# Flawed requirement for certificate completion

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605>\
**Category:** HubSpot Academy Support\
**Tags:** content-marketing\
**Created:** [September 16, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605 "2025-09-16T16:05:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![antonycreates](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/antonycreates/32/209666_2.png) [@antonycreates](https://community.hubspot.com/u/antonycreates)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605/1 "2025-09-16T16:05:14Z")

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Hello,  
I am on a mission to complete all 15 marketing-related certifications offered by HubSpot. Currently, the 13th certification is the HubSpot Content Hub for Marketers. Under the “Optimize Your Website For Search Engines” section, it has the following instructions:  
**Exercise instructions**

Use the SEO tool to see recommendations on how you can optimize your website to perform better in search engines.

1. Navigate to Content \> SEO.

2. In the Recommendations tab, view your SEO recommendations.

3. Choose a recommendation from the list, and click “View pages” to see the pages affected.  
When I clicked “Start Exercise,” it brought me to the SEO \> Recommendations screen with the following message: “Your account doesn’t have access to this app. Ask your admin for marketing access to use the content strategy tool.”  
Now, I have followed along with the previous exercises, and I have already passed those ones. Now, I’m stuck on an exercise that cannot be 1.) accessed and 2.) graded?  
The HubSpot chatbot says that the feature may require a paid plan. However, since I am just completing a certificate offered on a free account, it would seem counterintuitive to pay to complete it.  
Visual guidance would be appreciated with a response. Thank you.

 ![155884iCD29022D4B0A30F2.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/3/e/3e510aa957bf51a275266fadd314c6b3737bda20.png)

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**Author:** ![APernell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@APernell](https://community.hubspot.com/u/APernell)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605/2 "2025-09-16T17:14:27Z")

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Hello @antonycreates ,

Thank you for reaching out to the academy community board! I’m happy to help out with this. It looks like your account has the correct subscription. You just need to change your permission. You need to ask your super admin to turn on [Marketing Access](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/user-management/hubspot-user-permissions-guide#:~:text=in%20other%20editors.-,marketing%20access%3A%20,-toggle%20the%C2%A0Marketing) in settings.

Thank you!

The Academy team

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**Author:** ![antonycreates](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/antonycreates/32/209666_2.png) [@antonycreates](https://community.hubspot.com/u/antonycreates)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605/3 "2025-09-16T18:18:00Z")

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Hi @APernell,  
The instructions you provided were very broad. The video in the link didn’t show how to get there either. I am a super admin (my own account created in HubSpot). Please, in writing, guide me to the correct tabs and buttons to change the required permission. There are zero options for me to adjust anything.

 ![Screenshot 2025-09-16 141350.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/2/8/283ddf69d1c1387018705ec68b0de2913c6ba07c.png)

 ![Screenshot 2025-09-16 141519.png](https://d2qpr2jzcazej7.cloudfront.net/original/3X/1/a/1af358b32061edfab372483afb5a48edf19d773a.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![antonycreates](https://d10pqhm3lwygmk.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/community.hubspot.com/antonycreates/32/209666_2.png) [@antonycreates](https://community.hubspot.com/u/antonycreates)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/flawed-requirement-for-certificate-completion/139605/4 "2025-09-16T18:36:39Z")

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UPDATE: In order to proceed to the SEO interface for the certification (with permission), I had to start the free 14-day trial for Core. This raises concerns for the renewal of the certificate in the future, as we may have to request another free trial through Customer Support or pay for a plan.  
To Customer Support: Please raise a ticket with the internal team in regards to this situation. If acquiring the certification is free, it should be expected that any required exercises to be as well.