SSLTrust

cPanel SSL Configuration and Installation Guide

We all know how hard it seems to manually install an SSL Certificate on your server/hosting plan without any know-how of all the technical stuff. The good news is. This guide will go through the entire process to get you up and secure quickly. It can be used to install an SSL Certificate on your cPanel WHM.

Installation Guide Video for cPanel
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Installation Guide Video for cPanel

Step 1. Generating a CSR and Private Key

1: Login to your cPanel Web Hosting Manager.

cPanel Dashboard

2: You need to access the SSL/TLS module within cPanel. This can be done by typing in "SSL" in the Find functions search box at the top.

cPanel SSL module

3: Click on Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests

cPanel install ssl

4: In the next page you need to fill in the form to create your CSR. Also have Generate a new 2,048 bit key selected so a Private Key is created along with your CSR. What is a CSR?

cPanel generate CSR

City: Complete name of the city, no abbreviations.
State: Full name of the state.
Country: Choose your country from the dropdown list.
Company: If you are a business; Enter your legal entity name. If you're not a business, any value entered will not be used in your certificate.
Company Division: If you are a business; Write the appropriate division of your company. It is best to use something generic such as "IT".
Email: Enter your email address
Passphrase: It is used to confirm the identity of the individual who requests the certificate. This is not mandatory.
Description: Used for CSR identification purposes only.

After you click the Generate button, you will be presented with your CSR. This along with your Private Key will be saved within your Cpanel, to be used later.

cPanel CSR Generated

Please keep this window open as you will need to copy your CSR Code to be used shortly.



Step 2. Order and Configure the SSL Certificate

Now, we need to buy an SSL Certificate. If you visit our SSL Certificates List page, you will see options available, such as a low-cost domain-validated SSL or a wildcard SSL, which also secures the sub-domains.

Cheap SSL Certificates

View our low cost SSL Certificates with domain validation.

Starting at $ per year

Wildcard SSL

View our Wildcard Certificates to Secure Unlimited Sub-domains.

Starting at $ per year

Multi-Domain SAN SSL

View our SAN Certificates to secure multiple domains.

Starting at $ per year

If you require any assistance with selecting an SSL Certificate, please feel free to contact our sales team and they will be happy to assist.

1: Order the SSL and complete the checkout.

2: Once you have completed the SSL Certificate Purchase you can begin the configuration process. This can be started by going into your SSLTrust account and managing your recent purchase.

manage ssl

You then will need to click the Submit Configuration button to begin the configuration process.

submit ssl configuration

3: You now need to paste in the CSR you generated in your cPanel Web Hosting. This includes the lines:

text

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST----
  -----END CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----
configure SSL

Select cPanel for your Web Server Type.

ssl admin details

You will need to also enter the Site Administrator Contact Information.

This information is to be of the individual who is responsible to approve and SSL Certificate. If it is a business SSL, it needs to be a contact under the business.

The Technical Contact Information is the details of the individual responsible for the installation and management of the Certificate.
If you have ordered a business SSL, you will also be required to enter your business details. These should be the correct address and phone number and legal entity name. They will be required to be validated by the Certificate Authority, any mistakes will cause delays. More information on Business Validation can be found here.

4: Click Continue to go to the next Step. Here you need to select the Authentication Method to validate your domain name. This is required to prove you own the domain name and have permission to issue an SSL Certificate for the domain.

select domain validation method

Select the method that will be the easiest for you to use; File-Based Authentication ( HTTP / HTTPS ), CNAME Based Authentication ( DNS ) or Certificate Approver Email.

If you have access to one of the listed emails, this can be the quickest method

Click Continue/Submit to finish the Configuration process.

After you complete the domain validation via your selected method, your SSL will be issued. If you ordered a Business SSL, you will need to wait for the Certificate Authority to complete the Business address and phone validation. If the validation has not progressed, or you have not received your Certificate after some time, please contact our support team so we can check on its status.

sectigo validation manager



Step 3. Install the SSL Certificate on cPanel

When your SSL Certificate has been issued, you will be emailed the Certificate Directly from the Certificate Authority. You can also download it from your SSLTrust Portal. Downloading it from the SSLTrust Portal is a good option as we format the certificate in an easy to use way.

Again; View your certificate management page within SSLTrust

manage ssl

1: Click on the Manage button and collect/download your certificate

collect ssl

2: Go to the first column and click on copy to clipboard

download ssl

3: Head back over to your cPanel WHM and search for SSL/TLS again

cPanel SSL module

4: Go to Install and Manage SSL Certificates -> Manage SSL Sites

cPanel manage install ssl
cPanel install ssl

5: Select your domain in the drop down menu.

Paste in your CRT which you had previously copied to your clipboard and click on the Autofill by Certificate button that is shown after you paste in the contents.

If the Private Key and CABundle column do not autofill and remain empty, you will have to manually copy and paste your private key from your SSL Manager in cPanel and CABUNDLE (Intermediate Certificate) which is the second column where you downloaded your certificate.

download intermediate certificate

Scroll down and click on Install Certificate

install certificate on cpanel

It will now give a success popup, showing the SSL in install on your cPanel WHM.

cpanel ssl isntall success

Step 4. Check the SSL is working

SSLTrust's Free SSL Checker is a tool that allows you to test and validate the SSL/TLS certificates installed on websites. Simply enter a domain name and it will analyze the certificate, providing details like the issuer, expiration date, encryption strength, and whether the certificate is properly configured and trusted by major browsers and operating systems. In SSL tests, receiving an "A" rating typically signifies that the SSL certificate and its configuration meet high security standards.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker A Rating

The checker highlights any potential security issues or misconfigurations with the SSL implementation. This free tool makes it easy to verify if a website's SSL certificate is valid and secure, giving visitors confidence their connection is encrypted and their data is protected from eavesdroppers.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker Detailed Report Example Drop Down

Additionally, you can also performed a detailed check which generates an actionable report with all the ins and out of your SSL Certificate. This includes Protocols, Ciphers, Vulnerabilities and much more.

SSLTrust Free SSL Checker Detailed Report

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You might require assistance from your web developer or make the necessary updates to your website personally to ensure that all files utilize "https://" and all links leading to and within your website employ "https://".


Discussions and Comments

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Written by
Paul Baka


Helpful Guides

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