How to name SSH key?

Naming your SSH key is important for organization and easy identification. By default, SSH keys follow a naming convention, but you have flexibility to choose more descriptive names.

Default Naming Convention

According to default settings, SSH keys are typically named using the following structure:

• A prefix of "id_"
• Followed by the key type (e.g., "rsa", "dsa", "ed25519")
• The public key has a ".pub" suffix

For example, a common SSH key pair is named id_rsa (private key) and id_rsa.pub (public key). (Reference: 02-Feb-2023).

Custom Naming

While the default naming convention is useful, you can choose custom names that reflect the purpose or context of the key. This can be helpful for managing multiple keys. Here’s how:

• Descriptive Names: Use names that indicate the server, application, or user the key is associated with. For example, github_deploy_key or server1_admin.
• Consistency: Maintain a consistent naming scheme across all your keys for easier management.
• Avoid Spaces: Do not include spaces in your filenames. Use underscores or hyphens instead.
• Example: Instead of id_rsa, you could name your keys projectx_rsa and projectx_rsa.pub.

Examples

Here are some example SSH key names you might use:

• webserver_admin and webserver_admin.pub
• database_backup and database_backup.pub
• gitlab_deploy and gitlab_deploy.pub

Table of Key Naming Examples

Purpose	Private Key Name	Public Key Name
Default RSA Key	id_rsa	id_rsa.pub
Key for Web Server	webserver_key	webserver_key.pub
Key for Database	database_key	database_key.pub
Deployment Key	deploy_key	deploy_key.pub
Personal GitHub Key	github_personal	github_personal.pub

By following these guidelines, you can create a naming system that makes your SSH keys easier to manage and understand.