Free working checklist · Reviewed 23 October 2026

Check a certificate batch before you send it.

A folder can contain the right number of PDFs and still contain the wrong pairings. Check the recipient and certificate ID inside each file against its filename, then inspect the copies you will actually deliver.

This checklist is for training providers, course organisers and designers delivering individual certificate PDFs. Use it after manual export, a PDF splitter or a native export workflow. It is a checking method; this page does not inspect files, verify credentials or send certificates.

Start with the expected mapping.

Keep a record of the certificate ID, recipient name and expected filename for the batch. Give each certificate a stable, unique ID. Use the same records that produced the document, including any intentional filtering or ordering.

For example, a certificate showing C003 — Zoë Ng should correspond to C003_Zoë_Ng.pdf under the convention used here. A filename preview is one check; opening that PDF and reading its contents is another.

If you are still preparing the source, use the recipient CSV guide. If you already have a valid merged document but need separate files, the export-route guide compares manual export, free splitting tools and the proposed native workflow.

Two Alex Riveras need two checks.

Some tools add a suffix such as -2 when a name repeats. That can prevent a filename collision. A stable ID also makes the intended pairing explicit, including when two PDFs show the same name. Open both files and check their IDs.

A recipient name is not a unique identifier. Equally, two different filenames do not prove that two different certificate pages were exported.

Six pages and six names can still be wrong.

Constructed mistake example: suppose the PDF order stays unchanged but rows C003 and C004 are swapped in the separate naming list. This illustrates a possible error; it is not an observed competitor failure or an incorrect Kakulu test output.

A list-based splitter can assign filenames by row position. SheetRender documents this approach: the first document receives the first row, and so on. Keep the naming list aligned with the PDF records. Sorting a list after the merge, omitting one row or adding a cover page can change that alignment.

If the pairing is wrong, correct the source of the mismatch and produce a new batch in a fresh folder. Keep the earlier batch separate until you have checked the replacement. Renaming two visible files is not enough if the rest of the mapping has not been reviewed.

Text-based splitters work differently. PDF Split & Rename documents extracting text from selected page regions, with previews and saved configurations. That route does not inherently require a separate CSV; the extracted values and resulting PDFs still need checking.

Choose a convention that fits the destination.

Our example convention is certificate-ID_recipient-name.pdf. Spaces become underscores, apostrophes are omitted from filenames and accents remain. The name printed on the certificate is unchanged. This is a recommendation for the example, not an Affinity default or a universal delivery requirement.

• Include a stable ID. Do not rely on a person’s name alone or on letter case to distinguish files.
• Keep the PDF extension. The intended output is a real PDF with a .pdf filename, not another format renamed to look like one.
• Check the receiving system. A portal, employer or course platform may specify its own pattern, size or PDF requirements.
• Allow for Windows recipients. Microsoft documents reserved characters such as < > : " / \ | ? *, reserved names such as CON and NUL, and restrictions on trailing dots or spaces.
• Preserve accents where accepted. Windows supports Unicode filenames. Removing accents is not a universal requirement; check any stricter destination rule before changing them.
• Keep names and folder paths manageable. Length limits vary by system. Kakulu’s preview has its own bounds, described in the product documentation; those are not universal PDF limits.

Filename compatibility guidance: Microsoft’s file and path naming documentation. A compatible filename does not verify its contents or guarantee acceptance by a particular service.

A checklist for the finished batch.

Print this page if a paper checklist is useful, or copy these checks into your own batch record. These are manual checks; no certificate information is submitted to Kakulu through this page.

1. Confirm the intended records. Record the expected IDs and names, including any deliberate omissions or corrections.
2. Count the outputs. Compare the expected records, generated pages and separate PDF files. For the one-page-per-certificate example, all three counts should be six.
3. Check every pairing. Open each PDF and compare the ID and recipient inside it with the expected mapping and filename.
4. Check repeated names separately. For the example, inspect both Alex Rivera files and verify C001 and C002.
5. Inspect the design. Check complete names, accents, fonts, artwork, cropping and page count at a readable size. The long-name and layout checks help distinguish clipping from incorrect data.
6. Keep the batch separate. Use a fresh folder so earlier or partially exported files cannot be mistaken for the current result.
7. Check the archive if delivering a ZIP. Extract it to another fresh folder and inspect those copies. Confirm it contains the intended PDFs.
8. Check destination requirements. Confirm its filename pattern, permitted format and file-size rules. Use the digital and print settings guide before changing a preset. Use an authorised test route if one is available.
9. Match the delivery. Before sending or uploading, compare the selected attachment and destination recipient with the checked record. A correct filename alone does not verify an email address.
10. Retain the checked mapping. Keep it with the correct batch and distinguish later corrected versions. Follow your own organisation’s record-handling requirements.

If a check fails, use the merge and export troubleshooting guide to identify the stage that needs correcting.

Practise with the six original example PDFs.

These are fictional recipients in real native output from the original probe v2.0.0, exported in Affinity 3.3.1.4940 on macOS and independently inspected. Public copies have document metadata removed. They are not new test results and do not verify the current reconstructed preview or your template.

No email needed. The ZIP includes the expected mapping and an explanation. It contains example PDFs, not the exporter.

Sources and scope.

Kakulu · reviewed 23 October 2026. The checklist and deliberately wrong pairing are worked examples and recommendations. External features are described from their documentation, not a new live test. Affinity’s undated help article was checked through official indexed text where the direct page returned navigation only. No customer results, measured time saving or broader exporter compatibility are claimed.

1. Microsoft — Naming Files, Paths, and Namespaces — checked 23 October 2026.
2. SheetRender — mail-merge PDF splitting and row-order naming — checked 23 October 2026.
3. PDF Split & Rename — documented previews, filename checks and saved configurations — checked 23 October 2026.
4. Affinity — export dialog — checked 23 October 2026.