# Start date and finish date in certificates ## By default... when a student finishes a course, the certificate will show the following dates: * start date: the day the student first logged into the course. * end date: the day the student finished the last course's class or test. ## But... the course manager can define alternative start and finish dates to show up on the certificate. ## How? * Open the course editor and the specific course for which the certificate is being configured. * Scroll down to **course settings** and click on the "**Configure certificate for students**" toggle. * Fill in the Start date and End date boxes. Those dates will appear on the certificate, regardless of when the student first logged into or finished the course. Remember: changes made to this course setting will only affect new certificates. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://atrilio.gitbook.io/atrilio-users-guide/certificates/start-date-and-finish-date-in-certificates.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.