Creating a key pair

Last Updated : Aug 07, 2025 |

About this task

A key pair consists of a public key and a private key. The public key encrypts data, such as login credentials, and the private key decrypts it. You provide the key pair when creating a CloudFormation stack and use it to access Amazon Machine Instances through SSH.

For more information, see the following website: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-key-pairs.html

Procedure

  1. Sign in to the Amazon Web Services Management console.
  2. In the left navigation pane, go to NETWORK & SECURITY, and click Key Pairs.
  3. Click Create Key Pair.
  4. In the Key pair name field, type a name for the key pair.
  5. Click Create.

    The system generates a *.pem file and prompts you to save the file to your computer. You can also view the key pair name in the Key pair name column.

  6. Save the *.pem file.
    Important:

    When you create a key pair, save it. If you lose the key, you cannot retrieve it, and you cannot access the instance.