Some mail providers offer a Web Key Directory for their users to publish OpenPGP public keys. This is sometimes amended by the Web Key Service, which offers users an easy and confirmed method to publish and update their OpenPGP public keys in the provider's WKD.

KMail can already handle most of the mail handshake but there's to my knowledge no way to initiate the process from within KMail. Thunderbird's Enigmail extension supports the initial mail and this adds the same feature in a similar manner to Kleopatra, utilising GnuPG and Akonadi to create and send the mail required to initiate the WKS key publishing process.

It adds another File and context menu entry for Export to Provider, utilising the same icon as "Export to Server", which should be reviewed for following GUI guidelines. Also, new messages added should be reviewed for proper language.

1. Create or have a OpenPGP key pair whose primary user ID uses a mail provider which provides WKS, GnuPG may be asked for test addresses for this part.
2. Select the key in Kleopatra's main window and select "Export to provider" from either context or File menu.
3. A message should pop up informing about consequences and the further process of publishing a key this way and asking for confirmation to proceed.

• If the mail provider supports WKS, a mail to the provider is generated and, if possible, sent, using the Akonadi mail transport configured for the primary user ID mail address and a message box notifying the user of the successful export should appear.
  • If the mail transfer was successful, the usual "mail sent" popup should appear, followed by a WKS confirmation request in the user's inbox. KMail does not keep a copy of this mail in Sent.
  • If the mail was stalled for any reason, the initial mail should appear in the user's Outbox folder.
• If the mail provider does not support WKS or there is no mail transport configured for the key's primary user ID mail address, the process will stop with an appropriate error message.

If the provider's WKS has sent a confirmation request mail with the selected key, the process is further handled by KMail and Kleopatra's involvement is no longer required.