How to Export Client Data for Certificates and Mail Merge

Classta allows you to export client data to CSV format, which you can then use to create certificates, letters, or other personalised documents using mail merge in Word, Google Docs, or design tools like Canva.

Exporting a Single Client (or Filtered Group)

To export specific client(s) rather than your entire database:

Go to Clients tab in your admin dashboard
Use the search box to filter to the client(s) you want:

Type the client's name or email
Or use tag:tagname to filter by tag
Or use achievement:achievementname to filter by achievement

Click on the Client
Scroll down to Achievements and click the download icon next to the achievement you want to create the certifcate for
The exported file will contain data for this client and achievement

What's Included in the Export

The CSV file includes:

Client name
achievement name
achievement date

Using the Export for Certificates

Option 1: Canva (Recommended for Certificates)

Canva is the easiest way to create professional-looking certificates:

Create your certificate template in Canva:

Go to Canva.com
Search for "Certificate" templates
Customize with your branding, logo, and text placeholders

Use Canva's Bulk Create feature (requires Canva Pro):

Click "Apps" in the left sidebar
Search for "Bulk Create"
Upload your exported CSV file
Map CSV columns to text elements in your design (e.g., Name → Name field, Achievements → Achievement field)
Click "Generate" to create the personalised certificate

Download your certificates as PDFs or images

Note: Canva Pro is required for bulk create (around $13/month). Free trial available.

Option 2: Microsoft Word Mail Merge

Create your certificate template in Word:

Design your certificate
Insert merge fields where you want personalized data (Mailings → Insert Merge Field)

Connect your CSV:

Go to Mailings → Select Recipients → Use an Existing List
Browse to your exported CSV file
Click OK

Insert merge fields:

Place your cursor where you want data to appear
Click Insert Merge Field and select fields like Name, Achievements, etc.

Preview and complete:

Click Preview Results to see how it looks
Click Finish & Merge → Edit Individual Documents to create a document with all certificates

Save or print your certificates

Option 3: Google Docs Mail Merge

Google Docs doesn't have built-in mail merge, but there are free add-ons:

Install a mail merge add-on:

Open Google Docs
Go to Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons
Search for "Mail Merge" (popular options: "Yet Another Mail Merge", "Autocrat")
Install your preferred add-on

Upload your CSV to Google Sheets:

Open Google Sheets
Go to File → Import → Upload
Select your CSV file

Create your certificate template in Google Docs:

Design your certificate
Use placeholders like {{Name}}, {{Achievements}}, etc.

Run the mail merge:

Follow your add-on's instructions to connect the Google Sheet to your Doc template
Generate personalized certificates

Tips for Certificate Creation

Keep it simple: For a single client, you might find it faster to just copy/paste their data from the CSV into a template rather than setting up mail merge
Achievement formatting: Achievements export as "Name (Date); Name (Date)" - you may want to format this differently in your certificate
Date formatting: Dates export in DD/MM/YYYY format
Test first: Always test with 1-2 clients before generating certificates for a large group

Need More Automation?

If you need fully automated certificate generation (e.g., automatically create and email certificates when clients achieve something), this would require custom integration work. Contact us for a quote on custom features.