HTML <keygen>Tag
This tag is deprecated in the new Web standard.
Alternatives include:
Use the Web Cryptography API to generate keys in JavaScript
Use a dedicated cryptography library
Examples
A form with a keygen field:
<form action="demo_keygen.asp" method="get">
Username: <input type="text" name="usr_name">
Encryption: <keygen name="security">
<input type="submit">
</form>
Username: <input type="text" name="usr_name">
Encryption: <keygen name="security">
<input type="submit">
</form>
Try it Yourself »
Browser Support
Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and Safari 6 support the <keygen> tag.
Tag Definition and Usage
The <keygen> tag specifies a key-pair generator field for forms.
When submitting a form, the private key is stored locally, and the public key is sent to the server.
Differences between HTML 4.01 and HTML5
The <keygen> element is a new tag in HTML5.
Attributes
New: HTML5 new attribute.
| Attributes | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| autofocusNew | autofocus | Causes the <keygen> field to get focus when the page loads. |
| challengeNew | challenge | If used, the value of the keygen is set to be queried on submission. |
| disabledNew | disabled | Disables the <keygen> element field. |
| formNew | form_id | Defines one or more forms to which the <keygen> field belongs. |
| keytypeNew | rsa dsa ec |
Defines the security algorithm of the key. |
| nameNew | name | Defines a unique name for the <keygen> element. The name attribute is used to collect the value of the field when the form is submitted. |
Global Attributes
The <keygen> tag supports global attributes, view the full attribute tableHTML Global Attributes.
Event Attributes
The <keygen> tag supports allHTML Event Attributes.
Other Extensions