---
name: "age-keygen"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "age"
version: "1.3.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/age-keygen"
---

# age-keygen(1)

generate age(1) key pairs

## NAME

**age-keygen** - generate [age(1)](/age/1.md) key pairs

## SYNOPSIS

**age-keygen** \[**-pq**\] \[**-o** *OUTPUT*\]\
 **age-keygen** **-y** \[**-o** *OUTPUT*\] \[*INPUT*\]\

## DESCRIPTION

**age-keygen** generates a new native [age(1)](/age/1.md) key pair, and outputs the identity to standard output or to the *OUTPUT* file. The output includes the public key and the current time as comments.

If the output is not going to a terminal, **age-keygen** prints the public key to standard error.

## OPTIONS

- **-pq**

  Generate a post-quantum hybrid ML-KEM-768 + X25519 key pair.

-

  In the future, this might become the default.

- **-o**, **--output**=*OUTPUT*

  Write the identity to *OUTPUT* instead of standard output.

-

  If *OUTPUT* already exists, it is not overwritten.

- **-y**

  Read an identity file from *INPUT* or from standard input and output the corresponding recipient(s), one per line, with no comments.

- **--version**

  Print the version and exit.

## EXAMPLES

Generate a new post-quantum identity:

-

  ```
  $ age-keygen -pq
  # created: 2025-11-17T13:39:06+01:00
  # public key: age1pq167[... 1950 more characters ...]
  AGE-SECRET-KEY-PQ-1K30MYPZAHAXHR22YHH27EGDVLU0QNSUH3DSV7J7NR3X6D9LHXNWSDLTV4T
  ```

-

  Generate a new traditional identity:

-

  ```
  $ age-keygen
  # created: 2021-01-02T15:30:45+01:00
  # public key: age1lvyvwawkr0mcnnnncaghunadrqkmuf9e6507x9y920xxpp866cnql7dp2z
  AGE-SECRET-KEY-1N9JEPW6DWJ0ZQUDX63F5A03GX8QUW7PXDE39N8UYF82VZ9PC8UFS3M7XA9
  ```

-

  Write a new post-quantum identity to **key.txt**:

-

  ```
  $ age-keygen -pq -o key.txt
  Public key: age1pq1cd[... 1950 more characters ...]
  ```

-

  Convert an identity to a recipient:

-

  ```
  $ age-keygen -y key.txt
  age1pq1cd[... 1950 more characters ...]
  ```

-

  ## SEE ALSO

[age(1)](/age/1.md), [age-inspect(1)](/age-inspect/1.md)

## AUTHORS

Filippo Valsorda *age@filippo.io*