Design Your Google Slides Template

After setting up your form, the next step is to create a Google Slides™ template for your certificate. This template will be populated with form response data and system-generated fields during the certificate generation process.

Creating a New Slides Presentation

We recommend starting with a blank Google Slides™ presentation to have full control over layout, branding, and placeholder placement.

Steps to Create Your Template:

1. Open Google Slides.
2. Click on Blank Presentation.
3. Go to File > Page Setup and set custom dimensions (e.g., A4 or Letter).
4. Design your certificate layout by adding:
   • ✅ Your organization’s logo
   • 📝 Certificate title and body text
   • 🎖 Decorative elements (borders, seals, background)
   • 🔖 Placeholder fields (e.g., {{Full Name}}, {{Course Title}})

Adding Placeholders (Merge Tags)

Placeholders are used to insert data from Google Form™ responses into the certificate. Each placeholder corresponds to a question title in your form.

Format

Placeholders are defined using double curly braces. Each one must match a question title from your Google Form exactly.

Examples:

• {{Full Name}}
• {{Course Title}}
• {{Score}}

✅ Note: Placeholders are case-sensitive and must not contain extra spaces or punctuation.

Use this type of placeholders in your Google Slides™ template to dynamically insert personalized information into each certificate.

Styling Placeholders

Follow these best practices to ensure your placeholders look professional and work well with dynamic data:

• Use consistent fonts and sizes Stick to a readable, professional font throughout your template (e.g., Roboto, Open Sans).

• Center-align important fields Center alignment works best for fields like {{Full Name}} or {{Certificate Title}}.

• Allow space for longer responses Some names or titles may be longer than expected. Ensure the text box is wide enough and supports text wrapping or auto-resizing.

• Maintain your brand identity Style your placeholders with brand colors, logos, and typography to give the certificate a polished and personalized appearance.

Example: Template with Merge Tags

Google Slides template showing merge tags like {{Full Name}}, {{Title}}, etc._

Using System-Generated Field Placeholders

Smart Certificates supports several built-in placeholders that are automatically generated, regardless of form input.

Available Fields

Placeholder	Description
{{Certificate Number}}	A unique identifier assigned to each certificate
{{Date}}	Date of certificate generation
{{Verification Link}}	A unique link for verifying certificate authenticity
{{Form Name}}	The name of the connected Google Form
{{Reached Percentage}}	Respondent’s score in percentage (from quiz forms)
{{Reached Points}}	Points earned (from quiz forms)

You can place these fields anywhere in your certificate layout, just like regular placeholders.

📺 How-to Video: Designing Templates with Google Slides

Watch this live step-by-step tutorial on how to design your certificate template layout and position your merge tags in Google Slides:

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Once your template is complete, you’ll connect it to your form and begin mapping fields using the Smart Certificates interface.