API based automation
CERTInext enables API-based automation to integrate certificate lifecycle management directly into enterprise applications, DevOps pipelines, ITSM tools, and infrastructure platforms. Using secure API credentials, organizations can automate certificate issuance, renewal, deployment triggers, revocation, reporting, and policy enforcement without manual portal interaction.
API automation is configured under: Integrations → APIs → + New API Credentials
Purpose
API-based automation allows organizations to:
Automate certificate requests from applications and services
Integrate certificate lifecycle operations into CI/CD pipelines
Trigger renewals and deployments programmatically
Enforce standardized product and template usage
Retrieve certificate metadata for monitoring or compliance
Revoke or suspend certificates automatically
This ensures consistent, scalable, and policy-driven certificate management across environments.
From a Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) perspective, API integration extends automation beyond infrastructure into operational processes. Certificates can be ordered, validated, tracked, retrieved, and managed programmatically without relying on manual portal actions.
Creating API Credentials
To enable API automation:
Navigate to Integrations → APIs
Click + New API Credentials
Select the appropriate API Type (ACME, REST, EST, SCEP, CMP, WAEP)
Provide required authentication details
Associate the credential with a User, Group, and Product
Click Generate API Credentials
Once generated, credentials are securely stored and can be used by external systems and automation tools.
Authentication Methods
Depending on the selected API type, CERTInext supports:
Access Key–based authentication
OAuth-based authentication
Username and Password
Shared Secret
Kerberos authentication (for WAEP)
The authentication mechanism depends on the protocol and integration scenario.
Supported Automation Use Cases
DevOps & CI/CD
Automate certificate issuance during application deployment
Renew certificates automatically before expiry
Integrate with tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar platforms
Infrastructure Automation
Provision certificates for load balancers, containers, and microservices
Rotate certificates across environments programmatically
Trigger automated renewal workflows
Enterprise Applications
Trigger certificate generation from internal portals
Integrate certificate issuance into onboarding workflows
Enforce product-based issuance policies
Monitoring & Reporting
Retrieve certificate inventory via REST APIs
Validate certificate status and expiry data
Extract reporting data for compliance reviews
API Documentation and REST Integration
CERTInext supports API-driven automation through emSign CertHub APIs, which provide programmatic access to certificate lifecycle functions.
REST APIs provide a structured and scalable way for applications and enterprise platforms to interact with CERTInext and emSign services. These APIs allow organizations to integrate certificate lifecycle management into internal tools, automation systems, and operational workflows.
Using REST APIs, enterprises can automate:
Ordering certificates
Submitting CSRs
Completing domain validation workflows
Tracking certificate status
Downloading issued certificates
Revoking certificates
Generating reports
This allows certificate lifecycle management to become part of existing IT processes rather than a separate manual activity.
Detailed API references, request formats, and implementation examples are available in the API documentation.
Certificate Order Lifecycle via APIs
REST APIs provide access to the complete certificate order lifecycle. Applications and platforms can interact directly with the Certification Authority and manage certificates programmatically.
Lifecycle operations that can be automated include:
Account validation and access verification
Retrieval of organization and domain information
Creation of certificate orders
CSR submission
Document submission for validation
Domain Control Validation (DCV) workflows
Order status tracking
Certificate download
Certificate revocation and cancellation
Reporting and operational visibility
These capabilities allow enterprises to build fully automated certificate provisioning pipelines.
Credential Management
From the APIs dashboard, administrators can:
View active and revoked credentials
Filter by API type or status
Export credential listings
Revoke compromised credentials
Rotate API credentials when required
Revoking a credential immediately disables all associated automation workflows.
Security Best Practices
Assign API credentials using least-privilege user accounts
Associate credentials with specific Products to enforce issuance controls
Store secrets in secure vaults rather than hardcoding them in scripts
Rotate credentials periodically
Monitor API usage through audit logs
Important Note
Each API credential is linked to a specific certificate product or CA profile
Product-level policy controls apply to API-issued certificates
All API operations are logged for compliance and traceability
Revoked credentials cannot be reused
API-based automation in CERTInext enables scalable, secure, and policy-driven certificate lifecycle management across enterprise and DevOps ecosystems.
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