How to generate a CSR and Key in the WHM

When purchasing an SSL certificate you first need to generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) and Key. Once done the CSR is sent to the Certificate provider were they use it to create your certificate. Once the Certificate has been generated it is very important that you keep the key and cert stored in a safe place. Loosing either one of these makes the other useless and you will be required to start over and purchase a new certificate!

Steps to produce a CSR and Key in the WHM

  1. Log into the WHM (WebHostManager) as root or as a reseller.
  2. Using the left hand navigation find the section labeled SSL/TLS and click “Generate an SSL Certificate and Signing Request”
  3. Next fill out the form reading and following the instructions for each field. If your purchasing and EV cert or one with any type of business verification the information needs to be accurate! It's also important to note to pay extra attention to the domains section, this is the domain you will use to access the secure section of your site. Most people will use www.domain.com, accessing the secure area of the site using a different domain for example just domain.com will throw a warning in the users browser.
  4. Click Create, a CSR, Cert and Key will be generated. The CSR and Key is what are important.