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Download Certificate and Private Key

Learning Focus

By the end of this lesson you will know how to save the certificate and key in the correct format.

Saving the Files​

After generating the certificate in Cloudflare, save both pieces to your local machine:

Certificate (PEM format)​

Copy the certificate text (beginning with -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----) and save it as a .pem file.

Private Key​

Copy the private key text (beginning with -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----) and save it as a .key file.

File Naming Convention​

FileSuggested NameContents
Certificatecloudflare-origin.pemPublic certificate
Private Keycloudflare-origin.keyPrivate key (keep secret)
info

Use descriptive names that indicate the certificate source. This helps when managing multiple certificates on the same server.

Key Takeaways​

  • Save the certificate in PEM format (.pem).
  • Save the private key separately with restricted access.
  • Use descriptive filenames for easy identification.

What's Next​