How to generate a CSR for an SSL certificate

Create a certificate signing request (CSR) in cPanel to order a paid SSL certificate.

Updated September 27, 20261 min read

A certificate signing request (CSR) is a block of text you give to a certificate authority when you order a paid SSL certificate. You don’t need one for the free SSL included with your hosting.

Bought your SSL certificate from GreaterLink for a website we host? Contact us first. We can often set it up for you.

cPanel › Security › SSL/TLS

  1. Log in to cPanel.
  2. In the Security section, click SSL/TLS.
  3. Under Certificate Signing Requests (CSR), click Generate, view, or delete SSL certificate signing requests.
  4. Leave Key set to generate a new key.
  5. In Domains, enter the domain the certificate is for (for a wildcard certificate, use *.yourdomain.com).
  6. Fill in your City, State, Country and Company exactly as registered. They must match your business details for OV and EV certificates.
  7. Click Generate.
  8. Copy the whole Encoded CSR, including the BEGIN and END lines, and paste it into your certificate order.

View or delete a CSR

Go back to the same page. Your requests are listed under Certificate Signing Requests on Server, where you can view or delete them.

Generating a CSR also creates a private key, which stays safely on your hosting account. Don’t delete it until your certificate is installed.

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