PGP Key Viewer
Inspect and analyze OpenPGP public and private keys locally in your browser. Decode ASCII-armored key blocks, verify fingerprints, examine subkeys, and inspect user identities with zero server transmission.
PGP Key Inspector
In-Browser OpenPGP Key Inspection, Fingerprint Verification, and Subkey Analysis
The PGP Key Viewer inspects, decodes, and validates OpenPGP public and private keys directly inside your web browser. Operating entirely within client-side memory using OpenPGP.js, this utility enables users and security professionals to audit key parameters, verify fingerprints, and examine cryptographic subkeys without sending key blocks to third-party servers.
This tool supports both modern RFC 9580 and standard RFC 4880 OpenPGP ASCII-armored key formats (.asc and .gpg). It decodes key headers, primary user IDs (names, emails, and role comments), creation and expiration dates, key validity status, and underlying algorithm details across RSA, Ed25519, and NIST elliptic curves.
The workspace parses embedded encryption and signing subkeys, displaying their individual Key IDs, algorithm strengths, and operational capabilities. It formats the primary 40-character hexadecimal fingerprint into standard readable blocks to facilitate cross-verification against public keyservers, business cards, and identity registries.
Core Tool Capabilities
- OpenPGP Armor Decoding and Packet Inspection: Decodes RFC 4880 and RFC 9580 ASCII-armored public and private key blocks locally in browser memory without network queries.
- Primary Fingerprint and Key ID Verification: Computes the exact 40-character hexadecimal fingerprint and 16-character short Key ID formatted with standardized 4-character spacing.
- User Identity and Email Breakdown: Extracts and parses all attached user identity packets, identifying primary names, email addresses, and contextual comment strings.
- Subkey Capability and Hierarchy Analysis: Analyzes attached encryption, signing, and authentication subkeys, displaying individual subkey IDs, algorithms, and expiration timestamps.
- Revocation and Expiration Detection: Evaluates self-signatures and key metadata to determine whether a key has passed its expiration threshold or has been revoked.
Local Browser Privacy
Your files are processed locally on your device. Files are not uploaded, transmitted, or stored on remote servers.
Once the page has loaded, you can disconnect your network connection and continue using this tool offline.
Target Use Cases
- • Public Key Verification Before Communication
- • Key Expiration and Maintenance Audits
- • Subkey and Capability Inspection
- • Offline Key Inspection in Secure Environments
Technical Specifications & Platform Limits
Standard OpenPGP key representation.
Full suite of OpenPGP asymmetric algorithms.
Safe local parsing of all key types.
Zero external network requests or key storage.
Step-by-Step Workflow
Paste or Upload Key Block
Paste an ASCII-armored OpenPGP key into the input field or click Upload to load an existing .asc or .gpg key file from your device.
Review Key Identity and Type
Instantly view the key type (Public vs Private Key), OpenPGP version, primary algorithm, and 16-character Key ID.
Verify Fingerprint and Expiration
Check the formatted 40-character hexadecimal fingerprint and confirm the key creation timestamp and expiration validity.
Inspect Subkeys and User IDs
Examine attached user identity names, email addresses, and cryptographic subkeys with their associated capabilities.
Practical Real-World Use Cases
Public Key Verification Before Communication
Security engineers verifying that a received OpenPGP public key fingerprint matches the sender's published fingerprint before sending encrypted messages.
Key Expiration and Maintenance Audits
System administrators auditing team OpenPGP keys to identify upcoming expiration dates and plan key extensions.
Subkey and Capability Inspection
Developers checking whether an OpenPGP key contains dedicated subkeys for commit signing and encryption capabilities.
Offline Key Inspection in Secure Environments
Air-gapped and high-security personnel inspecting PGP keys on local workstations without triggering outbound DNS or keyserver queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I safely inspect private or secret keys with this tool?
- Yes. The key viewer operates 100% locally within your browser memory using OpenPGP.js and never transmits pasted keys over the network. However, best security practice is to inspect public keys whenever possible.
- What is an OpenPGP subkey?
- An OpenPGP subkey is an auxiliary key attached to a master key that performs specific tasks like data encryption or signature generation, allowing the master key to be kept offline in secure cold storage.
- How do I verify that an OpenPGP key is authentic?
- Compare the 40-character hexadecimal fingerprint displayed in the viewer with the key owner's fingerprint published across independent out-of-band channels like their website, business card, or personal confirmation.
- What does it mean if a key shows 'Never Expires'?
- It means no expiration timestamp was set when the key was generated. While functional, modern security guidelines recommend setting an expiration date to encourage periodic key reviews.
- Does this tool send my key to a public keyserver or database?
- No. The viewer performs all parsing locally in your browser memory and never communicates with external keyservers, remote APIs, or cloud telemetry endpoints.
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Master this tool with Guides & Articles
Learn the workflows, common mistakes, and advanced techniques behind PGP Key Viewer - OpenPGP Audit & Subkey Analysis with our deep-dive educational content.