How to Generate a CSR and Install a Paid SSL Certificate Print

To order a paid SSL certificate, such as a Sectigo PositiveSSL, you need a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). Once the certificate is issued, you install it on your site. This article covers generating, finding and deleting a CSR in cPanel, and installing the certificate.

On EDZNET hosting you don't have to do this yourself. When you order a certificate from our SSL certificates page, we generate the CSR and install the certificate for you. Follow these steps if you'd rather do it yourself, or you're installing a certificate bought elsewhere.

Generate a CSR

1. Log in to cPanel and open Security › SSL/TLS.
2. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.
3. Under Generate a New Certificate Signing Request, leave Key set to generate a new key. RSA 2048-bit or stronger is fine.
4. In Domains, enter the domain the certificate is for, such as example.co.uk. For a wildcard certificate, enter *.example.co.uk.
5. Fill in City, State (your county or province), Country and Company. Use your real details, because organisation-validated certificates check them.
6. Leave Passphrase blank unless your certificate authority asks for one. Add a Description so you can find the CSR later.
7. Click Generate. Copy the whole encoded CSR, including the -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- and -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST----- lines, and paste it into your certificate order.

cPanel also saves the matching private key on your account. Don't delete it, because the certificate won't work without it.

Find or delete a saved CSR

1. Open Security › SSL/TLS and click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests again.
2. Under Certificate Signing Requests on Server, click Edit next to a CSR to view and copy it, or Delete to remove one you no longer need.

Deleting a CSR doesn't affect a certificate that's already installed.

Install the certificate

1. When the certificate is issued, you'll receive the certificate (.crt) and a CA bundle containing the intermediate certificates.
2. In cPanel, open Security › SSL/TLS and, under Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS), click Manage SSL sites.
3. Choose the domain, then paste the certificate into Certificate (CRT). If Autofill by Certificate is offered, click it so cPanel finds the matching private key.
4. Paste the CA bundle into Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) if it isn't filled in automatically.
5. Click Install Certificate.

Check the installation with our SSL checker. It should show the right issuer, the expiry date and a complete chain. A paid certificate replaces the free AutoSSL one for that domain. Not sure which type you need? Read how to choose the right SSL certificate.