How to Request Someone Else's Digital Certificate in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to know how to request a recipient's digital certificate by email in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to request a digital certificate from a contact to establish trusted identities for secure PDF workflows.
- Observed behavior
- The 'Request Contact' option previously located under Document > Manage Trusted Identities in Adobe Reader 9 is missing or has been relocated in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
Ensure you are using a supported version of Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro, as the free Adobe Reader may have restricted certificate management capabilities.
Request a Digital Certificate via Manage Trusted Identities
Use the updated Trusted Identities interface in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to email a request for a contact's certificate.
Adobe frequently updates its interface, which means older menu paths (like those in Adobe Reader 9) are no longer valid. In modern versions of Acrobat Pro DC, the certificate management tools have been consolidated under the Tools menu.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Navigate to the 'Tools' tab at the top of the window and select the 'Certificates' icon to open the certificate management ribbon.
In the new secondary toolbar that appears at the top, click on 'Trusted Certificates' or 'Manage Trusted Identities' (the exact wording depends on your specific Acrobat DC update).
In the Trusted Identities window, locate the 'Request Contact' or 'Add Contacts' button. Clicking this will allow you to generate an email request asking the recipient to export and send their public digital ID file.
Follow the on-screen prompts to send the generated email. Once your recipient replies with their public certificate (.cer or .p7b format), you can import it into this same Trusted Identities window.
Need a Simpler Way to Manage and Secure Documents? Try WPS Office
If managing digital certificates and document security in Adobe Acrobat feels overly complex, consider WPS Office. It is a comprehensive, lightweight suite offering robust PDF editing, securing, and signing features alongside seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I find 'Request Contact' in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?
Adobe overhauled its user interface in the DC versions. The certificate management tools previously found under the Document menu in Reader 9 have been moved to the Tools > Certificates menu under Trusted Identities.
Can I use Adobe Reader to manage trusted identities?
Adobe Reader has limited capabilities compared to Acrobat Pro. While you can view trusted certificates you have already imported, advanced management and contact requesting features typically require Acrobat Standard or Pro.
What file format will the requested digital certificate be in?
When a contact exports and sends their public certificate to you, it is usually saved in a .cer, .crt, or .p7b file format. These contain only public keys and are safe to share and import.
How do I import a digital certificate once I receive it?
In Acrobat, go to Tools > Certificates > Trusted Certificates. Click the 'Import' or 'Add Contacts' button, browse for the certificate file your contact emailed to you, and follow the prompts to add it to your trusted list.
