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Dedicated SSL for Your Website
Dedicated SSL for Your Website

Creating and Installing SSL Certificates for your website.

Updated over 4 years ago

Dedicated SSL

The Dedicated SSL tool in your WCP control Panel is extremely helpful when the need arises to quickly generate a CSR (Certificate Signing Request) or install a Signed Certificate based on domain or sub-domain. This tool is an intermediary between you and the IIS web server using the WCP Control Panel and simplifies the process of CSR generate and Signed Certificate installation.

To add, remove, or update an SSL or CSR, please follow the steps below:

  1. Login to your WCP Control Panel
    ​Note: You can view our topic on logging into WCP if you need help with this step.

2. Next, select the appropriate domain name from the “Hosted Domains” drop-down menu.

3. Once WCP has loaded the desired domain, navigate to the “SSL” category and select the “Dedicated SSL” button.

4. In the Dedicated SSL dialog box, you are presented with the following options:

  • Generate Certificates

  • Previous Certificates

  • Import PFX

Note: These tabs can be selected by clicking on their titles respectively.

Generate Certificate

Generating a CSR is a breeze with the WCP Control Panel! To generate your Certificate Signing Request, please follow the steps below:

  1. With the Dedicated SSL dialog box open, select the “Generate CSR (Certificate Signing Request)” button.

2. After selecting the “Generate CSR (Certificate Signing Request)” button, you enter the Certificate Signing Request dialog box. The options here are the values used by the Certificate Issuer (Geotrust, Thawte, Verisign, to name a few).

Note: Make sure that the information entered here is accurate to your business/owner; otherwise, your approval could be denied by the Issuer.

  • Bit Length: Represents the number of bits needed for the SSL (2048 is default)

  • Common Name: The domain name you are wanting to secure

  • City: Location of the business or owner by city

  • State: Location of the Business or owner by state

  • Country Code: Location of the Business or owner by Country Code (ex. US)

  • Organization: Business or Owner Name

  • Organizational Unit: Business or Owner Name/Dept. or branch for larger businesses

3. When you have accurately entered your CSR information, press the green “Create” button to generate your Signing Request.

4. After selecting the “Create” button, you are presented with the CSR code and the representation of your Signing Request Values.

Note: This window can also be used when you are ready to install the Signed Certificate.

5. You should now see the CSR you created in the Dedicated SSL dialog box. Which will display the pencil edit icon, the certificate’s Common Name, and a button to view the CSR, the status of the Signing Request, the certificate expiration date, and the trash can delete icon.

Previous Certificates

Selecting this option will allow you to view the older, non-active, certificates that you have installed on this domain name in the past.

Import PFX

If you have elected to purchase an SSL certificate from a different provider and that provide presents you with the Signed Certificate as a .pfx file. You can use this tool to install the file by uploading it directly to the server.

  1. To begin, in the PFX File: field, select the desired file from your local machine to upload it to the server.

2. Next, use the drop-down menu under, the Site label, to select the appropriate common name for the certificate that you are installing.

3. After that, enter the PFX file password that your provider has given you with the PFX file. This password is required for the certificate to be installed successfully

4. Now you will need to enter the City, State, and Country of your business. This will be the same information you had used to generate the Signing Request.

5. With all of that information correctly entered, select the green Import PFX File button to start the upload and installation.

Installing a Signed Certificate

When your Certificate Signing Request is approved by your administrator, whether that is us or you own, and the validation process completes, the SSL Issuer will send the Signed Certificate to the administrator email address on file.

The Signed Certificate can be installed in a few different ways.

  • Uploading Raw Certificate Content

  • Uploading a .CER or .P7B file

  • Importing a .PFX (This option has previously been discussed.)

Uploading Raw Certificate Content

When receiving the Signed Certificate you will be presented with a number of options for installation of the certificate. Among those options is the Raw Certificate Content. This information can be copied from the administrator email and pasted directly into the WCP Control Panel for installation.

  1. Navigate back to the “Dedicated SSL” button.

2. Now, select the pencil edit icon to enter the SSL Certificate dialog box.

3. In the SSL Certificate dialog box, you will see the represented CSR values and CSR Raw Content displayed. Below that information, there are two options for the Certificate File upload. We are going copy the Raw Certificate Content from the administrator email and paste it into the field labeled "Signed Certificate (.cer, .p7b)"

4. After that, click the green “Complete Certificate Signing” button to upload the content.

5. In the next dialog box use the drop-down menu to select the common name that you are installing the certificate under and then select the green “Install Certificate” button.

Uploading A .CER or .P7B File

Uploading the available .cer or .p7b file is an additional option to process the SSL installation. To complete your SSL installation through this method please follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate back to the “Dedicated SSL” button.

2. Now, select the pencil edit icon to enter the SSL Certificate dialog box.

3. In the SSL Certificate dialog box, you will see the represented CSR values and CSR Raw Content displayed. Below that information, there are two options for the Certificate File upload. We are going use the “Upload Cert File” button to upload the certificate file itself. We recommend for the file successful or .p7b for this process to be successful.

4. After that, click the green “Complete Certificate Signing” button to upload the content.

5. In the next dialog box use the drop-down menu to select the common name that you are installing the certificate under and select the green “Install Certificate” button.

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