How to install a third-party SSL certificate with cPanel

A2 Hosting offers automated installation options for certificates we sell, but there is no restriction on which certificates you can install. This article shows how to manually obtain and install an SSL certificate on cPanel.

Step 1: Generate a private key and CSR

If you have not already purchased an SSL certificate from another provider, you must first generate a private key and Certificate Signing Request (CSR).

To generate a private key and CSR, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the SSL/TLS tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Security section, click SSL/TLS:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the SECURITY section of the cPanel home page, click SSL/TLS:
     

     

3. Under Private Keys (KEY), click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys. The Private Keys page appears.
4. Under Generate a New Private Key, confirm that the Key Type is set to RSA, 2,048-bit.
5. In the Description text box, type a descriptive name for the key, such as SSL cert private key.
6. Click Generate. cPanel generates and displays the private key. You are now ready to generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR).
7. Click Return to SSL/TLS.
8. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests. The SSL Certificate Signing Request page appears.
9. Under Generate a New Certificate Signing Request (CSR), in the Key list box, select the description for the private key you generated in step 6.

10. In the Domains text box, type the domain that you want to secure with the certificate.
    

    Make sure that you specify the correct domain name that you want to secure. A2 Hosting recommends that you use the www.example.com domain form, because then the certificate works with both https://www.example.com and https://example.com. (Do not add https:// to the domain name in the Domains text box.)

11. Complete the remaining fields for the CSR.
    

    • Make sure you use the correct two-letter country code (for example, US or FR). For a complete list of these codes, please visit https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#search.
    • Make sure you use a passphrase that you will remember. A2 Hosting cannot recover the passphrase if you forget it!
12. To create the CSR, click Generate. cPanel generates and displays the CSR.
13. Copy the CSR text and submit it to the third-party SSL provider. When you receive the SSL certificate from the provider, you are ready to enable SSL for your web site. Go to the Install the certificate and activate SSL procedure below.

Step 2: Install a private key

If you have already purchased an SSL certificate from another provider and you have the private key and certificate, you must first install the private key using cPanel.

To install a private key, follow these steps:

1. Log in to cPanel.
   If you do not know how to log in to your cPanel account, please see this article.
2. Open the SSL/TLS tool:
   • If you are using the Jupiter theme, on the Tools page, in the Security section, click SSL/TLS:

     

   • If you are using the Paper Lantern theme, in the SECURITY section of the cPanel home page, click SSL/TLS:
     

     

3. Under Private Keys (KEY), click Generate, view, upload, or delete your private keys. The Private Keys page appears.

4. Under Upload a New Private Key, upload the key using one of the following methods:
   

   • Paste the key text in the Paste the key into the following text box text box, type a description in the Description text box, and then click Save.
   • Alternatively, click Browse, select the .key file on your computer, type a description in the Description text box, and then click Upload.
5. Click Go Back.
6. Click Return to SSL/TLS.
7. You are now ready to install the certificate and enable SSL for your web site. Go to the Install the certificate and activate SSL procedure below.

Step 3: Install the certificate and activate SSL

At this point, you should have a private key installed and a certificate from the third-party provider. (You may also optionally have a CA bundle.) If so, you are ready to install the certificate and activate SSL for your web site.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the SSL/TLS page, under Certificates (CRT), click Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates. The Certificates page appears.
2. Under Upload a New Certificate, upload the certificate using one of the following methods:
   • Paste the certificate text in the Paste the certificate into the following text box text box, type a description in the Description text box, and then click Save Certificate.
   • Alternatively, click Browse, select the .crt file on your computer, type a description in the Description text box, and then click Upload Certificate.
3. Click Go Back, and then click Return to SSL/TLS.
4. Under Install and Manage SSL for your site (HTTPS), click Manage SSL sites.
5. Under Install an SSL Website, click Browse Certificates, select the certificate you want to use, and then click Use Certificate. cPanel fills in the Certificate (CRT) and Private Key (KEY) fields automatically.
6. In the Domain list box, select the domain you want to secure with the certificate.

7. If your SSL certificate requires a CA (Certificate Authority) bundle, paste it under Certificate Authority Bundle (CABUNDLE). Otherwise, leave this field blank.
   

   Not all SSL certificates require a CA bundle (which is also sometimes called an Intermediate Certificate). If you are unsure whether your certificate requires a CA bundle, contact the certificate provider.
8. Click Install Certificate. cPanel installs the certificate on the server and enables SSL. When the process is complete, you receive an SSL Host Successfully Installed message.
9. Click OK. You can now securely access the specified domain by using the https:// prefix in a web browser. If you need further assistance, please open a support ticket with our Guru Crew on the Customer Portal at https://my.a2hosting.com.