Feature Request: Add "Upload File" Support for Azure Key Vault Secrets

Duval, Benoit 0 Reputation points
2026-11-03T11:53:00.3633333+00:00

Azure Key Vault supports multiline secrets and the official documentation recommends using a file when storing them. However, the Azure Portal only provides a manual text entry field when creating secrets. This creates an inconsistent user experience because common assets such as PEM certificate chains, SSH keys, JSON configurations, or other multiline secrets require the use of Azure CLI (az keyvault secret set --file) instead of the Portal. A native "Upload file as secret" capability in the Portal would improve usability and reduce formatting-related issues.

Azure Key Vault
Azure Key Vault

An Azure service that is used to manage and protect cryptographic keys and other secrets used by cloud apps and services.

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  1. AI answer

    2026-11-03T11:53:23.6466667+00:00

    The request is well-justified based on the current Azure Key Vault behavior.

    Azure Key Vault supports storing multi-line secrets, but the documented CLI and PowerShell flows require using a file rather than passing the value directly on the command line. For Azure CLI, the supported pattern is az keyvault secret set --file "secretfile.txt". For Azure PowerShell, the documented approach is to read the file content, convert it to a secure string, and then call Set-AzKeyVaultSecret.

    In the Azure portal, the documented secret creation experience is manual entry: Key Vault → Objects → Secrets → + Generate/Import, then set Upload options: Manual, provide Name, and type the Value. The portal documentation does not describe a file upload option for secrets.

    That makes the current experience inconsistent:

    • Multi-line secrets are supported by the service.
    • File-based input is the documented approach for CLI and PowerShell.
    • The portal creation flow exposes manual text entry for secret values, not file upload.

    Examples in the documentation that align with this gap include:

    • Multi-line text secrets such as JSON or RSA private keys.
    • PEM content uploaded as a secret by using --file.
    • SSH keys as a supported secret type in Key Vault.

    A portal feature such as Upload file as secret would align the portal with the existing service capability and documented automation workflows, and would help reduce formatting errors when handling multi-line content.

    References:

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