Manage SSL certificates and keys in cPanel SSL TLS

Overview

This interface is where you create and handle SSL certificates, signing requests and keys. They strengthen the protection of your website, which matters most for sites that routinely collect private data such as login details and credit card numbers. Encryption keeps what visitors send from being read by attackers.

Available features

The interface is divided into these features:

• Default SSL/TLS Key Type — Choose the key type used by default for SSL/TLS certificates and certificate signing requests.
• Private Keys (KEY) — Create, view, upload or remove private keys.
• Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) — Create, view or remove SSL certificate signing requests.
• Certificates (CRT) — Prepare an SSL certificate for your site.
• Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS) — Create, view, upload or remove SSL certificates.

Default SSL/TLS Key Type

In the Default SSL/TLS Key Type section you pick the key type that the system uses whenever it issues SSL/TLS certificates and signing requests. A key type chosen here overrides the default of the server. The SSL/TLS Key Types documentation describes the available types.

After choosing the key type, click Save to store the setting.

Private Keys (KEY)

Before you can set up an SSL certificate for your site, a private key must be in place.

Click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys to open this interface.

Here you can:

• Create a new private key.
• Upload a private key you already have.
• Change the details of a stored private key.
• Delete a stored private key.

A key can be generated on the spot, or you can upload one from a *.key file.

Keys on Server

The Keys on Server table shows:

Edit and view details about a private key

To change the description of a key or to look at it, do the following:

1. Find the key in the Keys on Server table of the Private Keys (KEY) interface.
2. Click Edit in the Actions column of that key. A page opens with the description, the encoded private key and the decoded private key.
3. Change the text in the Description text box.
4. Click Update. A message next to the Description text box reports success or failure.

Delete a private key

To remove a private key, do the following:

1. Find the key in the Keys on Server table of the Private Keys (KEY) interface.
2. Click Delete in the Actions column of that key. You land on the Private Key page.
3. Click Delete Key. A message reports success or failure.

Generate a new private key

To create a private key, do the following:

1. Choose the key from the Key Type menu. If you like, add a short note about the key in the Description text box.
2. Click Generate. A page appears showing the new key in encoded and decoded form.
3. Copy the key you need.
4. Click Return to Private Keys. The key is now listed in the Keys on Server table.
5. Send the new key to the server using the paste a private key or browse for a private key method.

Upload a new private key

There are two ways to upload a private key:

• Paste it into the text box.
• Browse for the key file.

Paste a private key

To paste a private key, do the following:

1. Put the key into the Paste the key into the following text box: text box.
2. If you like, add a short note about the key in the Description text box.
3. Click Save to upload the key. The next page reports success or failure.

Browse for a private key

To upload a private key file, do the following:

1. Click Choose File and select a *.key file.
2. If you like, add a short note about the key in the Description text box.
3. Click Upload. The next page reports success or failure.

Certificate Signing Requests (CSR)

This part of the interface covers creating, viewing and removing certificate signing requests (CSR). It also shows and lets you edit the stored descriptions, together with the encoded and decoded private keys.

Click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests to open it.

Certificate Signing Requests on Server

The Certificate Signing Requests on Server table shows:

Edit and view details about a CSR

To change a description or look at a CSR, do the following:

1. Find the CSR in the Certificate Signing Requests on Server table of the Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) interface.
2. Click Edit in the Actions column. A page opens with the description, the encoded CSR and the decoded CSR.
3. Make your changes in the Description text box.
4. Click Update Name. A message next to the Description text box reports success or failure.

Delete a CSR

To remove a CSR, do the following:

1. Find the CSR in the Certificate Signing Requests on Server table of the Certificate Signing Requests (CSR) interface.
2. Click Delete in the Actions column. A confirmation page opens.
3. Click Delete CSR to confirm.
   • A message reports success or failure.
   • To keep the CSR, click Cancel instead.

Generate a new CSR

To create a CSR, do the following:

1. Below the Generate a New Certificate Signing Request (CSR) heading, choose the key in the Key menu.
   • Once a key is selected, an Edit option appears. Click it to see and change the details of that private key.
   • If the key you need is not in the menu, pick the type of key to generate from the Key menu, or add a new private key in the Private Key section of the interface.
2. Fill in the text boxes beneath the Key menu.
   Note:

   When the CSR is not for a business, type your legal name into the Company text box.

3. Click Generate.

Certificates (CRT)

In this part you can create, view, upload and remove SSL certificates.

Click Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates to open it.

Certificates on Server

The Certificates on Server table shows:

Edit and view details about a certificate

To change a description or look at a certificate, do the following:

1. Find the certificate in the Certificates on Server table of the Certificates (CRT) interface.
2. Click Edit. A page opens with the description, the encoded certificate and the decoded certificate.
3. Type your changes into the Description: text box and click Update Description. A success or error message appears.

You can also remove the certificate you are viewing by clicking Delete Certificate at the bottom of the page.

Delete a certificate

To remove a certificate, do the following:

1. Find the certificate in the Certificates on Server table of the Certificates (CRT) interface.
2. Click Delete beside it. A confirmation page opens.
3. Click Delete Certificates. A success or error message appears.

Install a certificate

To put a certificate into use, click Install in the Actions column of the Certificates on Server table in the Certificates (CRT) interface.

Upload a New Certificate

To paste a certificate, do the following:

1. Below the Upload a New Certificate heading, paste the certificate text into the Paste the certificate into the following text box: text box.
2. If you like, add a short note in the Description: text box.
3. Click Save Certificate to upload it.
4. The next screen reports success or an error.

To upload a certificate file, do the following:

1. Below the Choose a certificate file (.crt)* heading, click Choose File.
2. If you like, add a short note in the Description: text box.
3. Click Upload Certificate.
4. A success or error message appears.

Generate a New Certificate

To create a self-signed SSL certificate, do the following:

1. Below the Generate a New Certificate heading, choose the key in the Key menu. If the key you need is not listed, add a new private key with the Private Keys feature.
2. Complete the Domains, City, State, Company, Company Division, Email and Description text boxes and the Country menu. The Domains, City, State, Country and Company values are required.
3. Click Generate.

Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS)

System administrators can create and install SSL certificates for the cPanel accounts of their users in WHM. The users, in turn, can handle the certificates that belong to their domains.

Click Manage SSL sites to open this interface.

It supports the following tasks:

• Switching the primary domain on a shared IP address.
• Updating a certificate.
• Uninstalling a certificate.
• Viewing the details of a certificate.
• Reusing a certificate for a different site.

The Manage Installed SSL Websites table

Whenever a domain with a dedicated IP address already has an SSL certificate, the Manage Installed SSL Websites table is shown under the introductory text.

Install an SSL Website

The form in the Install an SSL Website section installs a certificate. There are three ways to fill it in:

• Click Browse Certificates.
• Search by domain.
• Type the information in by hand.

Browse Certificates

To install a certificate with Browse Certificates, do the following:

1. Click Browse Certificates.
2. Click the button of the certificate you want. Only certificates that match a domain are listed.
3. Click Use Certificate to go back to the Install an SSL Host section, where the text boxes are now filled with the certificate data.
4. If needed, fill in the Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE) text box.
5. Click Install Certificate. A success or failure message appears.

Search by domain

To install a certificate by searching for the domain, do the following:

1. Choose the domain in the Domain menu.
2. Click Autofill by Domain. The interface tries to find the certificate and fill in its data.
   • On success, the text boxes are populated with the right values.
   • If it does not succeed, the text boxes stay blank.
3. Click Install Certificate. A success or failure message appears.

Manually enter information

To install a certificate by typing in its data, do the following:

1. Choose the domain in the Domain menu.
2. Put the certificate data into the Certificate (CRT) text box.
3. Put the private key data into the Private Key (KEY) text box.
4. If needed, put the certificate authority data into the Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE) text box.
5. Click Install Certificate. A success or failure message appears.