FAQ
Common questions about how AcadCert works.
General
A platform for issuing and verifying academic credentials using RSA-4096 cryptographic signatures. Degrees, transcripts, and certificates get a digital signature at the point of issue, and anyone can check if they’re real.
Three groups: students who receive credentials, issuers (registrars, faculty) who sign them on behalf of institutions, and administrators who manage settings and users.
Credentials are signed with RSA-4096 — the same standard used in government and finance. Every document can be independently verified to confirm it was issued by the stated institution and hasn’t been changed.
For students
Once your institution issues a credential, you’ll get an email. Log in with your institutional email to view, download, and share your documents.
Yes. All credentials download as PDF files with embedded cryptographic signatures. The downloaded file is independently verifiable — no account needed.
Download the PDF and send it directly, or share the verification link. Recipients can check authenticity through the public verification portal without creating an account.
Superseded means a newer version was issued (e.g., updated transcript). Revoked means it’s no longer valid. Contact your institution’s registrar for details.
For issuers
Go to Upload, pick the student, choose a document type, upload the PDF, and submit. The system signs it and notifies the student by email.
Yes. You can revoke (mark invalid) or supersede (upload a corrected version). Both require a reason and are logged in the audit trail.
PDF only, up to 50 MB. Each file is validated for security threats and gets metadata embedded before signing.
Only students registered under your institution who have been pre-approved (whitelisted) by an administrator.
Technical
The document is hashed (converted to a unique fingerprint) and signed with the institution’s private RSA key. Verification re-computes the hash and confirms the signature matches using the public key. If it matches, the document is authentic and unaltered.
On encrypted servers with role-based access controls. Cryptographic keys are managed separately from document files.
No. Changing a single byte in a signed document causes verification to fail. Only the issuing institution has the private key needed to create valid signatures.
Contact your institution’s administrator. Your credentials are still stored securely and will be accessible once your account is recovered.
Still have questions?