What is a digital badge?
A digital badge is an online image backed by data that shows who earned an achievement, who issued it and what it took to earn it. Badges built on the 1EdTech Open Badges standard can be checked by anyone, so an employer does not have to take your word for it. You can add one to LinkedIn, your résumé or your email signature in a few minutes.
What is a digital badge and how does it work?
A digital badge has two parts. The first is an image you can show, like a seal on a diploma. The second is data that sits behind the image and explains it. That data is what makes a badge more useful than a logo on a résumé.
1EdTech, the group that maintains the Open Badges standard, describes the data this way: a badge should "describe who earned it, who issued it, and the criteria required," and it can also contain evidence. (1EdTech, Open Badges)
Example: a marketing analyst passes an exam on business intelligence. She receives a badge. When a recruiter clicks it, a page opens that shows her name, the issuing organization, the date and the skills the exam covered.
What information does an Open Badge contain?
Open Badges 3.0 defines standard fields so that any compatible platform can read a badge. These are the ones you will see most often.
| Field | What it tells you | Open Badges 3.0 property |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | The organization that awarded the badge | issuer |
| Recipient | The person who earned it | credentialSubject |
| Achievement | The name and description of what was earned | achievement |
| Criteria | How the achievement is earned | criteria |
| Evidence | Optional proof of the work behind it | evidence |
| Issue date | When the credential becomes valid | validFrom |
| Expiration | Optional date after which it is no longer valid | validUntil |
| Proof | The digital signature that lets anyone check the data was not altered | proof |
Property names and descriptions come from the Open Badges 3.0 specification.
What is Open Badges 3.0?
Open Badges 3.0 is the current version of the standard. It reached final release at 1EdTech on May 27, 2024. (1EdTech, Open Badges 3.0)
The big change is that every badge is now a W3C verifiable credential. In 1EdTech's words, each badge "is digitally signed by its issuing organization" and is compatible with the Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0. (1EdTech, Open Badges)
In practice, you can keep your badges in a digital wallet and share them with anyone, and the person receiving them can confirm they came from the issuer unchanged. Read more in What are digital credentials?.
How do you verify a digital badge?
Open the verification link
Click the badge or the link the holder shared. It should open a page on the issuer's or platform's site.
Check the issuer
Confirm the organization name and that it is the one you expect.
Check the recipient and dates
Make sure the name matches the person and the badge is not expired.
Read the criteria
See what the person had to do. An exam means more than attendance.
Run a signature check if you need certainty
Open Badges 3.0 badges carry a digital signature that verification tools can check.
Can a digital badge help your personal brand?
It can, if you use it with intent. A certification entry that uses the exact skill name puts that keyword on your LinkedIn profile, where people looking for that skill can find it and check it.
A badge also gives you something specific to post about. A short update that says what you learned and links to the badge is more useful to your network than a generic "open to work" message.
Keep it focused. Five relevant badges tell a clearer story than twenty unrelated ones.
How common are digital badges?
1,022,028
badges were counted in the United States, the largest single credential category.
Credential Engine, Counting Credentials (2025)About 55%
of the 1,850,034 unique U.S. credentials counted are badges (1,022,028 of 1,850,034).
Credential Engine, Counting Credentials (2025)May 2024
Open Badges 3.0 reached final release, aligned with W3C Verifiable Credentials.
1EdTech, Open Badges 3.0The percentage is calculated from the two counts in the Credential Engine release.
How does CertiProf issue digital badges?
CertiProf issues its digital badges through BadgeClaimed, aligned with the 1EdTech Open Badges standard. You earn one by passing a free exam. If you want the official certificate and the verifiable badge, you pay US$50 after you pass. Not sure what a microcredential is? Start with What is a microcredential?.
| CertiProf microcredentials | |
|---|---|
| Exam cost | Free |
| Exam format | 20 questions in 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 60% |
| Study guides | Free, in Spanish, English and Portuguese |
| Official certificate and digital badge | US$50, only if you pass and want them |
| Badge platform | BadgeClaimed, aligned with the 1EdTech Open Badges standard |
Key takeaways
- A badge is an image plus dataThe data names the issuer, the earner and the criteria.
- Open Badges is the common standard1EdTech maintains it. Version 3.0 has been final since May 2024.
- Version 3.0 badges are verifiable credentialsThey are digitally signed and work with W3C VC Data Model 2.0.
- Verification takes one clickOpen the link and check issuer, name, dates and criteria.
- Share it where people lookLinkedIn Licenses & certifications, your résumé and your email signature.
- CertiProf badges start with a free examIssued through BadgeClaimed. US$50 only if you pass and want them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital badge?
A digital badge is an online image backed by data that records an achievement. It shows who earned it, who issued it and what it took to earn it, and it links to a page where anyone can check it.
What is the Open Badges standard?
Open Badges is a standard from 1EdTech that defines how badge information is packaged so that different platforms can read and verify it. Version 3.0 reached final release in May 2024.
What information does a digital badge contain?
An Open Badge typically includes the issuer, the recipient, the name and description of the achievement, the criteria to earn it, the date it became valid and, optionally, evidence of the work and an expiration date.
How do I verify a digital badge?
Open the badge's verification link and check the issuer, the recipient name, the criteria and the dates. Open Badges 3.0 badges are digitally signed, so verification tools can also confirm that the data was not changed.
How do I add a digital badge to LinkedIn?
Go to your profile, add an entry in the Licenses & certifications section, fill in the name and issuing organization, and paste the badge's verification link in the Credential URL field.
Is a digital badge the same as a certificate?
Not exactly. A PDF certificate is a document. A digital badge carries structured data and a verification link, so it is easier to check online. Many issuers, including CertiProf, provide both.
What is the difference between Open Badges 2.0 and 3.0?
Open Badges 3.0 aligns with the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0. Each badge is a verifiable credential, digitally signed by the issuer, which makes it portable across wallets and verifiers.
How do I get a CertiProf digital badge?
Pass a free CertiProf exam: 20 questions in 30 minutes with 60% to pass. If you want the official certificate and verifiable digital badge, you pay US$50. Badges are issued through BadgeClaimed.
This page was written with the help of AI to explain these concepts clearly. Facts and figures link to their original sources.
Earn your first verifiable microcredential. The exam is free.
Study with a free guide, take a 20-question exam online and decide afterward if you want the official certificate and digital badge.
