VBA & Macro Problems

Fix No Usable Signing Certificates Error in Word VBA

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user is unable to digitally sign Word VBA macros because Word does not recognize the installed certificate as usable for signing.

How to Fix "No Usable Signing Certificates" in Word VBA

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to digitally sign a VBA project in Word using a PFX certificate originally created for an HTTPS/TLS server.
Observed behavior: Word displays a "No Usable Signing Certificates" error and fails to locate the certificate in the Personal store, preventing the macro from being signed.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access to your computer's certificate manager and verify the exact 'Intended Purpose' of the certificate you currently possess before attempting to sign macros.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Dedicated Code-Signing Certificate

Replace your TLS/SSL server certificate with a certificate specifically issued and configured for code signing.

Microsoft Word VBA requires certificates with a specific 'Code Signing' purpose to digitally sign projects. Standard HTTPS, SSL, or TLS server certificates will not be recognized by the Visual Basic Editor, even if they are correctly installed in the Personal certificate store and contain full chain information.

Obtain a code-signing certificate

Contact a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) to purchase or request a dedicated 'Code Signing Certificate', ensuring you confirm with the issuer that it supports VBA signatures.

Install the certificate

Double-click your provided .pfx or .cer file to open the Certificate Import Wizard. Select 'Current User' and place the certificate into the 'Personal' certificate store.

Open the Visual Basic Editor

Launch Microsoft Word, open your document, and press ALT + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).

Apply the digital signature

Navigate to the 'Tools' menu, select 'Digital Signature', click the 'Choose' button, and select your newly installed code-signing certificate from the list.

Use a Dedicated Code-Signing Certificate

Verification Tip: You can verify your certificate's purpose by opening the Windows Certificate Manager (certmgr.msc), double-clicking your certificate, and checking that 'Code Signing' is explicitly listed under the 'Intended Purposes' section on the General tab.

Solution 2

Apply a Trusted Timestamp to Your VBA Signature

Configure a timestamp server in the Windows Registry to ensure your signed VBA macro remains valid even after your code-signing certificate expires.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my HTTPS certificate not showing up in the Word VBA signature dialog?

Word VBA specifically filters the certificate store for certificates that have "Code Signing" designated as their intended purpose. HTTPS, TLS, or SSL server certificates lack this specific designation and are therefore hidden or flagged as unusable by the Visual Basic Editor.

Can I create my own certificate to sign Word VBA macros?

Yes, you can create a self-signed certificate using the "SelfCert.exe" tool included with Microsoft Office. However, macros signed with a self-signed certificate will only be trusted automatically on the machine where the certificate was created, making them unsuitable for distributing macros to other users.

What happens to my signed macro when the code-signing certificate expires?

If the VBA signature was not timestamped at the time of signing, the macro will trigger security warnings or be disabled by Office Trust Center settings once the certificate expires. Using a trusted timestamp server records the exact signing time, proving the certificate was valid at the time of signing and keeping the macro signature valid indefinitely.

How should I distribute my digitally signed Word macros?

Signed macro code must be saved and distributed in a macro-enabled document format (.docm) or a macro-enabled template format (.dotm). Saving the file in a standard document format (.docx) will strip the macro code and its digital signature entirely.

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