Your SSH keys are normally in the hidden .ssh folder inside your user home directory. On macOS and Linux, start with ~/.ssh. On Windows 10 or 11 using OpenSSH, start with C:Users<username>.ssh, also written as %USERPROFILE%.ssh. A conventional key pair has a private file such as id_ed25519 or id_rsa, and a public copy with the same name plus .pub. Copy only the .pub file to GitHub, a server, or another service. The extensionless file is normally private and must be protected like a password.
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Where SSH keys are usually stored
SSH authentication uses a mathematically linked pair. Your computer keeps the private key, which creates the authentication signature, while the remote service keeps the public key needed to verify that signature. The private key should remain under your control; it is not a file you upload to a server.
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| Operating system or setup | First location to check | Common filenames |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | ~/.ssh (for example, /Users/alex/.ssh) |
id_ed25519, id_ed25519.pub, id_rsa, id_rsa.pub |
| Linux and other Unix-like systems | ~/.ssh (for example, /home/alex/.ssh) |
id_ed25519, id_ed25519.pub, id_rsa, id_rsa.pub |
| Windows 10/11 OpenSSH | C:Users<username>.ssh or %USERPROFILE%.ssh |
id_ed25519, id_ed25519.pub, id_rsa, id_rsa.pub |
The tilde in ~/.ssh means your current user’s home directory, not the root of the disk. If several accounts use the same computer, each account has a different home directory and therefore a different SSH folder. A key created while signed in as one user will not automatically appear in another user’s .ssh directory.
How to tell the private key from the public key
The extensionless file is normally private
In a conventional pair, id_ed25519 is the private key and id_ed25519.pub is its public counterpart. The same rule applies to other base names, including id_rsa. Do not assume that a file is safe to share merely because it has no extension: treat every identity file without .pub as private until you have positively verified otherwise.
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Microsoft’s OpenSSH guidance describes each private key as equivalent to a password. Never paste its contents into a chat, ticket, web form, terminal transcript, or source repository. Do not upload it to GitHub or copy it to a server when a service asks for your SSH key.
The .pub file is the shareable half
The public key is the file ending in .pub. It can be installed in a server account’s authorized-key list or added to a code-hosting account. The public file does not let somebody reconstruct the private key in practical use, which is why services ask you to paste the public text. Even so, keep track of which account and device each public key belongs to so that you can revoke obsolete access later.
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Find the key on macOS or Linux
- Open Terminal from your applications menu.
- List the hidden SSH directory, including hidden files, with
ls -la ~/.ssh. - Look for matching names such as
id_ed25519andid_ed25519.pub, orid_rsaandid_rsa.pub. Other base names are possible if you chose a custom filename. - If you need to discover every regular file directly inside that folder, run
find ~/.ssh -maxdepth 1 -type f -print. - To display a public key for copying, run
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub. Replace the filename with the one you actually found.
The output of a public-key command is normally one long line beginning with a key type such as ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa, followed by encoded data and often a comment. Copy that entire line. Do not substitute cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519; that command prints the private key.
If the folder does not exist
An absent ~/.ssh directory usually means that this user has not generated a conventional local key pair, or that the key was saved elsewhere. It does not prove that you have no SSH access: an agent may hold a key, an application may use its own path, or a security token may contain a resident credential. Check the custom-path and agent sections below before generating another pair.
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Find the key on Windows 10 or 11
- Open PowerShell under the Windows account that uses SSH.
- List the hidden directory with
Get-ChildItem -Force $env:USERPROFILE.ssh. - Look for pairs such as
id_ed25519withid_ed25519.pub, orid_rsawithid_rsa.pub. A different base name indicates a custom output path. - To list only files, use
Get-ChildItem -Force $env:USERPROFILE.ssh -File. - For a graphical view, enter
%USERPROFILE%.sshin File Explorer’s address bar. If the folder is not visible, turn on View → Show → Hidden items (the exact wording can vary slightly by Windows build).
VS Code documentation uses C:Usersyour-user.sshid_ed25519.pub as a typical Windows public-key path. Replace your-user with the Windows profile name actually shown by $env:USERNAME or in the path displayed by File Explorer.
PowerShell versus Git tools
Windows can have more than one SSH installation. OpenSSH supplied with Windows, Git for Windows, an IDE, and a subsystem such as WSL can each read a different home directory or configuration. First determine which program is making the connection, then inspect the corresponding user profile. A key visible in WSL’s Linux home may not be in the native Windows profile, and a key in the Windows profile may not be automatically available inside WSL.
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A custom filename was selected
When ssh-keygen creates a key, it asks where to save it. Accepting the default produces a conventional name; entering another path produces a custom base name and a matching .pub file. Look at the command history, setup notes, or the application that created the key. Search only the locations you control rather than opening or copying private files indiscriminately.
SSH configuration points to another file
SSH can be told to use a non-default identity through an IdentityFile entry. On macOS or Linux, inspect ~/.ssh/config with grep -i identityfile ~/.ssh/config if that file exists. On Windows PowerShell, inspect the equivalent file with Select-String -Path $env:USERPROFILE.sshconfig -Pattern 'IdentityFile'. A host-specific block can select a different key than the global default, so read the surrounding host name as well as the path.
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Configuration paths may be relative or use environment variables. Resolve them for the same account and program that makes the connection. A path that works in Terminal may fail in an IDE running under another account, and vice versa.
An SSH agent has the key
An agent keeps private-key operations available without requiring the application to open the key file for every connection. Run ssh-add -L to list public keys currently offered by the agent. This shows public keys only; it does not reveal private-key contents or necessarily tell you the original filename. If a key appears there while no familiar file is in .ssh, the private material may have been loaded from a custom path, another profile, or a hardware-backed provider.
Which SSH key should you copy to GitHub or a server?
- Identify the key pair for the account and device you intend to authorize.
- Open only the public file, ending in
.pub, withcaton macOS/Linux or a text editor on Windows. - Copy the complete single line, including its key type and any trailing comment.
- Paste that line into the service’s SSH-key field or into the target account’s authorized-key file.
- Keep the matching private file on your computer and protect it with its passphrase and file permissions.
If you have several public keys, compare their comments, creation notes, or the host-specific IdentityFile entries that select them. Adding every key “just in case” expands access unnecessarily and makes later revocation harder.
Test a particular identity without changing your configuration
To test a known private-key path for one connection, use ssh -i /path/to/private_key user@host on macOS or Linux. In PowerShell, provide the Windows path after -i, for example ssh -i C:Usersalex.sshwork_key user@host. This command selects that identity for the test rather than changing your SSH configuration permanently.
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Use the private filename in the -i argument, not the .pub filename. If the key has a passphrase, SSH will request it. A successful login confirms that the selected private key can authenticate with a corresponding public key already authorized on the server; it does not mean that every host or application will choose the same identity automatically.
Where the other half is stored on a server
Unix-like servers
A Unix-like server commonly keeps authorized public keys in the target account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. That file contains public-key lines accepted for that account. The client’s private key remains on the client computer; copying it into authorized_keys defeats the security model.
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Windows OpenSSH servers
For Microsoft’s Windows OpenSSH administrator setup, authorized keys are stored in C:ProgramDatasshadministrators_authorized_keys. The exact location depends on the account and server configuration, so do not assume that this administrator file applies to every Windows user.
Do not confuse user keys with host keys
Host keys identify the server to clients; they are not your personal login keys. Microsoft documents Windows service host keys under C:ProgramDatassh for the sshd service. A warning about a changed host key concerns server identity and known-host records, not the location of your client private key.
When the credential is on a hardware token
Not every SSH credential is an ordinary disk file. OpenSSH supports FIDO/U2F resident keys held on an attached security token. In that arrangement, the private operation can remain on the token, so searching ~/.ssh may find no usable private-key file.
OpenSSH’s ssh-keygen -K option downloads resident keys into public/private key files when the token and its configuration permit that operation. Treat any downloaded private file as sensitive immediately. If you cannot export the credential, connect the token and use the SSH client or agent that supports it instead of trying to invent a missing disk path.
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| Consideration | Ordinary key file | Resident hardware token |
|---|---|---|
| Recoverability | Can be backed up if the private file and passphrase are preserved. | May be recoverable only through the token’s supported resident-key procedure; loss of the token can remove access unless another credential exists. |
| Exposure if the disk is copied | A copied private file can be attacked, especially if its passphrase is weak or absent. | The private operation stays on the token, reducing exposure from a copied computer disk. |
| Passphrase and agent convenience | Can be unlocked by an SSH agent and reused during a session. | Usually requires the token to be present and may require user interaction or a token PIN. |
| Portability | Can be moved to another compatible computer only through a deliberate, secure backup. | Works on systems supporting the token and FIDO-enabled SSH, but requires the physical device and compatible software. |
| Export back to a file | The private key is already a file. | Export may be unavailable; ssh-keygen -K applies to supported resident keys. |
Protect, back up, and retire your keys safely
- Use a strong passphrase when creating or importing a file-based private key.
- Restrict access to the private file and the
.sshdirectory so other local users cannot read them. - Back up an important private key only through an encrypted method you can recover, and record which services use its public counterpart.
- Never place a private key in a public repository, cloud document, issue, chat, or support ticket.
- If you think a private key was exposed, remove its public counterpart from every server or service that trusts it and create a replacement pair.
- Do not delete the only working key until a replacement has been tested from a separate session.
A passphrase protects a stolen file but does not make intentional sharing safe. Anyone who obtains both an unrevoked public-key authorization and the usable private key may be able to authenticate as you, subject to the server’s account and policy controls.
Common reasons people think an SSH key is missing
They searched for “SSH key” instead of the hidden folder
Operating systems often hide directories beginning with a dot. Use ls -la, PowerShell’s -Force, or File Explorer’s hidden-item setting rather than relying on a normal folder view.
They opened the wrong user profile
Check the account that generated or uses the key. Administrator, standard-user, corporate, WSL, and remote-session profiles can have different home directories.
They copied the public key and expected the private file to be on the server
Only the public half belongs on the server or service. The private half should stay with the client, so its absence from the remote machine is expected.
They have an agent or token instead of a conventional file
Use ssh-add -L to see agent-offered public keys, inspect IdentityFile settings, and consider whether a FIDO/U2F token holds a resident credential.
Quick Recap
A quick decision path
- Check the hidden
.sshdirectory in the correct user home folder. - Match each extensionless identity file with its
.pubfile. - If no default pair exists, inspect SSH configuration and the command or application that created the key.
- Check
ssh-add -Lfor keys currently loaded into an agent. - Ask whether the credential is resident on a security token and whether
ssh-keygen -Kis supported. - When authorizing access, copy only the public line and test the intended private identity with
ssh -i.
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