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How to Generate a CSR in cPanel?

SSL Certificate CSR Generate – cPanel

An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate ensures secure data transmission between a server and a browser by encrypting the information exchanged.

When transmitting sensitive data such as credit card numbers or personal information, SSL encryption is essential. Without SSL protection, every piece of data is vulnerable to interception.

In the process of obtaining an SSL certificate, two crucial components are involved: the CSR (Certificate Signing Request) and the RSA key. While both are encrypted text blocks, they serve distinct purposes and should not be confused with each other.

What is a CSR?

A Certificate Signing Request (CSR) comprises encrypted data containing details integral to the SSL certificate, such as organization name, domain name, and location. Additionally, it encompasses the public keys pertinent to the SSL certificate.

Generated by the server where the SSL certificate will be deployed, the CSR serves as the foundation for the SSL certificate creation process by the SSL certificate provider.

What is an RSA Key?

An RSA key serves as the confidential encryption mechanism employed to safeguard sensitive data. As its name suggests, this encryption key ensures the secure encoding and decoding of information.

Generated by the server designated for SSL certificate installation, the RSA key is issued upon submission of the CSR request.

 

  • First log into your cPanel account.
  • Go to Security section and click on SSL/TSL
  • Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) on the right panel, click the Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests option.
  • Complete the required fields on the subsequent page, ensuring that you exclusively utilize alphanumeric characters while inputting the information.
  • Key* – If you opt to Generate a New 2048-bit key, a completely fresh Private Key will be created. Alternatively, if the private key was generated separately, select it from the dropdown menu.
  • Domains* – Specify the fully qualified domain name where the SSL will be activated. For Wildcard certificates, prepend an asterisk to the domain name (*example.com). To generate a CSR for multiple domains, enter each domain on a new line.
  • City* – Input the complete name of the city or locality without using abbreviations.
  • State* – Provide the complete name of the state or province without using abbreviations.
  • Country* – Choose the country of origin for the certificate’s company from the dropdown list.
  • Company* – Enter the legally registered name of your business. If your company name includes symbols other than a period or comma, verify with your certificate authority for acceptance.
  • Company Division – Specify the name of the division or group within the aforementioned company. If the division name includes symbols other than a period or comma, verify with your certificate authority for acceptance.
  • Email – Provide a valid email address for contact purposes regarding domain ownership verification.
  • Passphrase – Certain certificate authorities may mandate CSRs to have a passphrase. This passphrase serves to authenticate the identity of the intended recipient. Note that CSR passphrases are stored unencrypted in the CSR and should not be an important password. Confirm if the passphrase is optional or mandatory with your certificate authority.

  • Description – Provide keywords for quick identification of a specific CSR in the list.

  • Click Generate.

  • Congratulations! You now have an Encoded Certificate Signing Request ready for activation of the purchased certificate with HostingHome or any other certificate provider.
    When submitting the CSR code for SSL activation, remember to include —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– and —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—– markers.