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Add an SSH public key for your hosting account in Plesk (passwordless login)

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SSH keys allow you to log in to your hosting account more securely than using a password. Instead of typing the password each time, your computer proves your identity using a key pair.

Before you start

  • SSH access must be enabled for your hosting subscription in Plesk.
  • You will connect to the service server hostname (from My.GARMTECH), not to your domain name.

Step 1 – Enable SSH access in Plesk

  1. Log in to Plesk from My.GARMTECH.
  2. Open Websites & Domains → Hosting Settings (or Web Hosting Access).
  3. Find SSH access and select a shell (for example /bin/bash or /bin/sh), then Save.

If you do not see SSH options, your plan may not include SSH access.

Step 2 – Generate an SSH key pair

Linux / macOS (Terminal)

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

This creates:

  • ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 (private key – keep it secret)
  • ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub (public key – this is what you add to the server)

Windows

  • If you have OpenSSH: open PowerShell and run the same ssh-keygen command.
  • Or use PuTTYgen to generate a key pair and export the public key in OpenSSH format.

Step 3 – Add the public key in Plesk

Depending on your Plesk interface, you may have one of these options:

Option A: SSH Keys Manager in Plesk

  1. Open Websites & Domains and look for SSH Keys (or SSH Keys Manager).
  2. Click Add Key.
  3. Paste the content of your .pub file and save.

Option B: Add authorized_keys via File Manager

  1. Open Files (File Manager).
  2. In your home directory, create a folder .ssh (if it does not exist).
  3. Create a file authorized_keys inside .ssh.
  4. Paste your public key as a single line and save.

Step 4 – Connect via SSH

Use your hosting system user (often the same as your main FTP user) and your service hostname:

ssh USERNAME@SERVER-HOSTNAME

Troubleshooting

  • Permission denied (publickey): confirm you used the correct username and the correct server hostname from My.GARMTECH.
  • Key format issues: make sure you pasted the public key (.pub), not the private key.
  • Still asked for password: the key may not be applied to the correct user, or SSH access is not enabled for the subscription.
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