diff --git a/api/event-source.html b/api/event-source.html
index b85496ceb1..ef8dddeae1 100644
--- a/api/event-source.html
+++ b/api/event-source.html
@@ -5413,7 +5413,7 @@ <h3 id="argoproj.io/v1alpha1.SFTPEventSource">SFTPEventSource
 </em>
 </td>
 <td>
-<p>SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key</p>
+<p>SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key.</p>
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
diff --git a/api/event-source.md b/api/event-source.md
index e2af9a372d..b915312a77 100644
--- a/api/event-source.md
+++ b/api/event-source.md
@@ -5526,7 +5526,8 @@ Kubernetes core/v1.SecretKeySelector </a> </em>
 </td>
 <td>
 <p>
-SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key
+SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to
+contain private key and public key.
 </p>
 </td>
 </tr>
diff --git a/api/jsonschema/schema.json b/api/jsonschema/schema.json
index da379ed97b..438ce4b86d 100644
--- a/api/jsonschema/schema.json
+++ b/api/jsonschema/schema.json
@@ -2711,7 +2711,7 @@
         },
         "sshKeySecret": {
           "$ref": "#/definitions/io.k8s.api.core.v1.SecretKeySelector",
-          "description": "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key"
+          "description": "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key."
         },
         "username": {
           "$ref": "#/definitions/io.k8s.api.core.v1.SecretKeySelector",
diff --git a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index 0f76d2c554..f8bf086047 100644
--- a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -2698,7 +2698,7 @@
           "type": "string"
         },
         "sshKeySecret": {
-          "description": "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key",
+          "description": "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key.",
           "$ref": "#/definitions/io.k8s.api.core.v1.SecretKeySelector"
         },
         "username": {
diff --git a/eventsources/sources/sftp/start.go b/eventsources/sources/sftp/start.go
index 47feaa6fa7..d8becd3ebe 100644
--- a/eventsources/sources/sftp/start.go
+++ b/eventsources/sources/sftp/start.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (el *EventListener) StartListening(ctx context.Context, dispatch func([]byt
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse private ssh key. err: %+v", err)
 		}
-		publicKey, err := ssh.ParsePublicKey(sshKey)
+		publicKey, _, _, _, err := ssh.ParseAuthorizedKey(sshKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse public ssh key. err: %+v", err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/generated.proto b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/generated.proto
index f4b469b04b..1bc06dc721 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/generated.proto
+++ b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/generated.proto
@@ -1423,7 +1423,7 @@ message SFTPEventSource {
   // Password required for authentication if any.
   optional k8s.io.api.core.v1.SecretKeySelector password = 4;
 
-  // SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key
+  // SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key.
   optional k8s.io.api.core.v1.SecretKeySelector sshKeySecret = 5;
 
   // Address sftp address.
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/openapi_generated.go b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/openapi_generated.go
index 3d19b36fbd..2cfb60121b 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/openapi_generated.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/openapi_generated.go
@@ -3692,7 +3692,7 @@ func schema_pkg_apis_eventsource_v1alpha1_SFTPEventSource(ref common.ReferenceCa
 					},
 					"sshKeySecret": {
 						SchemaProps: spec.SchemaProps{
-							Description: "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key",
+							Description: "SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key.",
 							Ref:         ref("k8s.io/api/core/v1.SecretKeySelector"),
 						},
 					},
diff --git a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/types.go b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/types.go
index 41da881ebd..c2db254f85 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/eventsource/v1alpha1/types.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ type SFTPEventSource struct {
 	Username *corev1.SecretKeySelector `json:"username,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=username"`
 	// Password required for authentication if any.
 	Password *corev1.SecretKeySelector `json:"password,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,4,opt,name=password"`
-	// SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key
+	// SSHKeySecret refers to the secret that contains SSH key. Key needs to contain private key and public key.
 	SSHKeySecret *corev1.SecretKeySelector `json:"sshKeySecret,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,5,opt,name=sshKeySecret"`
 	// Address sftp address.
 	Address *corev1.SecretKeySelector `json:"address,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,6,opt,name=address"`