SSH Certificate Anatomy

Explore SSH certificate structure interactively. Understand principals, validity, extensions, and how SSH certificates differ from X.509.

Interactive Demo

Explore the structure of OpenSSH certificates - how they differ from X.509 and enable scalable SSH authentication

Step 0 of 7

Click any field to explore, or take the guided tour

SSH Certificate Viewer

Identity

Type:ssh-ed25519-cert-v01@openssh.com user certificate

Public Key:ED25519 SHA256:nThbg6kXUpJWGl7E1IGOCspRomTxdCARLviKw6E5SY8

Key ID:"patrick@example.com"

Serial:1234567890

Valid Principals:patrick, admin, deploy

Validity

Permissions & Restrictions

Signature

ssh-keygen -L -f certificate.pub

Field Details

Click on any field in the certificate to see detailed information.

Or use the step controls to take a guided tour.

Color Legend

Identity Fields

Access Control

Time-Based

Cryptographic

Permissions

Restrictions

Read our complete guide covering SSH certificate setup, CA management, and best practices.