When the RSA Key Generator seems to misbehave, the cause is usually one of two things: something stopped the tool from running, or it ran but the result is not usable. This guide starts with the fastest checks, then walks through the common problems and exact fixes.
Quick Checks First
- Refresh the page - a stalled session is the most common cause of nothing happening.
- Confirm the input is not empty and actually contains what you meant to submit.
- Try the smallest possible input; if that works, the issue is size, not the tool.
- Turn off browser extensions that block scripts, then reload and test again.
- Update or switch browsers if the problem repeats across sessions.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
My private key was committed to git.
Treat it as compromised: generate a new pair, revoke the old key and rewrite history if the repo is shared.
The service rejected my key.
Confirm the key size meets the minimum the service allows, and that the PEM headers were copied without line breaks lost.
I cannot tell the public from the private key.
The private PEM is the secret one to guard; the public half is safe to distribute and share openly.
RSA operations feel slow.
Large keys and frequent operations are costly - use 2048 or 3072 bits for most work and reserve 4096 for long term roots.
I lost the private key after generating it.
There is no recovery - generate a new pair and update anything that trusted the old public key.
The PEM pasted with broken line wraps.
Copy the block exactly including its header and footer lines, since most parsers reject a damaged PEM envelope.
When It Works but the Output Is Poor
If the tool runs fine but the result misses, the problem is almost always the brief, not the software:
- Committing the private key to a repository
- Sharing the private key with anyone
- Choosing a key size that is too small
- Assuming the public key must stay secret
How to Stop It Happening Next Time
- Keep a saved prompt template for every task you repeat.
- Change one setting per generation so causes stay obvious.
- Run a two-minute sanity test with known input after any update.
- Note every failure and its fix; a short troubleshooting log pays for itself.
Still Stuck?
Reproduce the problem with the smallest possible input and note the exact steps that triggered it. A one-line description of what you did, what you expected and what happened is enough to get a precise answer from support or a colleague.
Frequently Asked Questions
What key size should I choose?
2048 bits is a practical default today, with 3072 or 4096 reserved for keys expected to protect data for many years.
Is the private key ever sent anywhere?
Generation happens locally in the browser, so the private key never needs to leave your machine - keep it that way.
What are the modulus and exponents?
They are the numeric parts of an RSA key: the modulus plus a public exponent for encryption or verify, and a private exponent for decrypt or sign.
Can I reuse this key pair in production?
Yes if generated at a strong size and stored securely, but never share the private half and rotate it on a schedule.
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