Knowledge Base
How to Install an SSL Certificate on Microsoft IIS 7.x
Overview
By the end of this guide, you will have installed your SSL certificate on a Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.x website and bound it to HTTPS on port 443 so the site serves traffic securely. You will complete the certificate request in IIS Manager, then create an HTTPS site binding and assign the certificate.
Prerequisites
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A server running Microsoft IIS 7.x, with administrative access.
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Your issued certificate file (.cer or .crt) saved on the server.
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The Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for this certificate was generated on this same server.
Part 1: Install the certificate in IIS Manager
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Open IIS Manager.
On the server, go to Start → Administrative Tools → Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, and select your server.
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Open Server Certificates.
In the server's home pane, double-click the Server Certificates icon.
Figure 1: IIS Manager home pane with the Server Certificates icon.
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Start the Complete Certificate Request wizard.
In the Actions pane on the right, select Complete Certificate Request.
Figure 2: Server Certificates pane with Complete Certificate Request selected in the Actions menu.
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Complete the certificate request.
Browse to your certificate file (or type its path), enter a Friendly name to identify the certificate, and click OK. The friendly name is not part of the certificate; it just helps the administrator identify it.
Figure 3: Complete Certificate Request wizard — specifying the certificate file and a friendly name.
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Note: If you received a .cer file and IIS returns an error, rename the extension to .crt.
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Note (known IIS 7 issue): You may see “Cannot find the certificate request associated with this certificate file…” or “ASN1 bad tag value met.” If this is the same server where the CSR was generated, the certificate is usually installed anyway — cancel the dialog and press F5 to refresh the Server Certificates list. If the certificate appears, continue. If not, reissue the certificate with a new CSR (see the CSR creation instructions for IIS 7), then log in to your Sectigo account and select Replace for your certificate.
Part 2: Assign the certificate to your website
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Open the website's bindings.
Navigate to the root of your website (the center pane shows “Default Web Site Home” or your site's name), then in the Edit Site menu select Bindings.
Figure 4: Website home pane with Bindings selected in the Edit Site menu.
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Add a new binding.
In the Site Bindings window, click Add.
Figure 5: Site Bindings window with the Add button.
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Configure the HTTPS binding.
In the Add Site Binding window, set Type to https, set IP address to the site's IP address or All Unassigned, set Port to 443, and under SSL certificate select the certificate (by its friendly name) that you installed in Part 1. Click OK.
Figure 6: Add Site Binding window configured for HTTPS on port 443 with the SSL certificate selected.
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Note: If an https entry already exists, select it, click Edit, choose the certificate's friendly name under SSL certificate, and click OK.
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Confirm and restart IIS.
Click OK (or Close) in the Site Bindings window to finish. The website now has an https binding on port 443.
Figure 7: Site Bindings window showing the new HTTPS binding on port 443.
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Important: Restart IIS (or the website) to complete the installation.
Similar Questions
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How do I install an SSL certificate on Microsoft IIS 7?
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How do I bind an SSL certificate to HTTPS on port 443 in IIS?
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What do I do about the “Cannot find the certificate request” error in IIS 7?
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