Knowledge Base

Overview

By following this article, you will install your issued SSL certificate on your domain using either Web Host Manager (WHM) or cPanel. Web Host Manager (WHM) is the administrator control panel, and cPanel is the end-user control panel; each installs certificates in a slightly different way. The article covers the prerequisites, the certificate file and Certificate Authority (CA) bundle file you need, the installation steps in Web Host Manager (WHM), the installation steps in cPanel, how to create a CA bundle file if you did not receive one, and how to verify the installation.

Before you begin

Confirm the following before you install the certificate:

• Access: You can log in to Web Host Manager (WHM) or cPanel and open the SSL/TLS area. To install the certificate, you must be an administrator. If you are not an administrator, contact your administrator to install the certificate for you.
• Certificate file: You have the certificate file that Sectigo sent you. This file is typically named your_domain_com.crt and contains your domain name in the file name.
• CA bundle file: You have the Certificate Authority (CA) bundle file, which has the extension .ca-bundle. If you did not receive this file, see Create a CA bundle file if you did not receive one.
• Text editor: You can open both files in a plain text editor to copy their contents.

Install the certificate in Web Host Manager (WHM)

Use these steps if you manage the server as an administrator in Web Host Manager (WHM). You need the certificate file (typically your_domain_com.crt) and the Certificate Authority (CA) bundle file (.ca-bundle).

1. Log in to Web Host Manager (WHM).
2. In the menu, go to the SSL/TLS section and click Install an SSL Certificate and Setup the Domain.
3. Open the certificate file in a text editor and copy all of its contents.
4. Paste the contents into the top box of the form.
5. Click the second Fetch button, located next to the key file section. Web Host Manager (WHM) retrieves the private key, domain, user, and IP address information from the server and adds it to the form.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the form and find the box labeled Paste the ca bundle here (optional).
7. Open the CA bundle file in a text editor, copy all of its contents, and paste them into this box.
8. Click Submit.

Expected result: After one or two minutes, the certificate is installed and set up on the domain.

Install the certificate in cPanel

Use these steps if you install the certificate from the cPanel end-user control panel. You need the certificate file, typically named your_domain_com.crt.

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. In the Security menu, click SSL/TLS Manager.
3. Click the Certificates link at the bottom of the page.
4. Open the certificate file in a text editor, copy all of its contents, and paste them into the box labeled Paste the crt below:. Alternatively, upload the certificate file through your browser.
5. Click Upload.

Expected result: The certificate is uploaded and installed on the site.

Create a CA bundle file if you did not receive one

The Certificate Authority (CA) bundle file contains the intermediate certificates that link your SSL certificate to a trusted root certificate. Web Host Manager (WHM) uses this file during installation. If you did not receive a .ca-bundle file, you can create one from the intermediate certificates.

1. Create a new, empty file in a plain text editor.
2. Copy the contents of each intermediate certificate into the file, one after another, from top to bottom.
3. Save the file with the .ca-bundle extension.

Expected result: You have a CA bundle file that you can paste into the Paste the ca bundle here (optional) box in Web Host Manager (WHM).

Verify the installation

After installation, open your website in a browser using HTTPS. Confirm that the browser shows a secure connection without a certificate warning and that the certificate details show your domain name.

Similar questions

• How do I install an SSL certificate in cPanel?
• How do I add a Certificate Authority (CA) bundle to a certificate in Web Host Manager (WHM)?
• Where do I paste the certificate file in Web Host Manager (WHM) or cPanel?
• What should I do if I did not receive the ca-bundle file?