How to Generate CSR in cPanel

Learn how to generate CSR in cPanel. Our cPanel Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

How to Generate CSR in cPanel

In the world of online security, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificates play a key role. Furthermore, these certificates make sure that data transfer between servers and browsers is secure. SSL certificate generation consists of two key components:

• Certificate Signing Request (CSR)
• RSA key

1. What is a CSR?
2. How to Generate a CSR in cPanel
3. How to install a Third-Party SSL Certificate in cPanel
4. How to install SSLs in WHM

What is a CSR?

CSR, short for Certificate Signing Request is a block of encrypted text. This text is made of important information like organization name, domain name, locality, and country, along with public keys.

Furthermore, the CSR is generated by the server where the SSL certificate will be installed and is used by the SSL certificate provider to create the certificate itself.

How to Generate a CSR in cPanel

1. To begin with, log into the cPanel account.
2. Then, locate and click SSL/TLS Manager in the Security section.
3. Next, click “Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests” under the CSR menu.
4. At this point, we have to generate a new 2048-bit key or choose a previously generated private key.
5. Then, enter this information for the information for the CSR code. Remember to use only alphanumeric characters.

   

   • Domains:

     We have to enter the fully qualified domain name for SSL activation (common name). For Wildcard certificates, we can represent the common name with an asterisk in front of the domain. To generate CSR codes for multiple domains, we have to enter each domain on a new line.
   • City:

     Now, enter the complete name of our city or locality without abbreviations.
   • State:

     We have to enter the complete name of our state or region.
   • Country:

     Then, select our country from the provided drop-down list.
   • Company:

     We have to specify the officially registered name of our business. For Organization and Extended Validation certificates, Certificate Authorities will verify the submitted organization. Also, for Domain Validation SSLs, this field will not be listed on the issued certificate (use “NA” if the organization is not registered).
   • Company Division:

     Then, enter the name of a division or department in the indicated organization. For Domain Validation certificates, we can enter “NA.”
   • E-mail:

     We have to enter our e-mail address. The e-mail used for CSR generation will not be used for domain control validation or for receiving the issued certificate. It can be left blank.
   • Passphrase:

     This field is currently considered obsolete and can be left empty. It was originally designed as an additional verification parameter.
   • Description:

     Then. include keywords to easily identify a specific CSR in the list.
6. Then, click the Generate button.
7. Then, we will be taken to the page with the new CSR code. Now, use the Encoded Certificate Signing Request to activate the certificate. We have to include
   —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE REQUEST—–
   and
   —–END CERTIFICATE REQUEST—–
   when we submit the CSR code for SSL activation.

Alternatively, we can accomplish the same task manually as well. In order to do this, we need to access our server through SSH or the Terminal feature in WHM to run commands on the server.

1. First, access the server via SSH or open a terminal to run these commands:

   openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout private.key -out csr.csr

   This will create a private key for the SSL, and the CSR.

   Our experts would like to point out that the command will generate these files in the cwd for our session. By default, this is the secure home directory for the active user. So remember not to run them in a publicly accessible location.
2. Now, we have to enter the information as per the prompts.
3. At this point, we will have 2 files “private.key” and “csr.csr”. Then, we can import these files via the accounts cPanel interface with the SSL/TLS feature.
   Furthermore, the private key is stored on the server locally. We will need it during the installation process after the CA issues the certificate.
4. Now, CA will carry out a few validation steps according to the type of certificate we have chosen.

The system saves this information in these directories on our servers:

• CSR — /var/cpanel/ssl/system/csrs
• SSL certificates — /var/cpanel/ssl/system/certs
• Private keys — /var/cpanel/ssl/system/keys

As mentioned earlier, the generated CSR is important for obtaining an SSL certificate for our website. We have to provide the CSR to our chosen certificate provider during the certificate purchase process. The CA will then use the CSR to create a digital certificate. We can then install the certificate on our web server for secure, encrypted connections.

This is why we need to keep our private key secure, as we need it for installing the SSL certificate. Additionally, we have to follow the instructions provided by our hosting provider and cPanel version, as the interface may vary.

How to install Third-Party SSL Certificate in cPanel

If we send our CSR to a CA, we will get a matching SSL certificate that we can install on the server to use for our website.

1. First, access the cPanel SSL/TLS Manager.
2. Then, click “Generate, view, upload, or delete SSL certificates”.
3. Next, we can paste our certificate info into the Paste your certificate below box and then click Save Certificate. Alternatively, we can click Choose File to browse for the certificate file and click Upload Certificate.

How to install SSLs in WHM

Once we get a copy of our SSL Certificate, we can install it in our WHM as seen below:

1. First, log in to WHM.
2. Then, click SSL/TLS and click the Install an SSL Certificate, followed by Setup the Domain button.

   Remember to choose the domain we are installing the certificate for, leaving the IP field on Auto-discover in the Domain section.
3. We will come across three fields:
   • crt:

     Here, we have to copy and paste the contents of the .crt file. Alternatively, we can add the Certificate info from the previous section if we are installing a self-signed certificate.
   • key (Private Key)

     Next, we have to copy and paste the contents of the .key file. Alternatively, we can add the Key info from the previous section if we are installing a self-signed certificate.
   • ca bundle

     Then, we have to copy and paste the contents of the ca bundle. We will get this when we purchase an SSL. We will not have one if it is a self-signed certificate.
   • Next, our experts recommend enabling “Enable SNI for Mail Services” only if we are using the certificate for email. If not, then we are using the existing server’s certificate for mail.

In the world of online security, CSR and RSA keys are crucial. These components play key roles in the creation of SSL certificates by ensuring secure and encrypted communication between servers and browsers. By following proper procedures for generating CSRs and RSA keys, website owners can fortify their online presence and protect sensitive user information.

Let us know in the comments if you need further help with generating a CSR certificate in cPanel.

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to generate CSR in cPanel.