Fix Thumbprint Not Available for Azure AD App Certificate
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where the Azure portal fails to display the thumbprint for an uploaded self-signed certificate.

- Product
- Microsoft Azure Active Directory
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Uploading a self-signed certificate using the New-AzureADApplicationKeyCredential PowerShell cmdlet.
- Observed behavior
- The Azure portal shows "Thumbprint not available" after the certificate is successfully uploaded via PowerShell.
Ensure you have administrative access to your Azure Active Directory tenant and that your self-signed certificate is exported in the correct base64-encoded format.
Verify Certificate Format and Consult Microsoft Q&A Specialists
Since Azure AD certificate parsing issues often require deep tenant-level investigation, verifying your PowerShell command and reaching out to specialized Azure engineers is the most effective approach.
The 'Thumbprint not available' error typically occurs when the Azure portal cannot properly parse the uploaded certificate due to encoding issues, incorrect file extensions, or a syntax error in the PowerShell cmdlet.
Microsoft provides a dedicated community space where Azure Active Directory experts can analyze your specific application registration details and PowerShell logs.
Check your execution of the New-AzureADApplicationKeyCredential cmdlet to ensure the CustomKeyIdentifier and Cert parameters are correctly formatted and referencing a valid base64-encoded .cer file.
Double-click your certificate file locally in Windows, go to the 'Details' tab, and verify that a valid Thumbprint exists before attempting the upload.
Collect your Azure AD Application ID, the exact PowerShell script used, and screenshots of the Azure portal showing the error.
Navigate to the Azure Active Directory section on Microsoft Q&A (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/tags/49/azure-active-directory) and submit your gathered details for specialized troubleshooting.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Azure portal show "Thumbprint not available"?
This error generally occurs if the uploaded certificate file is improperly formatted, lacks the correct base64 encoding, or if a parsing error occurred during the PowerShell cmdlet execution.
Can I use a self-signed certificate for Azure AD apps?
Yes, self-signed certificates are commonly used for testing or internal Azure AD app registrations. However, they must be correctly generated and uploaded in a supported format like .cer or .pem.
How do I find a certificate's thumbprint locally on Windows?
You can view the thumbprint by opening the certificate file (.cer or .crt) in Windows, clicking on the "Details" tab, and scrolling down to the "Thumbprint" field in the list of properties.




