DELETE Certificates

The DELETE /Certificates method is used to delete multiple certificates from the Keyfactor Command database in one request. The certificate IDs should be supplied in the request body as a JSON array of integers. If the specified certificate(s) have associated private keyClosed Private keys are used in cryptography (symmetric and asymmetric) to encrypt or sign content. In asymmetric cryptography, they are used together in a key pair with a public key. The private or secret key is retained by the key's creator, making it highly secure.(s) stored in the database, these private keys are also removed. This endpointClosed An endpoint is a URL that enables the API to gain access to resources on a server. returns 204 with no content upon success. IDs of any certificates that could not be deleted are returned in the response body. Delete operations will continue until the entire array of IDs has been processed.

Whenever a certificate that is part of a certificate renewal chain is deleted, the certificates on either end of the deleted certificate will have their certificate histories updated. The update will reflect the deletion of the certificate in the renewal chain, showing either the certificate before or after the deleted certificate.

Tip:  The following permissions (see Security Roles and Claims) are required to use this feature:
/certificates/collections/delete/
OR
/certificates/collections/delete/#/ (where # is a reference to a specific certificate collection ID—see CollectionID, below)
OR
/certificates/collections/delete_and_exclude/
OR
/certificates/collections/delete_and_exclude/#/ (where # is a reference to a specific certificate collection ID—see CollectionID, below)

Permissions for certificates can be configured at multiple levels. You can apply them system-wide—for all certificates—or use fine-grained control by assigning permissions at the certificate collectionClosed The certificate search function allows you to query the Keyfactor Command database for certificates from any available source based on any criteria of the certificates and save the results as a collection that will be availble in other places in the Management Portal (e.g. expiration alerts and certain reports). level. The appropriate level depends on how the certificates are accessed. See Certificate Collection Permissions for more information about system-wide versus more targeted permission models.

Tip:  Deleting a certificate with this method does not necessarily delete it permanently. The certificate will be returned to the Keyfactor Command database on the next full synchronization if synchronization for the certificate source (certificate authorityClosed A certificate authority (CA) is an entity that issues digital certificates. Within Keyfactor Command, a CA may be a Microsoft CA or a Keyfactor gateway to a cloud-based or remote CA., SSLClosed TLS (Transport Layer Security) and its predecessor SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) are protocols for establishing authenticated and encrypted links between networked computers. endpoint, etc.) is still configured. Certificate history, metadataClosed Metadata provides information about a piece of data. It is used to summarize basic information about data, which can make working with the data easier. In Keyfactor Command, the certificate metadata feature allows you to create custom metadata fields that allow you to tag certificates with tracking information about certificates., and private keys do not return when certificates re-synchronize. The certificate will be assigned a different Keyfactor Command reference ID when re-added to Keyfactor Command.

Table 325: DELETE Certificates Input Parameters

Name In Description
ids Body Required. An array of integers containing the Keyfactor Command certificate IDs for certificates that should be deleted in the form:
[123,789,567]

Use the GET /Certificates method (see GET Certificates) to determine the certificate IDs.
CollectionId Query

An optional integer that specifies the certificate collection (CollectionId) to validate whether the user has sufficient permissions to perform the action. If a CollectionId is not provided, the user must have appropriate permissions granted system-wide or via certificate store containers.

Providing a CollectionId allows the system to check the user's permissions at the certificate collection level. Permissions are evaluated in the following order:

  1. System-wide certificate permissions
  2. Granular certificate permissions

Use either ContainerId or CollectionId, not both. If both are specified, CollectionId takes precedence, and the ContainerId is ignored (defaults to 0).

See Certificate Collection Permissions for more information.
Tip:  See the Keyfactor API Reference and Utility which provides a utility through which the Keyfactor APIClosed An API is a set of functions to allow creation of applications. Keyfactor offers the Keyfactor API, which allows third-party software to integrate with the advanced certificate enrollment and management features of Keyfactor Command. endpoints can be called and results returned. It is intended to be used primarily for validation, testing and workflowClosed A workflow is a series of steps necessary to complete a process. In Keyfactor Command, it refers to the workflow builder, which allows you to automate event-driven tasks such as when a certificate is requested, revoked or found in a certificate store. development. It also serves secondarily as documentation for the API. The link to the Keyfactor API Reference and Utility is in the dropdown from the help icon () at the top of the Management Portal page next to the Log Out button.