GuidesSSH Key Authentication

SSH Key Authentication

Stop using passwords. SSH keys are faster, more secure, and can't be brute-forced.

SSH keys use public-key cryptography. You keep the private key; the server only stores the public key. Even if the server is compromised, your private key stays safe.

Generate a Key Pair

Run this on your local machine (not your server):

macOS / Linux / Windows (PowerShell)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"

When prompted for a file location, press Enter for the default (~/.ssh/id_ed25519). Set a passphrase for extra protection (optional but recommended).

Copy Key to Server

macOS / Linux
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub user@YOUR_IP
Windows PowerShell
type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub | ssh user@YOUR_IP "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys && chmod 700 ~/.ssh && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

Disable Password Login (Recommended)

Only do this after confirming your SSH key works — you could lock yourself out.
bash
# On your server:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Find and set these lines:
PasswordAuthentication no
PubkeyAuthentication yes
ChallengeResponseAuthentication no

# Save and restart SSH:
sudo systemctl restart ssh

Managing Keys in Your Dashboard

You can add SSH public keys in Account → SSH Keys. Keys stored there are automatically added to new servers you provision.

Using Multiple Keys

Create a ~/.ssh/config file to manage multiple servers easily:

~/.ssh/config
Host myserver
    HostName 185.172.173.1
    User root
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Host staging
    HostName 185.172.173.2
    User deploy
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_staging

Now connect with just ssh myserver instead of the full command.

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