Adding Your Digital Badge to Your Gmail Signature

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  1. Click on either of the links provided in the BadgeCert digital badge claim email to view your digital badge (indicated by thin blue arrows below).

    A screenshot of the BadgeCert email, with a blue arrow pointing to the URL where the user can download their credentials.

  2. Your digital badge and its corresponding URL will open on the BadgeCert website.

    The BadgeCert landing page, with blue arrows pointing to both the image of the BadgeCert and the URL where the user can access the badge information.

  3. Copy the badge URL (highlighted in the image below) to a blank Notepad or Word file. Save that file to your Desktop. You will need that URL later in this process.

    The URL where the badge can be accessed, with a blue arrow pointing to the selected text.

  4. Log into your Gmail account.

    The Google sign-in screen

  5. Click the Gear icon in the top-right corner of your inbox and then select Settings from the dropdown menu.

    The settings icon in Gmail (in the shape of a gear) with the popup menu and a blue arrow pointing to the Settings option

  6. From within the General tab, scroll down until you see the signature field.

    The settings popup menu, with blue arrows pointing to the "General" tab and, within that tab, the "Signature" section.

  7. Type the text of your signature into the text box shown in the previous step. Include the acronym of the NAAEI designation you’ve earned. An example is indicated with the thin blue arrow below:

    An example of an email signature, featuring the name, certification, and contact information

  8. Scroll to the bottom of Gmail’s General tab and click “Save Changes.” Keep this tab open in your browser.
  9. Gmail does not support linking images. However, you can link text. Open the file with the digital badge URL that you created in step 3. Select that URL and copy it using Clt+C.
  10. Go back to the Gmail signature field you created in step 7. Select your designation acronym and click on the “link” button. Both are indicated with thin blue arrows below.

    The sample signature, with the certification highlighted and a blue arrow pointing to the "Add hyperlink" button

  11. An “Edit Link” pop-up box will appear. Select the “Web address” radio button. In the text box to its right, paste (by pressing Clt+V) the URL you copied from the file created in step 3 above. When finished, the filled-out text box should look as below:

    The "Edit Link" popup window, with the BadgeCert URL in the link field.

  12. Click "OK".

    The same "Edit Link" popup window, with a blue arrow pointing to the "OK" button

  13. Your designation acronym will appear as a link in your signature.

    The sample email signature, with the certification linked to the BadgeCert URL

  14. When you’re satisfied with the text of your email signature, scroll to the bottom of Gmail’s General tab and click “Save Changes.”
  15. When you open a new email, you’ll see that your designation acronym is hyperlinked.

    A screenshot of how the signature will look on a blank email.

  16. When someone clicks on that hyperlink, they’ll see the details associated with your digital badge.