Does Smallstep store private keys generated from the Dashboard?

The short answer is no. Smallstep never stores your private keys, and we consider it a sensitive credential that's not stored in our database.

In fact, the private key is generated entirely client side and doesn’t leave the browser (unless downloaded). If you'd like more information on how this is done, please contact support.

Example Certificate Download browser page. Once the tab is closed, the key no longer exists.