The purchased SSL certificate must be configured via the client portal: here, you specify which domain it applies to, how you will verify ownership of the domain, and where the finished certificate should be delivered. You can also renew the certificate here, which may be necessary several times during a subscription due to the decreasing validity period (see: Why are SSL certificates no longer valid for a full year?).

Configuring the certificate

1. Log in to the client portal and open the SSL certificate under ‘Services’.
2. Click on the ‘Configure SSL’ button.
3. Select your preferred configuration method:
   • Autoinstall (via cPanel): if the domain is hosted on our cPanel hosting. This is the recommended method; see below.
   • Manual Enrolment: if the certificate is to be moved to another server (your own VPS, another provider, a mail server or a load balancer), or if you wish to use your own CSR.
4. Select the domain validation method: Email, HTTP File, HTTPS File or DNS Record. These methods are explained in our article on domain validation methods.
5. For an Organisational (OV) certificate, please fill in the details of the company and the contact persons.
6. Click the ‘Submit’ button. The certificate status will be ‘Pending Validation’ until the certificate authority has completed its verification.

Autoinstall (via cPanel)

In this mode, the configuration is automatic:

• Select the domain from the list of domains associated with your cPanel hosting accounts, and tick the box if you also need the www version (Include www prefix);
• The portal generates the private key and the CSR; you do not need to worry about these;
• During HTTP/HTTPS validation, the portal automatically uploads the verification file to your storage space;
• Once issued, the certificate will be automatically installed in cPanel, and we will notify you of this by email.

If the domain does not appear in the list (because it is not hosted on one of our cPanel hosting accounts), select the ‘Manual Enrolment’ option.

Manual Enrolment

In this mode, you have two options:

• enter their own CSR, which they created on the server where the certificate will be installed (see: Generating a CSR and private key);
• Or let the portal generate the CSR for you: in this case, the portal will generate the private key and the CSR from the details you provide. You can download the private key from the certificate page by clicking the** ‘Download private key’** button.

Once issued, you will need to install the certificate yourself. On the certificate page, you can download the certificate (Download certificate), the intermediate certificate (Download intermediate certificate) and both together in PEM format (Download PEM). You can read about the installation process in the article on using an existing SSL certificate. If, however, the domain is hosted on our cPanel hosting service, the ‘Install on Server’ button will install the certificate via cPanel.

Certificate status

Status	Meaning
Awaiting Configuration	The certificate has not yet been configured.
Pending Validation	The certificate authority is awaiting verification of the domain (and, in the case of OV certificates, the company).
SSL Certificate Active	The certificate has been issued.
SSL Certificate Active & Installed	The certificate has been issued and is installed in cPanel.
Reissue Pending	Reissuance in progress.
SSL Certificate Expired	The certificate has expired.

Reissue

You purchase a paid certificate for one or more years, but each individual certificate issued is valid for a shorter period than this. The certificate must therefore be reissued during the subscription period. On the certificate page, the ‘Next Reissue’ field shows how many days until the next reissue is due. Reissuing the certificate is free of charge during the subscription period.

Renewal is not automatic, even in Autoinstall mode: we will send you an email reminder before the due date, but you must initiate the renewal yourself. To renew:

1. If you wish to use a new key on your own server, please generate a new CSR. This is recommended for security reasons.
2. On the certificate page, click the ‘Reissue’ button.
3. Paste the CSR and select the validation method.
4. Complete the domain validation, then install the new certificate once it has been issued.

You can request a reissue even if the certificate is still a long way from expiring, for example if you have lost your private key or it has been compromised (see: What should you do if your private key has been compromised?).

If validation fails

• For HTTP or DNS validation, once you have uploaded the verification file or set up the DNS record, click the ‘Revalidate’ button so that the certificate authority can re-verify immediately. The button will be available for use again after a short wait.
• During email verification, you can use the** ‘Resend verification email’** button to request the verification email again or select a different email address.
• You can change the validation method at any time using the ‘Change Validation Method’ button.
• If DNS validation fails for an extended period, the system will switch to email validation and send the confirmation email to the address selected during setup.

If your certificate has been pending for several days, please contact our support team.