SSL Certificate Installation

SSL Certificate installation can be with the right knowledge and tools. The following SSL install questions will help you better understand the installation process.

How do I install my SSL certificate?

You need to do the SSL Certificate installation on the same server (or with the same private key) that you generated the CSR on. Choose your server type or device below:

If your server type isn't listed above, you can try the instructions from one of these certificate authorities:

Comodo SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
DigiCert SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
GeoTrust SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
GlobalSign SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
GoDaddy SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
Thawte SSL Certificate Installation Instructions
Trustwave SSL Certificate Installation Instructions

You may also want to use the SSL Certificate installation instructions that are provided by the manufacturer:

Manufacturer	Installation Instructions
2X	2X ApplicationServer & LoadBalancer & VirtualDesktopServer Manual
4D	4D Webstar Support
Apache	Apache SSL/TLS Strong Encryption: FAQ Apache SSL/TLS Strong Encryption: How-To Tomcat SSL Configuration Guide
Adobe	Adobe Connect Enterprise Server 6 SSL Configuration Guide
Apple	Using mod_ssl on Mac OS X
Barracuda	How do I set up secure administration using SSL/TLS on my Barracuda Networks product?
BEA	Configuring SSL on BEA WebLogic
Blackberry	Blackberry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange 5.0 Administration Guide
Bluecoat	SSL Transparent Proxy Authentication using IWA
Bomgar	IP Configuration: SSL Certificate
Cisco	Cisco Manuals Product Selection
Citrix	Citrix Support
Courier	Courier IMAP SSL Install Documentation
cPanel	cPanel Documentation
F5	F5 Deployment Guides
Fortinet	FortiGate SSL VPN User Guide
FreeRadius	FreeRadius HOWTO SSL Install
Google	Google Mini SSL Certificate Installation Settings
IBM	Guide to properly setting up SSL within the IBM HTTP Server IBM - Lotus Domino Administrator 6 Help -Setting up SSL on a Domino server IBM - Quick guide to setting up SSL using Domino as the Certificate Authority Configure SSL for WebSphere Application Server
JBoss	JBoss SSL Install
Jetty	Configuring SSL for Jetty
Juniper	Juniper Technical Support Center
Kerio	Kerio Mail Server SSL Certificate Installation
Lighttpd	Lighttpd SSL Install Instructions
Microsoft	Managing Microsoft Certificate Services and SSL How to implement SSL in IIS How to enable LDAP over SSL with a third-party certification authority
Mirapoint	Mirapoint Documentation
Nortel	SSL Accelerator Documentation
Novell	Installing SSL VPN Services
Oracle	Configuring SSL Authentication
Parallels	Plesk 8.1 Administration Guide Plesk 7 Administration Manual - Managing Control Panel SSL Certificates Plesk 7 Tutorial: Creating an SSL Certificate
Pound	Pound Documentation
SAP	Setting Up an SSL Connection
Sendmail	SMTP STARTTLS in sendmail/Secure Switch
Sonicwall	Sonicwall Product Guides
Sun	Using SSL with iPlanet Web Server, Enterprise Edition 4.x
Zeus	Zeus Support
Zimbra	Zimbra Commercial SSL Certificate Installation Guide

How do I know if I did the SSL install correctly?

You can easily see if you did the SSL Certificate installation correctly by entering the hostname in the following box and clicking "Check SSL". Our SSL Checker will show you the certificate that is installed and tell you if there are any SSL install problems.

What is an Intermediate certificate and how do I install it?

Any certificate in between your certificate and the root certificate is called a chain or intermediate certificate. These must be installed to the web server with the primary certificate for your web site so that user's browers can link your certificate to a trusted authority. Most certificate authorities use intermediate certificates for security purposes and most web servers and devices support them. To find out more about Intermediate certificates and why most providers require them for SSL Certificate installation, see Extinction of Unchained SSL Certificates.

How do I install a wildcard certificate?

A wildcard certificate is installed the exact same way that a normal certificate is installed. The only difference is the * character in the common name field. Nothing extra is needed to install the certificate on the server.

What is reissuing a certificate?

If you need to create a new certificate based on a new private key, you will need to reissue it. By reissuing you can install the certificate on a new server without moving your private key or replace your certificate if your private key is lost or stolen. Most certificate authorities offer free reissues but some are more flexible than others. In order to reissue your certificate you will just need to create a new CSR, reissue with your certificate provider, and install the new certificate.

Do I have to buy a new certificate if my server crashes?

No. Most certificates authorities allow you to reissue the certificate with a new private key if you lose the current one. Still, it is a very good idea to backup your certificate and private key.

How do I backup my private key?

Without your private key, your digital certificate is useless. It isn't possible to recover a private key once it is lost. The certificate authority that creates the certificate never sees your private key, so they can't help you if you lose it. If you do lose your private key you can create a new one and reissue the certificate. You can backup the SSL certificate using our SSL Certificate Import/Export/Move Instructions.