Key Import/Export

Import and export SSL certificates and keys

About Key Import/Export

Our free Key Import/Export tool converts SSL certificates and keys between PEM, DER, and PKCS12 formats. Supports password-protected private keys and certificate bundles. Essential for certificate format conversion workflows across different server platforms.

How to Use

Select Import or Export mode using the toggle buttons
Paste your certificate or key data in PEM format
Provide a password if importing an encrypted private key
Click the action button to convert and view results

Use Cases

•Converting certificate formats for web server migration
•Extracting private keys from PKCS12 keystores
•Preparing certificates for load balancer and reverse proxy deployment

Frequently Asked Questions

The tool supports PEM, DER, and PKCS12 formats for certificates and private keys. PEM is the most common format used by Apache and Nginx servers, while PKCS12 is often used by Windows and Java environments.

A password is only required if the key or PFX/PKCS12 file you are importing was encrypted with a passphrase. Unencrypted PEM files do not require a password for import.

PEM is a Base64-encoded format with header and footer lines that is human-readable and widely used by web servers. DER is a binary format that is more compact and commonly used in Java and Windows environments.

Tips & Best Practices

•Export keys securely for backup and migration purposes
•Import keys using the correct format for your target system
•Protect exported keys with strong passwords
•Verify imported keys work correctly before deploying to production

Technical Details

Formats: PEM, DER, PKCS#8, PKCS#12 key format handling
Operations: Key import, export, and format conversion
Security: Password-protected key handling
Output: Converted key files with format validation

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