Install an SSL certificate - (2024)

Last updated on: 2022-06-16

Authored by: Alberto Blanquel

After you generate a certificate signing request (CSR)and purchase or renew a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate,you’ll need to install it. This article shows you how to install an SSLcertificate on various servers and operating systems.

If you want to install an SSL certificate on a load balancer, seeConfigure SSL certificates on Cloud Load Balancers.

The following sections provide instructions for the installation process according to each platform:

  • Prerequisites

  • Install certificate on Microsoft® Windows® 2008 R2 and 2012 servers

  • Install certificate in Apache Web Server

  • Install certificate in NGINX with php-fpm

  • Install certificate on Managed Hosting solutions

  • Install certificate on a custom Microsoft® Azure® domain

  • Test the certificate

After you have installed your certificate, you should reload your web serverservice.

Prerequisites

Before you install your certificate, make sure that you have the following items:

  • A certificate from your preferred SSL vendor stored on your server. If youdon’t already have a certificate, seeGenerate a CSR andPurchase or renew an SSL certificatefor instructions.

  • The Certificate Authority (CA) bundle with the root and intermediatecertificates provided by the SSL vendor.

  • The .key file that was generated when you created the CSR.

  • An installed web server such as Apache or NGINX.

  • An Internet Protocol (IP) address for your SSL certificate.

Copy the files into the default location on your server

A vendor-provided SSL certificate contains three components: the SSL certificate,the CA file, and the SSL key. When you receive your SSLcertificate from your CA, upload it to your server by using the followingsteps:

  1. Copy all the contents of the certificate, including the BEGIN CERTIFICATEand END CERTIFICATE lines. Save the copied text as domain.com.crt.

  2. Copy the certificate and private key into the server directoryin which you plan to store your certs. For example, the default Apachedirectories are: /usr/local/apache/conf/ssl.crt/ or/etc/httpd/conf/ssl.crt/.

Install certificate on Windows servers

The following sections show you how to install and bind an SSL certificate onWindows servers by using the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

Install the certificate

Prerequisite: You should already have the certificate provided by yourpreferred SSL vendor.

If you got your CSR by using anything other than IIS, skip toImport an SSL certificate from another server.

Use the following steps if you got your CSR by using IIS, which pairs the publickey from your vendor with the private key generated by IIS.

  1. In the IIS Manager, select the server and double-click Server Certificates.
  2. Under Actions, click Complete Certificate Request.
  3. In the wizard, select the location of the certificate file provided by yourSSL vendor.
  4. For Windows Server® 2012 only, name the file and choose your storagelocation.
  5. Click OK.

Import an SSL certificate from another server

  1. In the IIS Manager, double-click Server Certificates.
  2. Under Actions, click Import.
  3. Select the location of your certificate file, enter the password (if you setone), and choose your certificate storage location (Windows Server 2012 only).
  4. Click OK.

Set up the bindings

  1. In the IIS Manager, right-click your site and select Edit Bindings.
  2. In the Site Bindings window, click Add.
  3. In the Add Site Binding dialog box, perform the following steps:a. Set the value of Type to https.b. For Windows Server 2012 only, specify the host name if necessary.c. From the SSL certificate list, select your certificate.d. Click OK.

After you set up the bindings, the Site Bindings window shows the binding forHTTPS.

Install certificate in Apache Web Server

The following sections show you how to install and bind SSL certificate on Apache web servers

NOTE: Be aware that the commands are run by the root user, if you do not have access to the root user but you have sudo permissions, use the sudo command at the beginning of each line.

Prerequisite

The first step in adding a vhost is to make sure the server has apache installed and it is running, This can be done with the following commands. (If you already know that the Apache is up and running you can skip this step).

RHEL 6/CentOS 6
$ service httpd status
RHEL 7/CentOS 7+
$ systemctl status httpd 
Debian 8+/Ubuntu 16+
$ systemctl status apache2

At this point, if Apache is not installed, you will receive an error that the process cannot be found. You can check if the server is running Apache with the following command:

$ netstat -plnt | awk '$4 ~ /:(80|443)$/'

If you find the server is not running Apache, this is not the correct option for you. Please try another process listed in this article.

Check that the SSL Apache module is available

mod_ssl is an optional module for the Apache HTTP Server. It provides strong cryptography for the Apache webserver. Without this the Apache webserver will not be able to utilise or provide SSL encryption.

To check if the SSL module has been enabled run the following command in order to what OS are you using:

RHEL / CentOS
$ httpd -M | grep ssl

If no output is received the mod_ssl (shared) requires installation to serve SSL traffic.

Run the following command to install mod_ssl:

# For RHEL 7/ CentOS 7$ yum install mod_ssl# For RHEL 8/ CentOS 8 / Alma Linux / Rocky Linux.$ dnf install mod_ssl

To check if the SSL module has been enabled run the following command:

$ apachectl -M | grep ssl ssl_module (shared)
Debian/Ubuntu

To check if the SSL module has been enabled run the following command:

$ apachectl -M | grep ssl ssl_module (shared)

If no output is shown, the mod_ssl (shared) requires enabling to serve SSL traffic.Run the following command to enable mod_ssl

$ a2enmod ssl

Once mod_ssl has been installed, Apache will require a restart to enable. Run the appropriate distribution command to restart Apache, you can find it int the reload or restar web server section.

Install and secure SSL Components on the server

Now that you have the SSL Certificate, Private key and CA Bundle you are ready to add these certificates to the server. The best practices dictates that the certificates are named (expirationYear-domain, eg: 2022-example.com.crt) and stored in the following locations.

RHEL/CentOS

Using your preferred text editor, create new files at the locations provided below. Be sure to change the example.com to the name of the domain on the server.

SSL Certificate - /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.crtSSL CA Bundle - /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crtSSL Private Key - /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key
Debian/Ubuntu

Using your preferred text editor, create new files at the locations provided below. Be sure to change the example.com to the name of the domain on the server.

SSL Certificate - /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.crtSSL CA Bundle - /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crtSSL Private Key - /etc/ssl/private/2022-example.com.key

NOTE: When a private key is installed with world-readable permissions, it allows anyone with access to even a user account on the server to decipher any information encrypted with its corresponding certificate. It is important to ensure that the certificate and key have the correct permissions.

Once the SSL certificate components hace been installed at the proper locations, it is important that we set the correct permissions for the Private Key file.

$ chmod 600 /path/to/private/key/file.key

Create or modify VirtualHost file

RHEL/CentOS

Virtual host files are what specify the configuration of our separate sites and dictate how the Apache web server will respond to various domain requests.

Rackspace best practice dictates that the virtual host is located in the following locations:

  • /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com.conf

Alternative locations for Apache Virtual host can be:

  • /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf (default apache configuration file, also utilized extensively by Webmin)
  • /etc/httpd/conf.d/ssl.conf (global default configuration file for SSL)
  • /etc/httpd/vhost.d/example.com.conf (vhost.d is a user created directory and although reasonably common it is not the best practice)

NOTE:: Due to the configurations that we have outlined, all virtual host files must end in .conf. For the purposes of this example, we will assume a virtual host for port 80 already exists in its own config file.

Start by opening the virtual host file in your preferred text editor:

$ vim /etc/httpd/conf.d/example.com.conf

If the port 80 Virtual Host was configured by Rackspace, in most cases, a dummy 443 block would have been created as a placeholder. If so, you can remove the comment character at the start of each line and modify the section as needed.

There are a few things to verify:

  • ServerName/ServerAlias matches for your domain
  • The DocumentRoot matches the the port 80 block
  • The Directory section matches the port 80 block

Place the following in your virtual host for the block 443:

SSLEngine onSSLCertificateFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.crtSSLCertificateChainFile /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crtSSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key
Debian/Ubuntu

Virtual host files are what specify the configuration of our separate sites and dictate how the Apache web server will respond to various domain requests.

Rackspace best practice dictates that the virtual host is located in the following locations:

  • /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

This directory is the location where the config file is stored. It is then symlinked to /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/example.com.conf

NOTE: Due to the configurations that we have outlined, all virtual host files must end in .conf. For the purposes of this example, we will assume a virtual host for port 80 already exists in its own config file.

Start by opening the virtual host file in your preferred text editor:

$ vim /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

If the port 80 Virtual Host was configured by Rackspace, in most cases, a dummy 443 block would have been created as a placeholder. If so, you can remove the comment character at the start of each line and modify the section as needed.

There are a few things to verify:

  • ServerName/ServerAlias matches for your domain
  • The DocumentRoot matches the the port 80 block
  • The Directory section matches the port 80 block

Place the following in your virtual host for the block 443:

<VirtualHost *:443> ServerName example.com ServerAlias www.example.com DocumentRoot /var/www/vhosts/example.com <Directory /var/www/vhosts/example.com> Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks -MultiViews AllowOverride All </Directory> CustomLog /var/log/apache2/example.com-access.log combined ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/example.com-error.log SSLEngine on SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/ssl/private/2022-example.com.key SSLCertificateFile /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.crt SSLCertificateChainFile /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.ca.crt</VirtualHost>

Check syntax and enable virtual host in Apache

Now that the Document Root and Virtual Host config files have been created, we can check the syntax of the config files and reload Apache.

WARNING: The following steps can lead to breaking the Apache process. Make sure that these steps are followed exactly and that you verify your work after making the changes. If the changes you make result in Apache process stopping, this means the domains on the server are now down. Revert any changes made an ensure the Apache process is running or Call to Rackspace Global Support

RHEL/CentOS 6

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ httpd -tSyntax OK

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your Apache config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message.

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Apache:

$ apachectl graceful

Once Apache has been reloaded, remember to check that Apache is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

RHEL/CentOS 7

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ httpd -tSyntax OK

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your Apache config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message.

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Apache:

$ apachectl graceful

Once Apache has been reloaded, remember to check that Apache is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

Debian/Ubuntu

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ apachectl -t

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your Apache config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Apache:

$ apachectl graceful

Once Apache has been reloaded, remember to check that Apache is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

Install certificate in Nginx with PHP-FPM

The following sections show you how to install and bind SSL certificate on NGINX web servers

NOTE: Be aware that the commands are run by the root user, if you do not have access to the root user but you have sudo permissions, use the sudo command at the beginning of each line.

Prerequisite

The first step in adding a server block is to make sure the server has Nginx installed and it is running. This can be done with the following commands.

RHEL/CentOS 6
$ service nginx status
RHEL 7+/CentOS 7+/Debian 8+/Ubuntu 16+
$ systemctl status nginx

At this point, if NGINX is not installed, you will receive an error that the process cannot be found. You can check if the server is running Nginx with the following command:

$ netstat -plnt | awk '$4 ~ /:(80|443)$/'

If you find the server is not running NGINX, this is not the correct procces. Pleas try another process that is describe in this article.

Install and secure SSL components on the server

Now that you have the SSL Certificate, Private key and CA Bundle you are ready to add these certificates to the server. The best practices dictates that the certificates are named (expirationYear-domain, eg: 2022-example.com.crt) and stored in the following locations.

RHEL/CentOS

NGINX only utilizes two certificate files for each server block. The CA Bundle and Certificate files are combined into a single file. There are two ways to go about setting up the chained certificate for use with Nginx.

Using your preferred text editor, create new files at the locations provided below. Be sure to change the example. com to the name of the domain on the server.

The first method is simply adding both the CRT and the CA Bundle contents to a single file in the proper certificate location. This is shown in the example below:

  • SSL Certificate/Chain - /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crt
  • SSL Private Key - /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key

The second method includes an additional step in which you add the CA bundle as it’s own file to the server and then concatenate the files into a new file. This is shown in the example below.

SSL Certificate - /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.crtSSL CA Bundle - /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crtSSL Private Key - /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key

Once the files have been created, you can run the following command:

cat /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.crt /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crt > /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crt
Debian/Ubuntu

NGINX only utilizes two certificate files for each server block. The CA Bundle and Certificate files are combined into a single file. There are two ways to go about setting up the chained certificate for use with Nginx.

Using your preferred text editor, create new files at the locations provided below. Be sure to change the example.com to the name of the domain on the server.

The first method is simply adding both the CRT and the CA Bundle contents to a single file in the proper certificate location. This is shown in the example below:

SSL Certificate/Chain - /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crtSSL Private Key - /etc/ssl/private/2022-example.com.key

The second method includes an additional step in which you add the CA bundle as it’s own file to the server and then concatenate the files into a new file. This is shown in the example below.

SSL Certificate - /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.crtSSL CA Bundle - /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crtSSL Private Key - /etc/ssl/private/2022-example.com.key

Once the files have been created, you can run the following command:

cat /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.crt /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.CA.crt > /etc/ssl/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crt

NOTE: When a private key is installed with world-readable permissions, it allows anyone with access to even a user account on the server to decipher any information encrypted with its corresponding certificate. It is important to ensure that the certificate and key have the correct permissions.

Once the SSL certificate components have been installed at the proper locations, it is important that we set the correct permissions for the Private Key file.

 chmod 600 /path/to/private/key/file.key

Create of modify Server Blocks in Virtual Host

RHEL/CentOS

Virtual host files are what specify the configuration of our separate sites and dictate how the Nginx web server will respond to various domain requests.

Rackspace best practice dictates that the virtual host is located in the following locations:

  • /etc/nginx/conf.d/example.com.conf

Alternative locations for Nginx Virtual host can be..

  • /etc/nginx/conf/httpd.conf (default apache configuration file, also utilized extensively by Webmin)
  • /etc/nginx/conf.d/ssl.conf (global defaullt configuration file for SSL)
  • /etc/nginx/vhost.d/example.com.conf (vhost.d is a user created directory and although reasonably common it is not Rackspace best practice)

NOTE: Due to the configurations that we have outlined, all virtual host files must end in .conf. For the purposes of this example, we will assume a virtual host for port 80 already exists in its own config file.**

Start by opening the virtual host file in your preferred text editor:

$ vim /etc/nginx/conf.d/example.com.conf

There are a few things to verify:

  • ServerName/ServerAlias matches for your domain
  • The DocumentRoot matches the the port 80 block
  • The Directory section matches the port 80 block

You will need to change the example.com for your website name and place it in your virtual host:

server { listen 443; server_name example.com www.example.com; root /var/www/vhosts/example.com; index index.html; ssl on; ssl_certificate /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crt; ssl_certificate_key /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key; access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_ssl_access.log main; error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_ssl_error.log;}

Once the changes have been made to the appropriate config files, save and quit the file.

Debian/Ubuntu

Virtual host files are what specify the configuration of our separate sites and dictate how the Nginx web server will respond to various domain requests.

Rackspace best practice dictates that the virtual host is located in the following locations:

  • /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com.conf

This directory is the location where the config file is stored. It is then symlinked to /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.com.conf

NOTE: Due to the configurations that we have outlined, all virtual host files must end in .conf. For the purposes of this example, we will assume a virtual host for port 80 already exists in its own config file.

Start by opening the virtual host file in your preferred text editor:

vim /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com.conf

There are a few things to verify:

  • ServerName/ServerAlias matches for your domain
  • The DocumentRoot matches the the port 80 block
  • The Directory section matches the port 80 block

You will need to change the example.com for your website name and place it in your virtual host:

server { listen 443; server_name example.com www.example.com; root /var/www/vhosts/example.com; index index.html; ssl on; ssl_certificate /etc/pki/tls/certs/2022-example.com.chained.crt; ssl_certificate_key /etc/pki/tls/private/2022-example.com.key; access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_ssl_access.log main; error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_ssl_error.log;}

Once the changes have been made to the appropriate config files, save and quit the file.

Check syntax and enable server blocks in Nginx

Now that the Document Root and Server Blocks have been configured we can check the syntax of the config and reload Nginx.

WARNING: The following steps can lead to breaking the Apache process. Make sure that these steps are followed exactly and that you verify your work after making the changes. If the changes you make result in Apache process stopping, this means the domains on the server are now down. Revert any changes mad an ensure the Apache process is running or Call to Rackspace Global Support

RHEL/CentOS 6

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ nginx -tnginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is oknginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your NGINX config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Nginx:

$ service nginx reload

Once NGINX has been reloaded, remember to check that Nginx is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

If you made any changes with PHP-FPM, you will also need to check the syntax of PHP-FPM and reload.

$ php-fpm -t[16-Jun-2022 09:25:05] NOTICE: configuration file /etc/php-fpm.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your PHP-FPM config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload PHP=FPM:

$ service php-fpm reload
RHEL/CentOS 7

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ nginx -tnginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is oknginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your Nginx config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Nginx:

$ systemctl reload nginx

Once Nginx has been reloaded, remember to check that Nginx is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

If you made any changes with PHP-FPM, you will also need to check the syntax of PHP-FPM and reload.

$ php-fpm -t[16-Jun-2022 09:25:05] NOTICE: configuration file /etc/php-fpm.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your PHP-FPM config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload PHP=FPM:

$ systemctl reload php-fpm 
Debian/Ubuntu

In order to verify the syntax of the configuration files are correct, you will need to run the following command:

$ nginx -tnginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is oknginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your Nginx config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload Nginx:

$ systemctl reload nginx

Once Nginx has been reloaded, remember to check that Nginx is running as expected as described in Prerequisites section.

If you made any changes with PHP-FPM, you will also need to check the syntax of PHP-FPM and reload.

$ php-fpm -t[16-Jun-2022 09:25:05] NOTICE: configuration file /etc/php-fpm.conf test is successful

If everything checks out, you will get a message that indicates Syntax OK.

If you do not see this message, it indicates there may be a syntax issue in your PHP-FPM config files.

WARNING: These errors will need to be addressed before completing the next step. Do not proceed until you’ve received a Syntax OK message

Once the syntax check returns OK, run the following command to reload PHP=FPM:

$ systemctl reload php-fpm 

Install certificate on Managed Hosting solutions

If you have requested an SSL certificate for your Rackspace managedserver by submitting a Rackspace ticket, Rackspace installs the certificatefor you. You should provide details including where you want the certificateinstalled and your private key file.

Install certificate on a custom Microsoft Azure domain

By default, Azure secures the .azurewebsites.net wildcard domain with asingle SSL certificate, so you can already access your application by using thehttps://<appname>.azurewebsites.net URL.

However, the default Azure SSL certificate does not work if you use a customdomain for your application. A custom domain with its own SSL certificate ismore secure than the default. The following sections describe how to add anSSL certificate to an application with a custom domain.

Prerequisite

You need your login credentials for the Azure portal. For information abouthow to log in to the Azure portal, seeSitecore Cloud portals and account management.

Get an SSL certificate

If you do not already have SSL certificate, you need to get one from a trustedCA. The certificate must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Signed by a trusted CA (no private CA servers).

  • Contains a private key.

  • Created for key exchange and exported to a .pfx file.

  • Uses a minimum of 2048-bit encryption.

  • Has a subject name that matches the custom domain it needs to secure. Tosecure multiple domains with one certificate, you need to use a wildcard name(for example, .contoso.com) or specify the subjectAltName values.

  • Merged with all intermediate certificates used by your CA. Otherwise, youmight experience irreproducible interoperability problems on some clients.

For more information on getting a certificate, seegenerate a certificate signing request (CSR)and purchase or renew a Secure Socket Layer (SSL certificate.

Add the SSL certificate to Microsoft Azure

  1. Log in to the Azure portal.

  2. In the left-side navigation pane, click App services.

  3. Select the application to which you want to assign the certificate.

  4. Navigate to Settings and then click SSL certificate.

  5. Click Upload Certificate.

  6. Select the .pfx file that contains your SSL certificate and enter thepassword that you want to use for this certification.

  7. Click Upload.

    You can now navigate to the SSL certificate through the application pane.

  8. In the SSL bindings section of the SSL certificate pane, clickAdd bindings.

    A new pane labeled SSL Bindings appears.

  9. Use the drop-down menus to select the custom domain URL you want to secureby using SSL, followed by the name of SSL certificate. You can also selectwhether to use Server Name Indication (SNI) SSL or IP-based SSL.

  10. Click Add binding.

    SSL is now enabled for your custom domain.

Test the certificate

The best way to test a certificate is to use a third-party tool like theQualys® SSLLabs scanner. If you needassistance in improving the security configuration of your certificate, contactRackspace Support.

NOTE: If you browse to your website by using the Hypertext Transfer ProtocolSecure (HTTPS) protocol directive, the padlock icon on your browser is displayedin the locked position if your certificates are installed correctly and the serveris properly configured for SSL.

Another way to test the certificate is to go to whynopadlock.com.Enter your URL in Secure Address, and it shows any discrepancies that couldcause the site to be unsecure, such as mixed content issues.

Use the Feedback tab to make any comments or ask questions. You can also start a conversation with us.

Install an SSL certificate - (2024)

FAQs

Install an SSL certificate -? ›

Log into your cPanel admin. From the cPanel home page, go to Security section, and then click SSL/TLS. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests. Complete the fields in the Generate a New Certificate Signing Request (CSR) section.

How to install SSL certificate in Windows 10? ›

  1. Locate certificate order. First, locate the order in your SSL.com account and click one of the download links.
  2. Download certificate. ...
  3. Start IIS Manager. ...
  4. Select server. ...
  5. Open Server Certificates. ...
  6. Click “Complete Certificate Request…” ...
  7. Click … ...
  8. Navigate to certificate file.

How to install SSL certificate locally? ›

Log into your cPanel admin. From the cPanel home page, go to Security section, and then click SSL/TLS. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests. Complete the fields in the Generate a New Certificate Signing Request (CSR) section.

How to install SSL certificate in browser? ›

Go to chrome://settings.
  1. On the left, click Privacy and security.
  2. Click Security.
  3. Scroll to Advanced.
  4. Click Manage certificates.
  5. In the list, find the newly-added CAs.

How to install SSL server certificate Windows? ›

Prerequisites
  1. Log in to your server using Remote Desktop.
  2. Open IIS Manager by clicking Start > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
  3. On the right-hand side, scroll down and double-click the Server Certificates icon.
  4. On the top-right of the Actions pane, click the Import link.

How do I find my SSL certificate on Windows 10? ›

To open Certificate Manager, type run into the Windows 10 Cortana search bar and hit Enter. Once the run window pops up, type certmgr. msc and hit enter. You will be presented with the Certification Manager window and will be viewing certificates stored on the user account.

How do I install certificates on my computer? ›

Import the certificate into the local computer store

On the File menu, select Add/Remove snap-in. In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, select Add. In the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box, select Certificates, and then select Add. In the Certificates snap-in dialog box, select Computer account, and then select Next.

How do I update my SSL certificate in Windows? ›

  1. Log in to the Exchange Admin Center.
  2. From the left menu, select Servers, and then click Certificates.
  3. Select your certificate (it has a “Pending request” status), and then click Complete.

Where are SSL certificates stored in Windows? ›

This certificate store is located in the registry under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root. This type of certificate store is local to a user account on the computer. This certificate store is located in the registry under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER root.

How to check if SSL certificate is installed on Windows Server? ›

Select Run from the Start menu, and then enter certmgr.msc. The Certificate Manager tool for the current user appears. To view your certificates, under Certificates - Current User in the left pane, expand the directory for the type of certificate you want to view.

How do I set up SSL in Chrome? ›

Enable SSL/TLS in Google Chrome
  1. Open Google Chrome.
  2. Press Alt + f and click on settings.
  3. Select the Show advanced settings option.
  4. Scroll down to the Network section and click on Change proxy settings button.
  5. Now go to the Advanced tab.
  6. Scroll down to the Security category.
  7. Now check the boxes for your TLS/SSL version.
Apr 4, 2020

How to install free SSL certificate? ›

Under Security in your cPanel, you'll click SSL/TLS. From here, click Manage SSL sites. You'll see an option to upload a new certificate to your domain.

How do I find my SSL certificate in my browser? ›

Chrome has made it simple for any site visitor to get certificate information with just a few clicks:
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar for the website.
  2. Click on Certificate (Valid) in the pop-up.
  3. Check the Valid from dates to validate the SSL certificate is current.

How to install SSL certificate via SSH? ›

If you prefer to build your own shell commands to generate your Ubuntu with Apache2 CSR, follow the instructions below.
  1. Log in to your server via your terminal client (ssh).
  2. Run Command. At the prompt, type the following command: ...
  3. Generate Files. ...
  4. Order Your SSL/TLS Certificate. ...
  5. Save Private Key. ...
  6. Install Certificate.

How to install SSL certificate using CMD? ›

Import a certificate through the console
  1. In a command line type certlm 1
  2. Expand Certificates – Current User \ Personal \ Certificates (if this folder already exists)
  3. Right-click the Personal folder, select All tasks and Import…
  4. Type the file name or click Browse and select the certificate you want to import.
Sep 24, 2017

How to install SSL certificate on localhost IIS? ›

In IIS Manager, do the following to create a self-signed certificate:
  1. In the Connections pane, select your server in the tree view and double-click Server Certificates.
  2. In the Actions pane, click Create Self-Signed Certificate.
  3. Enter a user-friendly name for the new certificate and click OK.

Does my computer have an SSL certificate? ›

The easiest way to see if a site has an SSL certificate is by looking at the address bar in your browser: If the URL begins with HTTPS instead of HTTP, that means the site is secured using an SSL certificate.

Where are SSL certificates located? ›

The default location to install certificates is /etc/ssl/certs . This enables multiple services to use the same certificate without overly complicated file permissions. For applications that can be configured to use a CA certificate, you should also copy the /etc/ssl/certs/cacert.

Where do I find my SSL certificate key? ›

Locating my private key
  1. Open Microsoft Management Console.
  2. In the Console Root, expand Certificates (Local Computer)
  3. Locate the certificate in the Personal or Web Server folder.
  4. Right click the certificate.
  5. Select Export.
  6. Follow the guided wizard.
Aug 19, 2022

Where to install certificate Windows 10? ›

In order to import the certificate you need to access it from the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
  1. Open the MMC (Start > Run > MMC).
  2. Go to File > Add / Remove Snap In.
  3. Double Click Certificates.
  4. Select Computer Account.
  5. Select Local Computer > Finish.
  6. Click OK to exit the Snap-In window.
Jul 11, 2020

How do I register a certificate in Windows 10? ›

Adding certificate snap-ins
  1. Launch MMC (mmc.exe).
  2. Choose File > Add/Remove Snap-ins.
  3. Choose Certificates, then choose Add.
  4. Choose My user account.
  5. Choose Add again and this time select Computer Account.
Apr 12, 2022

How do I validate a certificate in Windows? ›

To verify that a certificate is installed
  1. Open the Certificates console.
  2. In the navigation pane, expand Trusted Root Certification Authorities, and then click Certificates. The CA that you created appears in the list.
7 days ago

How do I renew and install an SSL certificate? ›

How to Renew an SSL Certificate
  1. Set reminders for SSL expiration.
  2. Generate a Certificate Signing Request.
  3. Purchase and activate your new SSL certificate.
  4. Complete domain control validation.
  5. Install your new SSL certificate.
Mar 10, 2021

How do I install an updated SSL certificate? ›

How to renew SSL certificate (in 4 simple steps)
  1. Generate a new CSR.
  2. Activate your SSL certificate.
  3. Validate your SSL certificate.
  4. Install your new SSL certificate.
Mar 16, 2023

How do I fix my SSL certificate? ›

How to Fix SSL Errors
  1. Make sure you have SSL installed. ...
  2. Reinstall the SSL. ...
  3. Diagnose the problem with a web SSL checker. ...
  4. Renew your SSL certificate. ...
  5. Change all URLs to HTTPS. ...
  6. Update your browser or OS version. ...
  7. Install an intermediate certificate. ...
  8. Generate a new Certificate Signing Request.

Why is Chrome not picking up my SSL certificate? ›

Update Chrome and your operating system: Sometimes an SSL certificate error can simply be due to using an outdated version of Chrome. To make sure yours is up-to-date, click on the menu. If you have an old version of the browser, you will see an “Update Google Chrome” option.

Why doesn't Chrome recognize SSL certificate? ›

Reasons for SSL Connection Errors

The date of your SSL certificate has expired. The SSL certificate might not have been installed accurately and properly. Your Google Chrome browser is outdated. Sometimes antivirus software blocks HTTPS sites.

Why is my SSL certificate not valid? ›

The most common cause of a "certificate not trusted" error is that the certificate installation was not properly completed on the server (or servers) hosting the site. Use our SSL Certificate tester to check for this issue. In the tester, an incomplete installation shows one certificate file and a broken red chain.

How much does a SSL certificate cost? ›

On average, a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate costs around $60/year. However, the price can vary from $8 to $1000/year, depending on various factors, such as the number of domains one can protect, the validation process, the warranty, or the certificate authority itself.

Where is SSL certificate in Chrome? ›

Navigate to chrome://settings and scroll down to 'Advanced'.
  1. Under "Privacy and Security," click "Manage Certificates."
  2. On the popup that was launched, select "Trusted Root Certification Authorities'. The certificate will be displayed there.
Jan 5, 2021

How do I check my SSL version in Chrome? ›

How to find the Cipher in Chrome
  1. Launch Chrome.
  2. Enter the URL you wish to check in the browser.
  3. Click on the ellipsis located on the top-right in the browser.
  4. Select More tools > Developer tools > Security.
  5. Look for the line "Connection...". This will describe the version of TLS or SSL used.
May 17, 2023

Where does Chrome store SSL certificates? ›

The Chrome Root Store contains the set of certificates Chrome trusts by default. In Chrome 105, we began rolling out the Chrome Root Store to apply a common certificate verification process on Windows and macOS.

Is SSL installed on domain or hosting? ›

To use HTTPS with your domain name, you need a SSL or TLS certificate installed on your website. Your web host (Web Hosting Provider) may offer HTTPS security or you can request a SSL/TLS certificate from Certificate Authorities and install it yourself. SSL/TLS certificates may need to be renewed periodically.

How to apply SSL certificate to port? ›

Bind an SSL certificate to a port number

The -i switch has the syntax of IP : port and instructs the tool to set the certificate to port 8012 of the computer. Optionally, the four zeroes that precede the number can also be replaced by the actual IP address of the computer.

How to install SSL certificate in SMTP server? ›

cPanel
  1. Log into the cPanel account for your domain.
  2. Under the Security section, click SSL/TLS.
  3. Click Manage SSL Sites.
  4. Look for a green lock icon next to mail.example.com.
  5. A green lock indicates that you can now use SSL over mail.example.com.
  6. The SSL will now be installed for email.

What is the command for SSL certificate? ›

Use the lscert command to list the current SSL certificates. Use the getcert command to obtain the current SSL certificate. Use the rmcert command to remove the current SSL certificate. Use the mkcert command to check the level of security on your host.

How to install SSL certificate for hostname? ›

Install Self-Signed Certificate to Hostname.
  1. Login to WHM as a root user.
  2. Go to “Service Configuration”.
  3. Then select the following services and click on “Browse Certificate”. Calendar, cPanel, WebDisk, Webmail, and WHM Services. ...
  4. Select hostname and click on “Use Certificates”.
  5. Then click on “Install”.
Oct 24, 2018

How to install SSL certificate in IIS with private key? ›

Assign the existing private key to a new certificate
  1. Sign in to the computer that issued the certificate request by using an account that has administrative permissions.
  2. Select Start, select Run, type mmc, and then select OK.
  3. On the File menu, select Add/Remove Snap-in.
  4. In the Add/Remove Snap-in dialog box, select Add.
Jan 24, 2022

How do I fix SSL certificate error in Windows 10? ›

How to Fix SSL Certificate Error
  1. Diagnose the problem with an online tool.
  2. Install an intermediate certificate on your web server.
  3. Generate a new Certificate Signing Request.
  4. Upgrade to a dedicated IP address.
  5. Get a wildcard SSL certificate.
  6. Change all URLS to HTTPS.
  7. Renew your SSL certificate.
Nov 18, 2021

How to install certificate in Windows 10 using command prompt? ›

Import a certificate through the console
  1. In a command line type certlm 1
  2. Expand Certificates – Current User \ Personal \ Certificates (if this folder already exists)
  3. Right-click the Personal folder, select All tasks and Import…
  4. Type the file name or click Browse and select the certificate you want to import.
Sep 24, 2017

How to install a free SSL certificate? ›

How to install your free SSL certificate
  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings. Update your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) by replacing HTTP with HTTPS.
  2. Click Save Changes.
  3. Once saved, log out of WordPress and log back in. ...
  4. Next, set up redirects from HTTP to HTTPS by adding this code to your .
Mar 15, 2023

How do I activate my free SSL certificate? ›

Locate the site you wish to activate the free SSL for and click the Manage Sites button. Open the Security tab. Under the Security Certificate section, toggle the Free SSL ON.

Why is my SSL certificate not working? ›

The most common cause of a "certificate not trusted" error is that the certificate installation was not properly completed on the server (or servers) hosting the site. Use our SSL Certificate tester to check for this issue.

How do I resolve an SSL certificate issue? ›

How to Fix SSL Errors
  1. Make sure you have SSL installed. ...
  2. Reinstall the SSL. ...
  3. Diagnose the problem with a web SSL checker. ...
  4. Renew your SSL certificate. ...
  5. Change all URLs to HTTPS. ...
  6. Update your browser or OS version. ...
  7. Install an intermediate certificate. ...
  8. Generate a new Certificate Signing Request.

How do I reset my SSL certificate in Windows? ›

Restoring the Default SSL Certificate and Private Key
  1. Go to Control Panel > System > Security > Certificate & Private Key.
  2. Click Restore to Default. A confirmation message appears.
  3. Click OK.

How to install SSL certificate in Windows cmd? ›

Content
  1. Open a cmd prompt and execute the following command: certreq -submit -attrib "CertificateTemplate:HTTPS" <Request Filename>
  2. In this folder, find the certificate you just issued, double-click to open it, then click the Details.
  3. On the Details tab, click Copy to File…. ...
  4. Find the resulting .
Sep 10, 2018

How do I add a certificate to Windows Certificate Manager? ›

To install a certificate

Navigate to Settings App > Update & Security > Certificates, and select Install a certificate. Click Import File and navigate to the location you saved the certificate. Select Store Location.

How to add certificate to trusted root Windows 10 command line? ›

Adding certificate snap-ins
  1. Launch MMC (mmc.exe).
  2. Choose File > Add/Remove Snap-ins.
  3. Choose Certificates, then choose Add.
  4. Choose My user account.
  5. Choose Add again and this time select Computer Account.
Apr 12, 2022

What is the default location of SSL certificate? ›

The default location to install certificates is /etc/ssl/certs . This enables multiple services to use the same certificate without overly complicated file permissions. For applications that can be configured to use a CA certificate, you should also copy the /etc/ssl/certs/cacert.

Where is my SSL cert file? ›

1. Open the Start menu and click inside the “Search Programs and Files” box. Type “certmgr. msc” (without quotes) in the box and press “Enter” to open the Certificate Manager.

Where are certificate keys stored in Windows 10? ›

The locations are listed in Microsoft Docs on Key Storage and Retrieval. In practice they are by default under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\ on Windows 10.

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