.
• Write a factual reason appropriate for a verifier to read; withdrawal reasons can appear on the public verification result.
• Decide whether recipients should be notified where the workflow offers that choice.

What withdrawal does and does not do

Withdrawal changes the live status so someone checking the verification record can see that the issuer no longer stands behind that certificate. It does not retrieve printed copies, erase files recipients already downloaded, or silently turn the award into a corrected one. The record remains so a previously circulated certificate can still be identified as withdrawn.

After confirming, open the public result and check that it shows Withdrawn. If many certificates are affected, review the selection in bulk corrections and withdrawals rather than repeating the action without a reconciliation list.

Common mistakes to avoid

Archiving a set only changes the workflow for future work. Removing a team member only changes their staff access. Hiding a certificate from a Passport only changes that portfolio. None of these is a substitute for withdrawal.

Withdrawal is not a refund mechanism and does not restore the used allowance. Use it because the certificate should not be accepted, not because a recipient has not opened an email.