GoDaddy - Where's my private key? (2024)

Table of Contents
Windows/IIS Apache NGINX More info FAQs

When you generate a CSR to request an SSL certificate, a private key is created on your local server. You shouldn't ever send your private key to someone else (including us!), but you'll need to know where it is to complete the installation of your SSL certificate. Below are some common places to find the private key on your server.

Windows/IIS

On Windows servers, the OS manages the certificate for you in a hidden file, but you can export a .PFX file that contains both the certificate and the private key.

  1. Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
  2. In the Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer). Your certificate will be located in the Personal or Web Server folder.
  3. Locate and right click the certificate, click Export and follow the guided wizard.

Once you have the .pfx file, you can keep it as a backup of the key, or use it to install the certificate on another Windows server. If you're trying to use the certificate on a different OS, you'll need to split the .pfx into the certificate and the private key.

Apache

You can find the location of your private key in your Apache configuration file, which is named .httpd.conf or apache2.conf. The line SSLCertificateKeyFile shows you the file path to your private key.

NGINX

The path to your private key is listed in your site's virtual host file. Navigate to the server block for your site (by default, it's located in the /var/www directory). Open the configuration file for your site and search for ssl_certificate_key which will show the path to your private key.

More info

  • Still can't find your private key? Try searching for a ".key" file, or following the installation steps for your server type. The installation steps should include where your private key is located.
  • If your private key is nowhere to be found, or your site isn't serving HTTPS connections, you will need to rekey your certificate, and save your private key in a location where you can find it.
GoDaddy - Where's my private key? (2024)

FAQs

GoDaddy - Where's my private key? ›

The path to your private key is listed in your site's virtual host file. Navigate to the server block for your site (by default, it's located in the /var/www directory).

How do I find my GoDaddy key file? ›

First, see if your download button is available to the zip for SSL Certificate Keyfile from GoDaddy.
  1. Login to GoDaddy.
  2. Click your name at top right, then My Products.
  3. Scroll down and open SSL Certificates.
  4. Click Manage to the right of your SSL. ...
  5. Click on Rekey & Manage instead to rekey the SSL Certificate.
Nov 24, 2020

Why is my certificate missing the private key? ›

A missing private key could mean: The certificate is not being installed on the same server that generated the CSR. The pending request was deleted from IIS. The certificate was installed through the Certificate Import Wizard rather than through IIS.

How to get GoDaddy secret key? ›

To connect GoDaddy app, you need to obtain the API Key and API Secret from your GoDaddy account.
  1. Log in to your GoDaddy developer account.
  2. Click API Keys.
  3. Click Create New API Key.
  4. Enter a name for the API Key, select the Environment, and click Next.
  5. Copy the API Key and Secret to a safe place.

Where are private keys stored on a server? ›

Private keys and personal certificates are stored in keystores. Public keys and CA certificates are stored in truststores. A truststore is a keystore that by convention contains only trusted keys and certificates.

Where is my GoDaddy private key? ›

The path to your private key is listed in your site's virtual host file. Navigate to the server block for your site (by default, it's located in the /var/www directory).

Where can I find my private key? ›

Locating a private key in Windows
  1. Open Microsoft Management Console.
  2. In the Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer)
  3. Locate the certificate in the Personal or Web Server folder.
  4. Right click the certificate.
  5. Select Export.
  6. Follow the guided wizard.
Aug 19, 2022

How do I recover my private key? ›

However, it is impossible to recover a private key if you lost or forgot it. To not lose your crypto assets, keep your private key a secret and don't share it with anyone. Why is it important to secure a private key?

How do I fix a certificate without a private key? ›

If you installed your SSL Certificate on your server, but the certificate doesn't have a private key associated with it, you can use the DigiCert® Certificate Utility for Windows to repair your certificate installation and make sure it's installed correctly for use in IIS, Exchange and other Windows server types.

Is the private key included in the certificate? ›

The private key is kept separate, as it must remain private to its owner. The corresponding certificate not only contains information about the owner (subject) and issuer (as distinguished names), but also the public part of the private-public key pair, as well as a signature.

How to find domain secret key in GoDaddy? ›

  1. Log in to your GoDaddy account.
  2. Select the domain you want to transfer to reach the Domain Settings page.
  3. Once you are there, select the Transfer domain away from GoDaddy option located in the Additional Settings section.
  4. Select Click here to see Authorization Code.

How do I download a certificate key from GoDaddy? ›

Go to your GoDaddy product page. Select SSL Certificates and select Manage for the certificate you want to download. Under Download Certificate, select a Server type and then select Download Zip File.

How do I find my GoDaddy credentials? ›

If you forgot your GoDaddy account password, you can reset it.
  1. Go to our Reset Password page.
  2. Enter your Username or your Customer #.
  3. Complete the Security challenge, then select Submit. In a few minutes, you'll receive an email with a link to reset your password.

How do I find my private server key? ›

Windows (IIS)

On Windows servers, the OS manages your certificate files for you in a hidden folder, but you can retrieve the private key by exporting a “. pfx” file that contains the certificate(s) and private key. Open Microsoft Management Console (MMC). In the Console Root expand Certificates (Local Computer).

Where is my SSH private key located? ›

By default, your private and public keys are saved in your ~/. ssh/id_rsa and ~/. ssh/id_rsa.

Where is private key for SSL? ›

In WHM the Private keys are stored along with the corresponding CSRs and certificates in “SSL Storage manager”. To get there, you can click “SSL/TLS” on the home screen and then on the “SSL Storage manager”. To open the Private key text, you will need to click on the magnifier button in the first column called “Key”.

Where do I find my GoDaddy transfer key? ›

  1. Log in to your GoDaddy account.
  2. Select the domain you want to transfer to reach the Domain Settings page.
  3. Once you are there, select the Transfer domain away from GoDaddy option located in the Additional Settings section.
  4. Select Click here to see Authorization Code.

Where are certificate and key files stored? ›

The certificate store is located in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root. Current user certificate store: This certificate store is local to a user account on the computer. This certificate store is located in the registry under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER root.

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