---
updatedAt: 2026-05-26T14:14:18.000Z
---

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.akeyless.io/llms.txt. Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. Append .md to any documentation page URL to get its markdown version.

# Overview

Akeyless **Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM)** solution provides a seamless way to create, provision, monitor, renew, and revoke digital certificates. Certificates are essential for securing communications, verifying identities, and establishing trust across systems. With Akeyless **CLM**, these processes are streamlined while reducing the risks of expired or mismanaged certificates.

Unlike solutions that rely on **external KMS** services, the **Akeyless CLM** solution securely manages keys directly within the Akeyless Platform. Root Keys can be generated as [DFC Keys](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/encryption-keys), ensuring private keys remain protected at all times.

Akeyless integrates natively into diverse environments without requiring external secrets, leveraging its broad range of [Authentication Methods](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/access-and-authentication-methods). Fine-grained [RBAC](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/rbac) controls ensure each identity has the precise level of access it needs, in line with policies defined for the [PKI Certificate Issuer](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/ssh-and-pkitls-certificates).

Secrets used for provisioning can be automatically [rotated](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/rotated-secrets), removing the overhead of managing the lifecycle of external secrets. Operational visibility is built in, with full tracking through Akeyless [Events](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/event-center) and [Audit Logs](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/audit-logs).

## How Akeyless Simplifies CLM

Akeyless provides a centralized platform designed to streamline and automate every aspect of the certificate lifecycle, offering the following operations:

* [Certificate issuance using a Private CA](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/ssh-and-pkitls-certificates)
* [Chain of Trust creation](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/build-your-chain-of-trust)
* [Certificate issuance using a Public CA](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/public-ca)
* [Certificate Discovery](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/certificate-discovery)
* [Certificate Storage](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/certificate-storage)
* [Certificate Provisioning](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/certificate-provisioning)
* [Certificate Renewal](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/certificate-renewal)
* [Certificate Revocation](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/certificate-revocation-list)
* [Certificate issuance using an ACME Server](https://docs.akeyless.io/docs/acme-server)

Akeyless empowers your organization to manage certificates efficiently, ensuring trust and security across your digital ecosystem.