---
title: Certificate-based authentication
description: Certificate-based authentication lets you mutually authenticate user logins or inbound API requests using certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority \(CA\).
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-security/certificate-based-authentication/certificate-based-authentication.html
release: australia
product: Certificate-based Authentication
classification: certificate-based-authentication
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Authentication, Access Management]
---

# Certificate-based authentication

Certificate-based authentication lets you mutually authenticate user logins or inbound API requests using certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority \(CA\).

**Note:**

-   Certificate Based Authentication is not supported on the On-Prem and edge encryption enabled instance.
-   To enable Certificate Based Authentication on self-hosted instance, review this [KB article](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1272738) and follow the instructions available in the **Native Certificate-Based Authentication** row within the table.

.

-   **Certificate-based authentication for user interface logins**

    Enable end users to use PIV \(Personal Identity Verification\) or CAC \(Common Access Card\) cards to log in to the ServiceNow AI Platform or Service Portal instead of using a user name and password. To set up mutual authentication for user interface logins, see [Set up Certificate-based authentication](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-security/certificate-based-authentication/set-up-mutual-auth.md).

    After Certificate-based authentication is set up, end users can finalize their set up and log in. See [Log in using Certificate-based authentication](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-security/certificate-based-authentication/ui-login-mutual-auth.md).

-   **Certificate-based authentication for Inbound web services**

    Authenticate inbound requests to ServiceNow SOAP and REST APIs. To set up mutual authentication for inbound web services, see [Set up Certificate-based authentication](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-security/certificate-based-authentication/set-up-mutual-auth.md).