---
layout: docs
page_title: Vault Agent Auto-Auth Cert Method
description: Cert Method for Vault Agent Auto-Auth
---

# Vault Agent Auto-Auth Cert Method

The `cert` method uses the configured TLS certificates from the `vault` stanza of
the agent configuration and takes an optional `name` parameter. There is no option
to use certificates which differ from those used in the `vault` stanza.

It is strongly advised to provide TLS settings in the configuration stanza
within the auth method to avoid agent cache, if also enabled, from using the
same TLS settings when proxying requests. If TLS settings are not present in the
config stanza, Agent will fall back to using TLS settings from the [`vault`
Stanza](/vault/docs/agent#vault-stanza).

## Configuration

- `name` `(string: optional)` - The trusted certificate role which should be used
  when authenticating with TLS. If a `name` is not specified, the auth method will
  try to authenticate against [all trusted certificates](/vault/docs/auth/cert#authentication).

- `ca_cert` `(string: optional)` - Path on the local disk to a single
  PEM-encoded CA certificate to verify the Vault server's SSL certificate.

- `client_cert` `(string: optional)` - Path on the local disk to a single
  PEM-encoded client certificate to use for cert auth method authentication.

- `client_key` `(string: optional)` - Path on the local disk to a single
  PEM-encoded private key matching the client certificate from client_cert.
