Digital Programs Onboarding Guide
Your digital commencement program is a modern, interactive way to celebrate your graduates and share ceremony details with family and guests. With the Guided Program Builder, included in the Expert package, your team can design your program, add graduate information, build pages, and publish it, then share it by link, QR code, embed code, or print. Prefer a program designed by our team? See Custom Design Options below.
One digital program is included in the Expert package. For additional programs, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
Steps to Go Live with the Guided Program Builder
Step 1: Access the Guided Program Builder
Once your school is set up as an Expert customer for the season, you'll receive an email from Tassel with a login link to the Guided Program Builder portal. Use that link to sign in and start building your program.
Step 2: Review the Preparation Checklist
When you start, you'll see a Preparation Checklist outlining what's needed. Select each section to review its requirements, gather your information and materials, then select Continue.
Step 3: Enter Your Ceremony Details
Enter your Ceremony Title, select the Date and Time, enter the Venue Location, and provide the City and State. Select Continue. Review these details carefully for accuracy.
Step 4: Choose Your Program's Design
Under Design Theme, select a Primary Color and Secondary Color using the color picker, then choose one of the two available design themes. Previews show how your colors and theme work together. Select Continue.
Step 5: Select Graduate Information to Include
Choose which details to display alongside graduate names. Depending on your data, these may include honors and awards, thesis titles, and advisors.
Step 6: Upload Your Graduate Data
Select Download Template (Excel), enter your graduate information, save the file, and upload it to the Program Builder.
Step 7: Customize Honors and Awards
If you included honors or awards, go to the Honors and Awards section to review them and adjust the icons used to identify each one.
Step 8: Review Your Graduate List
In Review Graduates, check the uploaded information, edit individual graduate records, or replace the entire list if needed. Make corrections before moving on.
Step 9: Add and Manage Program Pages
In Program Pages, select + Add Page, choose a page, customize it, and drag pages into the desired order. Hover over any existing page to edit, duplicate, or delete it.
Step 10: Review Your Program Pages
Return to Program Pages, review everything you've added, and make final changes. To remove a page, hover over it and select Delete. Select Continue to preview your program.
Step 11: Preview and Publish
Review the full program before publishing, paying particular attention to:
- Ceremony details
- School name and commencement title
- Graduate names and information
- Honors and awards
- Cover design and page layouts
Then select Publish.
Step 12: Share Your Program
Choose how you'd like to share your published program:
Print your graduation program.
Copy a link to share directly with graduates and guests.
Generate a QR code others can scan to open your program.
Copy the embed code to display your program on another webpage.
Use any one option or combine all four.
Customer Checklist
Gather these items before you start building your program.
Required information
- Login link to the Guided Program Builder portal (sent via email)
- Ceremony title, date, time, venue, city and state
- Primary and secondary brand colors
- Graduate data entered in the downloaded Excel template (names plus any selected fields such as honors and awards, thesis titles, advisors)
- Content for any additional program pages (e.g., president's message, guests of honor)
Making changes
You can go back and edit any section of your program at any time, even after publishing. Always review ceremony and graduate information for accuracy before you publish.
Accessibility
Your digital program includes built-in accessibility features.
- An accessibility button lets attendees switch to a screen reader–compatible version instantly
- The accessible version is generated automatically — no extra setup required
- Mobile friendly and easy to read on any device
- Hosted indefinitely, so it stays accessible long after the ceremony ends
Custom Design Options
Want a program designed by our team? Two optional upgrades are available for schools that need more customization than the Guided Program Builder offers, such as custom fonts and layouts, your own template, or a program for a large, multi-college commencement.
Design Essentials
Our design team builds your program with custom touches beyond the builder's themes. Includes a print-ready PDF.
Custom Design Studio
A fully custom program designed from the ground up, including a press-ready file for professional printing as well as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
- 1Your Customer Success Manager sends a digital program onboarding form to collect your template (one of ours or your own), updated copy, branding, logo, font file, and graduate listing specifications.
- 2Our design team builds your program.
- 3You review a draft and submit revision notes.
- 4You receive an embed code and PDF, ready to share.
To learn more or upgrade, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Questions?
Your Customer Success Manager is always available to help.
You can also contact our team at [email protected] for additional support.