Where your SSH credentials come from

Your SSH username and password (or key) come from whoever set up your server account — usually your hosting provider, your company's IT department, or yourself if you created the account. The place to look first depends on who controls the server.

If you rent server space from a hosting company like Linode, DigitalOcean, AWS, or GoDaddy, check the email account you used to sign up. Your hosting provider sends login details to that email when your account is created, often in a welcome message or invoice. If you cannot find the original email, log into your hosting provider's control panel (the website where you manage your account) — most let you reset your SSH password or regenerate your SSH key from there.

If this is a server at your workplace, ask your IT department or system administrator directly. They maintain the user accounts and can reset your password or provide a new key. If you are the administrator and have lost access to your own account, the recovery path depends on whether you have physical access to the server or another admin account.

Key Takeaways

  • Check the email address you used when signing up for your hosting account — your provider sent your original SSH credentials there.
  • Log into your hosting provider's control panel to reset your password or regenerate your SSH key without contacting support.
  • If you use SSH keys instead of passwords, you need the private key file (usually named id_rsa) stored on your local computer, not a password.
  • For workplace servers, contact your IT department or system administrator to reset your account access.
  • If you are the server administrator and locked yourself out, you may need console access or a recovery mode to regain control.

Resetting your password through your hosting provider

Most hosting companies give you a way to change your SSH password without needing the old one. Log into your hosting provider's website using your account email and password (the account password, not your SSH password — these are different). Look for a section called "Servers," "Cloud Instances," "VPS," or "Droplets" depending on the provider.

Find your server in the list and look for options like "Reset Root Password," "Change Password," or "Access." Click it. The provider will either email you a temporary password or let you set a new one directly in the control panel. Use that new password the next time you connect via SSH. This method works for root or admin accounts on most Linux and Windows servers.

If your hosting provider does not offer a password reset option in the control panel, contact their support team with proof that you own the account (usually your account email and billing information). They can reset it for you, though this may take a few hours.

Regenerating your SSH key if you lost the private key file

SSH keys work differently from passwords. You have a private key (a file on your computer that stays secret) and a public key (stored on the server). If you lost your private key file, a password will not help you — you need to generate a new key pair and upload the public key to the server.

Log into your hosting provider's control panel and find the SSH key management section (often under "Security," "SSH Keys," or "Account Settings"). Delete the old public key and add a new one. Your provider will show you how to generate a new key pair on your computer using a tool like ssh-keygen (on Mac and Linux) or PuTTYgen (on Windows). Once you generate the new pair, upload the public key to the server through the control panel, then use the private key to connect.

If you cannot access the control panel because you do not remember your hosting account password, reset that first using your email address, then proceed to regenerate your SSH key.

Checking if you already have SSH credentials saved locally

You may already have your SSH username and private key stored on your computer without realizing it. On Mac or Linux, open a terminal and type ls ~/.ssh to list files in your SSH folder. Look for a file named id_rsa, id_ed25519, or something similar — these are private keys. If you find one, you already have the key you need to connect.

On Windows, check your user folder for a .ssh directory (it may be hidden). In Windows 10 and later, you can use PowerShell or Windows Terminal to run the same ls ~/.ssh command. If you find a private key file, you have your credentials — you just need to remember the username (often root, admin, or your own name) and the server's address.

If you find a private key but do not remember which server it belongs to, check the file's creation date or look through your email for invoices or setup confirmations from hosting providers.

What to do if you cannot access your hosting account email

If you signed up with an email address you no longer have access to, you cannot use the standard password reset. Contact your hosting provider's support team and explain the situation. They will ask you to verify your identity using billing information, the credit card you used to pay, or other account details. Once verified, they can change the email address on file and send you a password reset link to your new email.

This process usually takes 24 to 48 hours. While you wait, you cannot reset your SSH password through the control panel, so ask support to reset it for you as part of the account recovery.

Recovering access if you are the server administrator

If you own the server and have locked yourself out completely, your options depend on the type of server and whether you have physical access.

For a cloud server (AWS, DigitalOcean, Linode, etc.), you usually have a console or recovery mode accessible through the hosting provider's website. Log into the control panel, find your server, and look for "Console," "Recovery Mode," or "IPMI." This gives you direct access to the server's terminal without needing SSH. From there, you can reset the root password or add a new SSH key.

For a physical server in your office or data center, you may need to connect a keyboard and monitor directly, or ask the data center staff to help you access the recovery console. Once you have console access, you can boot into single-user mode or recovery mode (the exact steps vary by operating system) and reset your password from there.

If you have another administrator account on the server, use that account to reset the locked-out account's password using commands like passwd username on Linux or the user management tools on Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my SSH password the same as my hosting account password?

No. Your hosting account password is what you use to log into the provider's website. Your SSH password is what you use to connect to the server itself. They are separate and can be different. If you use SSH keys instead of passwords, you do not have an SSH password at all — you use a private key file instead.

What if my hosting provider says they cannot reset my password?

Some providers do not store passwords in a way that lets them reset them — they can only delete your account and create a new one. If that is the case, ask if they can help you generate a new SSH key instead, or if they offer console access so you can reset it yourself. If neither option works, you may need to create a new server account.

Can I use the same SSH key for multiple servers?

Yes. You can copy your public key to as many servers as you want. The private key stays on your computer. This is actually more find than using different passwords for each server, because you only have one key to protect and back up.

What should I do with my SSH private key once I have it?

Keep it in your ~/.ssh folder on your computer and back it up somewhere safe (like an encrypted external drive or password manager). Never share it, never paste it into a website, and never email it. If someone gets your private key, they can access any server where you have uploaded the matching public key.

How do I know if I should use a password or an SSH key?

SSH keys are more find and are the standard for most servers. If your hosting provider offers both options, choose keys. Passwords are easier to remember but weaker. If you are setting up a new server, ask your provider which method they recommend — most will suggest keys for security.