Creating Your Own SSL Certificates

When creating your own SSL certificates, the process begins the same way as requesting a certificate from a trusted provider.

Primarily, you will need to create a private key file.

Please note that this private key file must be used with the specific SSL certificate that it is for. This private key is secret and should not be given out. Also, there is no way to recover a private key file if it is lost.

Creating a Private Key File

To create a private key file, click on the icon above Private Keys (KEY).

Scroll down to Generate a New Key and select the domain you wish to use the SSL certificate on. NOTE: If you wish to use the SSL certificate on a subdomain such as secure.domain.com, you will need to first create that subdomain. To create a subdomain, see Adding subdomains.

After you've selected the domain you wish to use, click on Generate to create the public key file.

After you've created the public key file, you'll need to generate and install a certificate.

Generating the SSL Certificate

To generate a self-signed SSL certificate, you will need to fill out the form on the certificates page. To get to this page, you will need to click on the icon above Certificates (CRT).

Now, scroll down to Generate a New Certificate and fill out the form.

To start, select the host for your certificate from the drop box. The host is the domain you've created a private key for.

Next, you will need to enter the Country that you are located in. The State or Locality that you are located in. The City you are located in. Your Company's name. The Company Division  the site belongs to. The Email address that the certificate should be sent to and a Pass Phrase if you choose to use one. The pass phrase is a challenge password used by Apache at startup to decrypt your SSL private key. For more information on the pass phrase, click here.

Now, click on Generate to generate the SSL Certificate.

Once you've generated the certificate using the above steps, you will need to install it. First, select the certificate and copy it. Copy everything from and including -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- to and including -----END CERTIFICATE-----.

Now, click on Go Back and paste the selection you have copied into the blank field underneath Paste the crt below:.

Click on Upload, and your certificate should be installed. You can now access your site using https://secure.domain.com or whichever location you have chosen.

If the certificate is not installed or you cannot access your site through https:// you will need to contact your webhost or cPanel for help.