X509Certificate2.Export Method

Exports the certificate and its private key (if present) to a byte array.

Syntax

public byte[] Export(
    X509ContentType contentType,
    string password
)

Parameters

Return Value

Exceptions

Remarks

The Export method allows you to serialize an X509Certificate2 object into a byte array for storage, transmission, or use by other applications. The format of the exported data is determined by the contentType parameter.

When exporting a certificate that includes a private key using X509ContentType.Pkcs12, you must provide a password to protect the private key. This password will be required when importing the certificate later.

Examples

using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

public class CertificateExportExample
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        try
        {
            // Load a certificate with a private key
            X509Certificate2 certificate = new X509Certificate2("mycert.pfx", "mysecretpassword");

            // Export the certificate and private key to PFX format
            byte[] pfxData = certificate.Export(X509ContentType.Pkcs12, "newSecurePassword");

            // Save the PFX data to a file
            System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("exported_cert.pfx", pfxData);

            Console.WriteLine("Certificate exported successfully to exported_cert.pfx");
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred: {ex.Message}");
        }
    }
}

using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

public class CertificateExportExample
{
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        try
        {
            // Load a certificate (assuming it might not have a private key or you don't need it)
            X509Certificate2 certificate = new X509Certificate2("mycert.cer");

            // Export the certificate in CER format (no private key)
            byte[] cerData = certificate.Export(X509ContentType.Cert);

            // Save the CER data to a file
            System.IO.File.WriteAllBytes("exported_cert.cer", cerData);

            Console.WriteLine("Certificate exported successfully to exported_cert.cer");
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred: {ex.Message}");
        }
    }
}