You passed. Somewhere in the next few days a badge shows up, and most people either ignore it or post it badly. Here’s how it works and how to get something out of it.

What you actually receive

After a pass is processed, your AWS Certification account gives you a few things:

• A **digital badge** issued through Credly, which is the platform AWS uses for verifiable credentials
• A **certificate** you can download as a PDF
• A **certification number** and a **verification method** employers can use
• A **50% discount voucher** toward your next exam
• An **expiration date** three years out

The badge is the useful one, because it’s verifiable. A PDF can be faked in about four minutes. A Credly badge links back to an issuer record, which is why employers and partner programs ask for it.

Claiming it

You’ll get an email inviting you to claim the badge. Accept it and create the account if you don’t have one.

Two settings worth checking while you’re in there:

**Public visibility.** A badge nobody can see does nothing for you. Make sure it’s public if your goal is getting found.

**Your name.** Make sure it matches the name on your resume and LinkedIn. Mismatches cause awkward verification moments.

Claim it promptly. These invitations don’t sit around forever, and chasing a lapsed one is a support ticket you don’t need.

Putting it on LinkedIn properly

Credly can push the badge straight to your LinkedIn certifications section. Do that rather than posting a screenshot, because it creates the verifiable link rather than a picture.

Then do the two things most people skip.

**Put it in your headline if you’re job hunting.** Not “AWS Certified” floating alone, but attached to what you do. “Cloud Support Engineer | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate” works. Recruiters search these strings literally.

**Write one post that isn’t a badge screenshot.** Everyone posts the badge. Almost nobody posts what they learned. A short honest post about the thing that surprised you, or the domain that nearly got you, or what you built while studying, does far more. It gives people a reason to engage, and it shows you understand the material rather than just passing a test.

If you’re going to post the badge, at least attach a sentence with something specific in it.

On your resume

Put it in a certifications section with the full name and the date. “AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, March 2026.”

Use the **full official name**. Applicant tracking systems match on strings, and “AWS SAA” won’t match a search for “Solutions Architect Associate.”

Don’t put it in your job titles, and don’t list the same certification in four places. One clear entry is enough.

How employers verify it

There are two routes, and it’s worth knowing both so you can hand over the right thing.

**The badge link.** Your Credly badge has a public URL that shows the issuer, the date, and the expiry. Sending this is usually enough.

**AWS Certification verification.** AWS provides a way to confirm a certification using your certification number, which some employers and partner programs prefer.

If you’re working somewhere that needs your certification counted toward AWS Partner Network requirements, they’ll ask you to link your certification to the company’s account. That’s normal, it’s a standard process, and it’s worth doing promptly because your credential may have direct financial value to your employer. Which, incidentally, is excellent leverage at review time.

The expiration date

Put it in your calendar now. Today, while you’re thinking about it.

Set the reminder for **four months before** it expires, not one. That gives you room to look at which renewal route applies to you, and there are several, some considerably easier than retaking the full exam. [How AWS recertification works](/blog/do-aws-certifications-expire/) covers all of them.

An expired certification on a resume is worse than no certification, because it reads as someone who stopped paying attention.

Don’t forget the voucher

Passing earns you a 50% discount toward your next exam, and these expire.

If you’re planning to continue, check the date and plan around it. Going from an associate to a professional exam with the voucher applied saves $150. [The full cost breakdown](/blog/aws-certification-cost/) has the arithmetic across a whole certification path.

A surprising number of people let this quietly lapse and then pay full price. Don’t be one of them.