open-consul/website/content/commands/tls/cert.mdx

---
layout: commands
page_title: 'Commands: TLS Cert Create'
description: |
  The `consul tls cert create` command creates certificates for servers, clients, and CLIs to secure their communication.
---

# Consul TLS Cert Create

Command: `consul tls cert create`

The `tls cert create` command is used to create certificates for your Consul TLS
setup.

## Examples

Create a certificate for servers:

```shell-session
$ consul tls cert create -server
==> WARNING: Server Certificates grants authority to become a
    server and access all state in the cluster including root keys
    and all ACL tokens. Do not distribute them to production hosts
    that are not server nodes. Store them as securely as CA keys.
==> Using consul-ca.pem and consul-ca-key.pem
==> Saved dc1-server-consul-0.pem
==> Saved dc1-server-consul-0-key.pem
```

Create a certificate for clients:

```shell-session
$ consul tls cert create -client
==> Using consul-ca.pem and consul-ca-key.pem
==> Saved consul-client-0.pem
==> Saved consul-client-0-key.pem
```

Create a certificate for cli:

```shell-session
$ consul tls cert create -cli
==> Using consul-ca.pem and consul-ca-key.pem
==> Saved consul-cli-0.pem
==> Saved consul-cli-0-key.pem
```

## Usage

Usage: `consul tls cert create [filename-prefix] [options]`

#### Command Options

- `-additional-dnsname=<string>` - Provide an additional dnsname for Subject
  Alternative Names. localhost is always included. This flag may be provided
  multiple times.

- `-additional-ipaddress=<string>` - Provide an additional ipaddress for
  Subject Alternative Names. `127.0.0.1` is always included. This flag may be
  provided multiple times.

- `-ca=<string>` - Provide path to the ca. Defaults to `#DOMAIN#-agent-ca.pem`.

- `-cli` - Generate cli certificate.

- `-client` - Generate client certificate.

- `-days=<int>` - Provide number of days the certificate is valid for from now
  on. Defaults to 1 year.

- `-dc=<string>` - Provide the datacenter. Matters only for `-server`
  certificates. Defaults to `dc1`.

- `-domain=<string>` - Provide the domain. Matters only for `-server`
  certificates.

- `-key=<string>` - Provide path to the key. Defaults to
  `#DOMAIN#-agent-ca-key.pem`.

- `-node=<string>` - When generating a server cert and this is set an
  additional dns name is included of the form
  `<node>.server.<datacenter>.<domain>`.

- `-server` - Generate server certificate.