PrivySeal provides both Static and Dynamic Credentials. Static Credentials do not change and are typically issued on a once-off basis. Examples include training, graduation, enrollment, attendance and similar once-off certificates. By comparison, Dynamic Credentials change as the underlying data changes. Dynamic certificates are issued, revoked and re-issued depending on eligibility criteria that change. Typical eligibility criteria include a validity period date, payment of fees and completion of CPD requirements.

PrivySeal allows all Credentials to be revoked by the Issuer, whether Static or Dynamic. As a result the Issuer retains control over their Credentials and is able to protect their Intellectual Property by disassociating themselves from entities or individuals that do not meet their e.g. Code of Conduct, have been suspended from Practice or have otherwise forfeited their right to the relevant Credential (typically a Certificate or Professional Accreditation).

PrivySeal’s IT Platform is owned and managed by PrivySeal. PrivySeal enables Issuers to share their certificate data with PrivySeal by choosing between: uploading a comma-separated value (CSV) "spreadsheet" file; or by pushing their data to PrivySeal’s platform using an Application Programming Interface (API).

When the Issuer API is used, the Issuer’s Credential data is kept syncronised with the PrivySeal Platform and the issue, revocation, re-issue and update of Credentials is fully automated. The use of the PrivySeal API to create fully automated, Dynamic Credentials requires a software developer to set triggers on database fields so that the creation, update or deletion of data by the Issuer results in the relevant change being pushed to PrivySeal using the API. This is how the data is kept syncronised and how the Issuer is enabled to exercise complete control over their Credentials. PrivySeal also integrates with several third-party APIs including: GlueUp; MyMembership & YourMembership.

PrivySeal secure all client information pursuant to GDPR requirements.

You can either access your Certificate and PrivySeal directly from your Certificate Issuer or using our User Portal. Our User Portal allows you to view all Certificates and PrivySeals associated with your email address. If you cannot find your Certificate and PrivySeal in our User Portal you may need to ask the Certificate Issuer to update your email address in their records. Alternatively, please validate the email address held by your Certificate Issuer on our User Portal.

Your PrivySeal and Certificate wiil only appear when you meet the Certificate Issuer's eligibility criteria. This means that if the Certificate Issuer marks your record as ineligible, perhaps due to non-payment or some other criteria not being met, your PrivySeal and Certificate will be revoked and will only re-appear when your record reflects again as being eligible.

If you copy and paste your PrivySeal or your Certificate into your email or website they wil be cached (stored) with the data and time when you copied them. In other words, you will be displaying a static (unchanging) image. You should rather use the link to your PrivySeal when adding your PrivySeal to your email or website. When using the PrivySeal link your PrivySeal is retrieved in real-time when the email or website is opened and will then reflect the current date and time.

Your PrivySeal will display indefinitely if it relates to a qualification. Your PrivySeal will be revoked if you are a licensee or member and are no longer eligible for a certificate due to non-payment or some other reason.

Information on how to add your Privyseal/s to your email footer is set out below. (PrivySeal URLs are typically available directly from the Credential Issuer and may also be accessed from our User Portal.) Note: PrivySeal URLs take the following formats: a) where issued on the privyseal.io domain - seals.prod.privyseal.io/your_holding_id (PrivySeal URL) credentials.prod.privyseal.io/your_holding_id (Certificate URL) b) where issued on the Issuer's domain - privyseal.abc.xyz/your_holding_id (PrivySeal URL) certificate.abc.xyz/your_holding_id (Certificate URL) Information on how to add your Privyseal/s to your email footer is set out below. Outlook: From the Outlook File menu, select Options You will see the "Outlook Options" dialog box Select Mail in the left-navigation bar Click the Signatures button. You will see the “Signatures and Stationery” dialog box If you do not already have a signature, click the New button in the "Select signature to edit" section Enter a name for your signature and then click the OK button In the "Edit Signature" section, type your signature message and customize it using the text editor Place your cursor where you want your Privyseal to appear, this is entirely up to you. Click the image icon Paste your PrivySeal URL into the address space In most versions of Outlook you will need to insert your Privyseal image using the Insert button. If so, please do not just click on the Insert button. Rather click on the downward arrow and select the Link to File option, see below. By doing this you will force Outlook to always load your latest PrivySeal, with the current date and time. Once your Privyseal loads, see example below, you will see the Privyseal image in the Edit Signature box Now you should ideally link your Privyseal to your PrivySeal Certificate To do so, select your Privyseal image. You can do this by clicking on your Privyseal or dragging your mouse over it Once you have selected your PrivySeal, click on the hyperlink icon Enter your PrivySeal Verification Certificate URL in the Address box Click the OK button Click the OK button to close the “Signatures and Stationery” dialog box Click the OK button again Now, create a new email message. Insert the recently created signature. Your PrivySeal should appear in the email body Now, press the CTRL key and click on the image to verify if the hyperlink to your PrivySeal Verification Certificate is working If your PrivySeal is properly installed it will reflect the current date and time If your PrivySeal disappears you should check to see what the problem may be by contacting the Certificate Issuer. Your PrivySeal serves as an easy way to tell that everything is in order, or alternatively that there is a problem you may need to attend to. Gmail: Gmail allows you to just add the link. That way the Privyseal image is called every time and that will then reflect the current date and time. Just click on the insert image icon and add the Privyseal URL to the URL box. Other email clients: PrivySeal also creates a Rich Text Format “block” that can be copied and pasted into the signature editor. That is largely for non-HTML email signature editors, like Apple Mail, that do not provide HTML editors but also work on others. The RTF block is available from our User Portal.