The first step in obtaining a purchased certificate.
WHAT A CSR IS
A block of text containing your public key and the details to be certified. You send it to the certificate authority. Your private key is generated at the same time and never leaves the server.
GENERATING ONE IN CPANEL
- cPanel > SSL/TLS > Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.
- Choose the domain. For a wildcard, enter *.yourdomain.com.
- Enter the organisation details: company name, city, state, country. These must be accurate for organisation validated certificates.
- Generate.
- Copy the CSR text, including the begin and end lines.
WHAT TO KEEP
The private key generated alongside is stored in cPanel under SSL/TLS > Private Keys. Do not delete it; without it the certificate cannot be installed.
SUBMITTING IT
Paste the CSR into the authority's order form. They validate and return the certificate.
COMMON MISTAKES
Entering the wrong domain, particularly forgetting www or getting the wildcard syntax wrong Deleting the private key before the certificate arrives Copying only part of the CSR text
