SFTP SSH key authenticationSFTP SSH key authentication uses a public/private key pair instead of a password. You keep the private key; the server holds your public key. When you connect, the server verifies you hold the matching private key - no password is sent.Why use keys

Stronger than passwords and immune to brute-force guessing

No password to type or store in scripts

Easy to revoke by removing the public key from the server

Supported key typesCommon key types are RSA, Ed25519, and ECDSA. Ed25519 is a modern, fast, secure default.Connecting with a keyOn the command line, load the key with ssh-add or pass it with -i. In FlowSetu's online SFTP client, paste your private key into the connection form - it is used only for that session and never stored.Related guides

SFTP password authentication

How to connect to an SFTP server

What is SFTP?

Try the free online SFTP client — connect to any SFTP server from your browser, no install required.