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Why is the SSL.com Certificate not uploading to BlueNotary?

If you're trying to upload your digital certificate from SSL.com and only have a Base-64 encoded X.509 (.CER) file, you may see that BlueNotary doesn't accept it. This is expected.

Why this happens

A .CER file only contains the public part of your certificate. Think of it as your digital ID card, it can prove who you are, but it cannot be used to digitally sign documents.
To sign documents on BlueNotary, you need a certificate file that includes both:

Your digital certificate
Your private signing key

These are packaged together in a PKCS#12 file, which typically has a .PFX or .P12 extension.

What file do I need?

Supported file types: .pfx , .p12
Unsupported for signing: .cer, .crt

How do I get a .PFX or .P12 file?

You'll need to export your certificate from SSL.com as a PKCS#12 (.PFX or .P12) file. If you don't see this option, please contact SSL.com support for assistance in exporting your certificate with the private key included.

Once you have the .pfx or .p12 file, return to BlueNotary and upload it to complete your digital certificate setup.

Need help? If you're unsure whether your file includes the private key, our support team is happy to help.

Updated on: 14/07/2026

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