CertAlert Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with CertAlert in minutes on Windows, Linux, or macOS.

This guide helps you install and run CertAlert for the first time. Need assistance? Email [email protected] and we'll help you get started.

System Requirements

Windows:
Windows 10/11, Server 2016+

Linux:
64-bit, glibc 2.17+

macOS:
macOS 13 or later

Dependencies: None — CertAlert is self-contained.

1Download CertAlert

Download CertAlert for Windows. 30-day trial included.

2Extract the Download

Extract the ZIP file to a dedicated folder:

  1. Right-click on the ZIP file
  2. Select "Extract All..."
  3. Choose a destination (e.g., C:\CertAlert)
$ unzip CertAlert-v4.0.0-Linux.zip -d ~/CertAlert

Double-click the ZIP file, or:

$ unzip CertAlert-v4.0.0-macOS.zip -d ~/CertAlert

3Run Your First Scan

Open a terminal in the CertAlert folder and run a quick scan:

C:\CertAlert> .\CertAlert scan example.com
$ ./CertAlert scan example.com

First Run: EULA Acceptance

On the first run, the End User License Agreement will be displayed. Please read it carefully and accept to continue.

Scan multiple targets at once:

$ CertAlert scan example.com mail.example.com:587 192.168.1.0/24

4Set Up Regular Monitoring

For scheduled scans, create a servers.txt file listing your hosts:

# servers.txt - one entry per line
example.com
mail.example.com:587
192.168.1.10
10.0.0.1-10
[2001:db8::1]:443

Then run CertAlert without arguments to use the server list:

$ CertAlert scan

CertAlert generates CSV, PDF, and HTML reports in the Reports folder.

5Configure Email Alerts (Optional)

Edit config.json to enable email notifications when issues are detected:

{
  "smtp": {
    "host": "smtp.example.com",
    "port": 587,
    "username": "[email protected]",
    "from": "CertAlert <[email protected]>",
    "enable_starttls": true
  },
  "alerts": {
    "enabled": true,
    "recipients": ["[email protected]"]
  }
}

Set the SMTP password (Windows only — stored securely using DPAPI encryption):

C:\CertAlert> .\CertAlert configure smtp-password

Email reports: Add a reports section to receive scheduled summary emails with CSV attachment:

"reports": {
  "enabled": true,
  "recipients": ["[email protected]"],
  "frequency_hours": 24
}

6Next Steps

After your first successful scan:

  • Review generated reports in the Reports folder (CSV, PDF, HTML)
  • Customize scan settings in config.json
  • Add IP ranges for discovery in ip_ranges.txt
  • Set up scheduled execution using Task Scheduler (Windows) or cron (Linux/macOS)
  • Configure email alerts and periodic reports

Licence Activation

After purchasing, you'll receive a .lic licence file. Place it in the CertAlert folder to activate your licence.

CertAlert

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Self-contained, cross-platform certificate monitoring with HTML reports and IPv6 support.

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