Private key viewer
To open a Private key file, drop it in the box below. It opens straight away, even with no extension or the wrong one. Your browser opens it on your device: nothing is uploaded.
What you see
| Private key in the viewer | |
|---|---|
| Read | PKCS#8, encrypted PKCS#8, PKCS#1, SEC1, DSA, OpenSSH, PuTTY and SSH.com keys |
| Encrypted keys | The cipher and key derivation named; OpenSSH and PuTTY keys still show their public fingerprint |
| Matches | In a file with certificates, the one the key belongs to |
| Files with no extension | id_rsa, id_ed25519 and others opened from their contents |
| Extensions | .key, .pem, .der, .pk8, .p8, .ppk |
| Upload | None: opened on your device |
What is a Private key file?
A private key file is the secret half of a key pair. It comes as PEM text (PKCS#8, PKCS#1 RSA or SEC1 EC, encrypted or not), as DER, as an OpenSSH key such as id_ed25519, or as a PuTTY .ppk.
The key type and size or curve, its format, whether it is encrypted and how, and the public key’s fingerprints where they can be worked out without a password: SHA-256 of the public key and the SSH fingerprint. Key material is never shown unless you press Show the key. Private keys have no Text tab.
How to open a Private key file
- Add your Private key. Drop the file in the box, choose it or paste it.
- Look at it. The key type and size or curve, its format, whether it is encrypted and how, and the public key’s fingerprints where they can be worked out without a password: SHA-256 of the public key and the SSH fingerprint. Key material is never shown unless you press Show the key. Private keys have no Text tab.
- Take it further. Open in hands it, in a new tab, to File converter.
Questions
Open both, or one file with both: the key’s public SHA-256 is the same as the certificate’s, and a file holding both says which matches.
It is read in your browser and stays on your device. The key itself is only drawn on the page if you press Show the key.
The card says Encrypted or Not encrypted, and names the cipher for encrypted keys.
No. The viewer runs in your browser and opens the file on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.